Police issue safety warning to drivers who wear lanyards whilst behind the wheel of a vehicle
Police in Dorset have warned about the dangers of wearing your work lanyard whilst driving.
Taxi and private hire drivers are required to wear an identification badge while working, with the vast majority using a lanyard to secure it around their neck.
Police have advised drivers to remove their lanyard from their neck saying it could save your life in the event of a road traffic collision. The warning came in a Facebook post by Dorset Police Volunteers after a spate of incidents in which drivers suffered serious injuries because they drove still wearing their lanyards
In the post, Dorset Police Volunteers said: "There have been a couple of serious traffic accidents of note (not within Dorset Police) where the wearing of identity lanyards around the drivers' necks has exacerbated the severity of the injuries sustained. "This type of accident is fortunately unlikely, however staff, officers and volunteers should be aware of the hazard and how to avoid it. "One driver was involved in a minor car accident and was wearing their company lanyard and pass. "The car airbag was deployed on impact and the force of the airbag caused the lanyard and pass to be pushed into the driver's chest, causing a lung to collapse and hospital treatment required
"Had the person not been wearing their lanyard and pass at the time, they would have most likely walked away relatively unscathed.
The post went on to say: "In another accident, a NHS worker stored a lot of keys on her lanyard for medicine cabinets, lockers etc. "She got into her car and was driving home, but did not remove her lanyard. Unfortunately she also had a crash that triggered the airbag.
"The force of the airbag caused the keys to perforate her bowel; she was in hospital for over 6 weeks and she has been off work now for 6 months. The post concludes with police strongly advising people remove their lanyards when leaving the office for safety and security reasons, but also to prevent other driving incidents from occuring.
