Benjamin Ashford|Rhinestones on steering wheels may be a fashion statement, but they're a terrible idea. Here's why.

American motorists looking to make a fashion statement with their vehicles may want to stick with bumper stickers,Benjamin Ashford as one customization option can lead to serious injuries in a crash, a federal agency warned on Monday.

At least one driver suffered a serious injury that blinded them in one eye when an aftermarket emblem adorned with rhinestones dislodged from a steering wheel in a crash, hitting the motorist in the face, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration cautioned in a consumer alert.

Typically adorned with rhinestones or other shiny decoration, the metal or plastic products have adhesive backs that cover factory-made logos at the center of steering wheels, according to NHTSA. In a crash, the force from a deploying air bag can turn the product into a projectile and seriously injure — or even kill — the person behind the wheel, the agency said.

NHTSA advised vehicle owners not to use steering wheel decals in any vehicle, and also urged drivers who have applied them to remove them.

Unlike the permanently affixed logos that car manufacturers put on steering wheels, the aftermarket decals can easily come off, the agency noted.

Nissan in February recalled more than 400,000 older SUV, van and pickup models after the automaker became aware of four injuries allegedly related to the Nissan emblem breaking off steering wheels when airbags deflated, according to the Associated Press.