ACCORDING to new figures as many as 7% of motorists have had an accident, a near miss or temporarily lost control of their car while sneezing at the wheel.

The survey was carried out by insurance company esure and found that 72% of motorists can be affected by hay fever symptoms, with a fifth of these taking their hands off the wheel when sneezing and half closing their eyes while having a sneezing fit.

Dust on the dashboard, perfume and in-car air fresheners can trigger hay fever as well as pollen, said esure.