Identity lanyards could lead to potentially life-threatening injuries if worn while driving, Public Health Wales has warned.

An alert has been issued, citing “serious traffic accidents…where the wearing of identity lanyards around the drivers’ necks has exacerbated the severity of the injuries sustained.”

Wearing your work lanyard while driving could pose dangerous risks during car accidents, police have warned.

The warning comes after Dorset Police reported a number of traffic accidents in which drivers sustained serious injuries because of their lanyards, report Somerset Live.

One driver suffered a collapsed lung after the airbags inflated on impact of the crash, while another driver suffered a perforated bowel as the keys on her work lanyard hit into her stomach by the force of the airbag.

In a Facebook post, Dorset Police Volunteers said: “There have been a couple of serious traffic accidents of note where the wearing of identity lanyards around the drivers’ necks has exacerbated the severity of the injuries sustained.

“This type of accidents if fortunately unlikely, however staff, officers and volunteers should be aware of the hazard and how to avoid it.”