Drivers have been warned that being ill with a cold or the flu could impair their awareness by the same amount as drinking a double whisky.
Being ill while driving can have as bad an effect as being under the influence of alcohol, a car insurance firm has revealed.
According to new research commissioned by Lloyds TSB, having a cold or the flu means that awareness is reduced by 11 percent - the same amount as a double whisky. Other ailments, such as stress or headaches, were also found to have an effect, but the study indicated that viruses caused the largest impairment.
The problem is so great that one in ten road accidents last year were caused by a driver having the flu. This amounted to a £350 million bill for the entire nation. However, almost four in ten respondents said they had driven while ill, with nearly half of these reporting that it had no impact on their driving ability.
"Our research proves that getting behind the wheel when ill causes thousands of accidents every year," said Paula Llewellyn, Lloyds TSB insurance spokesperson. "This serves as a double warning for drivers - firstly, try to avoid driving if you're suffering from cold or flu and secondly, be prepared for other drivers' irresponsibility by making sure you are comprehensively insured."
The research which investigated the dangers of driving while ill involved 102 participants and was conducted by research firm PCP.
