Urgent warning over common hair accessory that could cost you your LIFE while driving
EXPERTS have issued an urgent warning to motorists about the dangers of wearing a certain hair accessory behind the wheel.
While seemingly harmless, the common hair accessory could cost you your life while driving.
Putting your hair in a plastic claw clip is a popular style choice for many due to its quick and easy nature.
But wearing one whilst in a vehicle could result in a devastating injury if you get into an accident.
It comes after a woman was left unable to move after a claw hair clip became lodged in the back of her head.
Jeena Panesar had her hair done up with the accessory before she was involved in a horror smash.
The impact of the crash rammed the claw clip into the back of Jeena’s head until ‘most or all’ of the hair accessory was embedded skull-deep in her flesh.
It’s meant that driving experts at Scrap Car Comparison are now urging drivers to move not only claw clips but other everyday accessories and items before getting behind the wheel.
They say that this should reduce the chance of injuries should they happen to be involved in an accident.
Dan Gick, managing director of Scrap Car Comparison, said: “While a claw clip may look stylish – wearing the item while behind the wheel could lead to painful and debilitating injuries, should you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of being involved in a collision.
“Because of the proximity to the head, and the many claws which these accessories are made up of, the hair grips could cause significant injuries to the skull, face and neck if you were to be involved in a crash.
“All injuries which could be avoided if you aren’t wearing one.
“If you prefer to have your hair up while driving, opt for a soft scrunchie or elastic hair tie which is strong enough to keep the hair out of your eyes while driving, but wouldn’t cause any additional damage if you were to suffer a crash.”
The experts have also warned against wearing other common accessories behind the wheel, including sunglasses and lanyards, for similar reasons.
Dan continued: “For example if sunglasses were to fall down your face during a crash, they could do some real damage – with one famous example including actress Rose McGowan, whose sunglasses sliced into the skin under her eye in a road collision back in 2007.
“While sunglasses are a necessary wear on a hot day in order to avoid sun glare and light blindness, wearing glasses on top of your head for style purposes could leave you at an increased risk of injury should the worst happen.”
Lanyards were also said to significantly exacerbate the severity of injuries sustained during collisions, because the fabric necklace could easily twist during an accident.
Similarly, handbags with straps should also be removed from your body and placed either in a back seat or ideally the boot before getting behind the wheel, in order to minimise the chance of further injury.
Dan added: “Remember you can always put your clips, sunnies and handbags back on once you’ve arrived at your end destination safe and sound.
“But it’s always better to prioritise safety over style when behind the wheel.”