Driving While Having a Cold or the Flu Can Be Hazardous

Rate This

It's long been established that drinking and driving don't mix, but a study by a British insurance company shows that it's almost as bad to drive if you have a severe cold or the flu.

According to BBC News, Lloyds TBS Insurance conducted a study, using 50 healthy adults and 50 with colds, stress and headaches. The subjects were put through a driving hazard simulator. BBC News reports, and the results showed that drivers with colds were 11 percent slower in their reaction time, about the same as drinking a double shot of hard liquor.

An additional study indicated that those with colds and flu had to add 3.3 feet to their stopping distance if traveling at 30 MPH.

Duncan Vernon, road safety manager at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, told BBC News, "People need to be honest with themselves about their ability to drive safely.

"A heavy cold, for example, can have symptoms that include a headache, blocked sinuses, sneezing and tiredness, and these can impair a driver's mood, concentration, reactions and judgment."