subject: Hayfever Drugs and Driving [print this page] Hayfever Drugs and Driving Hayfever Drugs and Driving
As the evenings get lighter and the temperatures begin to thaw, we can be forgiven for forgetting the worry of driving under the influence of cold and cough medicine, and how drowsy it can make us, not to mention disorientated. After all, the summer is coming! Soon the scarves and gloves will be replaced by sun hats and summer dresses, and scraping frost off the car will be a thing of the past!
But experts are warring that if you suffer from hay fever you should think twice about driving. Antihistimines, often found in the over the counter medicines that we buy to treat our hay fever, are actually worse than some of the cold and flu medicines, and some have even been tested and found to be more impairing than alcohol in the system. If you are pairing alcohol with these drugs then you may find it difficult to steer or stay in lane due to high levels of drowsiness.
This is a real problem for motorists who drive as part of their job, as if you have an accident you may be invalidating your Car Insurance policy and affecting your No Claims Bonus . Results from the Bank of Scotland Vehicle Finance found that on average a driver in the UK will spend seventy days per year behind the wheel, which is a massive statistic.
There are some over the counter remedies for the condition that do not contain any antihistamines, and are therefore safer for drivers to use.
