Having A Bad Cold Is Basically Like Being Wasted

You now have a scientific excuse to call in sick to work: according to a small study, driving with a bad cold is just as dangerous as drunk-driving.

The Telegraph reports on the study by Young Marmalade, which is an insurance company, not a stripper. The folks at Marmalade put tracking devices in cars and then asked people with colds to drive them. They found that a bad cold decreased subjects' driving ability by over 50%, allegedly the equivalent of drinking four double whiskeys. Nigel Lacy, cofounder of Young Marmalade and winner of this year's Britishest Name Ever contest, says, "a heavy cold can impair a driver's mood, concentration and judgement." A police officer also explains to the Telegraph that sneezing causes drivers to close their eyes, which can be dangerous.

I'm not sure if a double whiskey is smaller in the UK, but I'm pretty sure four of them would have a way worse effect on me than any cold. That said, colds do gum up your brain, and sneezing a lot can be pretty distracting (as can struggling to breathe). To be safe, when you feel a cold coming on, you should probably stay off the road and have those whiskeys at home.


Motorists With Heavy Colds 'As Bad As Drink Drivers' [Telegraph]

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