The Snot Tax
How blowing your nose could cost you thousands
Last updated: 19/09/2025
Last updated: 19/09/2025
As we enter the cold and flu season, drivers may find themselves feeling under the weather. While many motorists may feel healthy enough to drive, they could find themselves coughing up a lot of cash, should they be deemed as driving without due care and attention.
Claire Wills-McKissick, temporary car insurance expert at Tempcover reveals how much money motorists could be blowing (alongside their nose) if this happens, and advises on how to drive safely when feeling ill.
Driving when you’re sick can be risky for you and other road users. Symptoms like sneezing, coughing fits, and even fatigue and drowsiness can cause you to lose concentration or even temporary control of your vehicle. These motorists are at greater risk of heavy fines, points on their licence, and invalidated insurance and here’s how.
If your driving is impaired by your cold or flu and it falls below the standard of a careful and competent driver, you could be charged with ‘driving without due care and attention’. This offence, also known as careless driving, can have significant penalties that vary based on the severity of the incident.
For minor careless driving, such as a momentary lapse in concentration, you might receive a fixed penalty notice and three points on your licence. However, if the incident is more serious, it can be referred to a court, which may result in a higher fine of up to £5,000, a driving disqualification, or 3 to 9 penalty points on your licence.
Even a simple act like reaching for a tissue to deal with a runny nose could land you in trouble. Under the Road Traffic Act, taking your hand off the wheel, even for a moment, to grab a tissue could be seen as losing proper control of your vehicle. If this action creates a dangerous situation, you could face a fine of up to £1,000 and 3 penalty points. So, in effect, a simple cold could result in you paying ‘the snot tax’ - a costly lesson in maintaining full control of your vehicle at all times.
Insurance is a safety net but in the event that driving whilst unwell causes an accident, your insurer could legally argue that you were not fit to drive. This could potentially invalidate your policy, leaving you personally responsible for all costs and damages.
With that in mind, if you’re really not feeling well, consider postponing your trip, or asking someone else to take over the driving duties. When using a temporary car insurance provider, like Tempcover, they can take out cover for as little as an hour, making it much easier to hand over the driving.
While driving when ill is not advised, there are occasions where it can’t be avoided. In these instances, there are measures motorists can take to keep both themselves and other road users safer:
