Safety experts say the best thing to do is to stay calm and keep your eyes on the traffic — not the wasp. — dpa
BERLIN: Picture this: You're driving down the highway when, out of nowhere, a wasp flies into your face.Your instinct might send your arms flailing, but of course this can be extremely dangerous. Your first thought is typically about not getting stung, but your priority now needs to be not crashing the car.
Safety experts say the best thing you can do is try and stay calm and keep your eyes on the traffic — not the wasp. Then turn on the hazard lights, slow down and try and find a place to stop on side of the road.
If the windows are open, the problem will usually solve itself pretty soon. If you're feeling panicky and want to get out of the car while the wasp is still in there, keep an eye on oncoming traffic as well as what's happening behind you.
If you're allergic to certain insects, it's best to do a quick check before you drive off and keep the windows closed.
Meanwhile, motorcyclists face the even more unpleasant possibility of a wasp could get stuck in the helmet while driving.
If this happens, it's essential to keep calm and slow down gradually, advises Matthias Haasper from the German Institute for Motorcycle Safety (IFZ). If you brake too quickly, you risk danger from – and for – traffic behind you.
Instead of trying to rip off the helmet as quickly as possible, you should simply accept that you are going to be stung by the wasp, Haasper says.
Even reaching into the helmet while you are riding is not a good idea – a rider's full concentration should be on safely coming to a stop.
Even at slow speeds, foreign objects can temporary blind riders if they are hit in the eye. The IFZ therefore advises always riding with your visor closed, or at least with goggles, even if it is tempting to enjoy the breeze.
