To wear antipollution mask while driving?

[PencilTroll]

I have to drive for work, c. 3 hours per day picking up and dropping off around a busy polluted city, lots of sitting in traffic and getting in and out.
I have to have the windows down as my aircon is faulty and no money for a new vehicle.
I found out I'm pregnant a couple of weeks ago.
I am aware of a possible link between air pollution and autism / asd...
Aibu to drive around with a cycling type face mask on, will I look nuts? Should I even care about what people think? What would you do?
I really don't want to risk my baby's health and want to give it the best chance I can.

Would you be allowed to wear it while driving? My DH had a scarf over his mouth and nose a few months ago, as he'd walked quite far to the car in the snow, and he set off with it still over his face as he was freezing. The police stopped him and told him it was unacceptable to drive with his face partially covered.

I think it’s a good idea, given you’re driving so much in the situations you describe. I have read most masks are ineffective though so make sure you get a proper one and one that doesn’t distract you while driving.

Another tip is to press the ‘air circulating’ button, when you are stuck behind a vehicle in traffic, this stops your car from sucking the fumes straight in from the exhaust pipe in front. (If you need your windows open that might not make much difference unfortunately but maybe when the weather’s better).

Who cares what you look like when driving?

Studies have shown newborn babies are born with pollutants already in their blood and brains.

I asked in the pharmacy (large one in London) for a mask that cut out the car fumes etc, can’t remember what it was called sorry (just a number I think, but googleable I’m sure). It came with a filter that you changed and it was black at the end of the day. Amazing.

I didn’t drive with it, didn’t drive at the time, just wore it as a passenger. I didn’t care what I looked like, who looks in other people’s cars anyway?! Plus lots of people (in London) wear masks if they are ill (infectious) and no one cares.

Is driving with a mask on really going to be cooler than driving with closed windows?

It sounds like the height of hypocricy to me as most of the pollution is coming from cars.

Ignoring the link to the site, can you post the link to whick mask you're looking at wearing?

I'm a H&S professional, and can assure you most "pollution masks" are nonsense and you'd be better off wearing a hanky round your face. Why?

Because masks affect your breathing, and anything that does that has to be controlled.

Firstly, for any mask to be effective, it has to have a good seal on the face, much like when you go scuba diving. Otherwise everything just gets in the gaps and it's all rather pointless. This needs to be carried out by someone trained to do so. HSE recommends using someone from the Fit2Fit programme for work masks. I don't know what exists for outside the work arena.

Secondly, the filter needs to be the correct one for what you are trying to protect against, and they do different jobs - dusts, chemicals, fume, asbestos, vapour, fibres, smoke etc. Some can protect against multiple things, but cannot protect against them all because they are too different.

Thirdly, if you wear a filtering mask for more than 30mins at a time, you should really be wearing an air fed piece, due to the discomfort and difficulty you'll find in breathing through a properly fitted mask. An air fed mask is a full face mask, still needs to be fitted to you by someone competent to do so. This is supported by a battery powered device usually worn on the belt.

The best known version of this is breathing apparatus, with tanks of air carried on the back, which you see the Fire Brigade wearing in some situations.

So I'm afraid IME antipollution masks are so far scaremongering and until I've seen more evidence of their efficacy, I can't see how they can be of use, but can see how they'll make you pass out pretty quickly.

Strictly speaking if you believe the "news" and are worried then I guess there's no harm In looking silly with a face mask as long as you can see properly and won't kill anyone.

When I saw the title I thought it was for hay fever because God knows I want to use a mask sometimes

I don't personally believe the link we get a lot of pollen and DD or DS hasn't got autism, it's one of those things that just happens to a child my nephew was born highly autistic nothing really causes it but again each to their own and as long as you won't endanger anyone's life then that's fine but don't do it while driving with others you know, you may embarrass them like me and my driving gloves when DSS asks me to drive him somewhere

Okay now I've read Silvercats post I change my mind they are not a good idea to consider! Haha

looks like I'm not getting myself one for my hayfever