LONDON, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- A study done for a British insurance company finds that colds, flu, headaches and other illnesses can impair driving ability.
A research agency, PCP, compared the performance of 100 drivers suffering from different conditions and 50 drivers in good health on a hazard simulator, the BBC reported. Sixty of the drivers had colds or flu and 40 other problems, including premenstrual syndrome.
On average, reaction times and other measures of driving performance were 11 percent worse for the sick drivers.
In a poll that was also done for Lloyds TSB Insurance, YouGov questioned 4,000 drivers, with 22 saying they had been involved in a car crash while driving with a cold and five with flu.
Lloyds TSB estimates drivers with colds or flu are involved in 125,000 crashes a year.
"Safe driving requires concentration and good reactions, both of which are significantly reduced, even by just a mild cold," said Dr. Dawn Harper, a supporter of the Lloyds TSB campaign. "I would advise drivers suffering from these conditions to avoid getting behind the wheel until they are better."
