Guide: Traveling in a car with hay fever: Driving with hay fever?

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Now everything is green and blooming, and for many the pain begins: pollen settles on the sticky yellow carpets on cars and garden furniture and irritates our nasal mucosa. The result is itchy or watery eyes and severe attacks of sneezing. Hundreds of thousands of people are allergic to pollen and suffer from hay fever. And this can be not only frustrating, but also dangerous. Because its symptoms can be distracting and greatly impair concentration while driving.

Accidents that occur while sneezing

Especially sneezing attacks can cause accidents. When people sneeze, they instinctively close their eyes for about a second. This means a blind flight of approximately 14 meters at 50 km/h or 28 meters at 100 km/h. In 2014, Dutch researchers even found that the reaction and concentration while driving with hay fever was comparable to a blood alcohol level of 0.5 parts per thousand. 19 people with pollen allergies swerved dangerously off the road during a driving test; On average they moved more than two centimeters off the track.

Medicine yes but…

Of course, this does not mean that people with pollen allergies cannot drive during the spring. Pollen allergy can be treated with medication. Unlike before, most of the available preparations should no longer tire you or disrupt your concentration. Relevant side effects that may also negatively affect our ability to drive are stated in the package inserts.

This way you stay safe on the road

1. Anyone suffering from hay fever should keep the inside of their car particularly clean; For example, the seats, cockpit and panels should be cleaned frequently with a damp cloth.
2. Always keep the windows and sunroof closed to prevent pollen from entering. In order not to take risks, you should also activate the recirculation button of your air conditioning system.
3. Many car models with modern air conditioning systems have an effective pollen filter that filters out most airborne allergens. However: To effectively keep pollen out, the filter must be replaced by a service every 12 to 24 months, depending on the model. You can find information about this in the instructions for use.
4. Don’t park under trees and put your jacket in the trunk to avoid getting pollen on your clothes.
5. Regardless, the thing for hay fever is this: If in doubt, avoid the car and take public transportation.

Source: Blick