The average person touches their face an astounding 26 times per hour while driving. So say researchers from the University of Nottingham. And if that driver isn’t practicing proper hand hygiene, all those rubs and scratches can spread germs and infections. The researchers found, in an analysis of 36 experienced drivers, that they absent-mindedly touched their face 26.4 times per hour, with each touch lasting about 4 seconds. Drivers most often touched somewhere on their face (79.6%), followed by their hair (10%), neck (8.6%), and shoulders (1.7%). And worse, drivers made contact with mucous membranes roughly every 5 minutes. The inner lining of the lips, nostrils, and eyes are all examples of mucous membranes. The study’s co-author said: “Face-touching behaviors present a transmission risk to the driver, particularly if that vehicle is shared or occupied by multiple parties, and where hand hygiene is poor.”
(When I saw this, the first thing I did was a “facepalm”!)
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