Be Careful, Wearing An N95 Mask While Driving Could Be Deadly

A police department in New Jersey put out an alarming warning to drivers about wearing their mandated face masks while driving. After an overwhelming response on social media, police in Lincoln Park, New Jersey are clarifying their statements regarding the cause of a single-car crash that happened last week. According to a post on the Lincoln Park Police Department's Facebook page, police responded to a single-car crash after a driver slammed into a utility pole. The driver was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to ABC News. The post from the department initially stated that the officers speculated that the driver of the vehicle passed out after wearing her N95 mask for several hours while driving. After a large volume of comments on the original post, the department updated its response:

"Nothing was uncovered at the accident scene that would suggest that the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. All this being said, It is certainly possible that some other medical reason could've contributed to the driver passing out. We are not trying to cause public alarm or suggest wearing an N95 mask is unsafe."

The Lincoln Park Police Department further stated they were trying to point out that it is unnecessary for people to be wearing a mask when driving alone in their car. Masks are only required in public settings when social distancing cannot be maintained.