PEOPLE who wear lanyards at work have been warned to take them off while driving.

West Mercia Neighbourhood Watch issued the advice on Facebook saying lanyards with keys or cards attached while driving can cause serious injury.

The fear is that the force of crashes and airbags can force the lanyard and any attached cards or keys into the driver’s chest or stomach.

The post quoted Dorset Police and told the story of an NHS worker who stored keys on her lanyard who was severely injured and unable to work after a crash.

The worker was involved in a crash which triggered her car’s airbag. The force of the airbag caused the keys to perforate her bowel and she had to spend over six weeks in hospital, as well as being unable to work for six months.

Another driver reportedly suffered serious injuries after an airbag was deployed on impact and the lanyard lead to a collapsed lung to collapse and requiring hospital treatment.