Driving While Smoking

[beso]

Why is it legal to smoke a cigarette while driving a car?

Cigarettes contain many toxic chemicals and the effects are quite dramatic. It isn't called "spin" for nothing.

Smoking requires one hand, which is one of the reasons mobile phones are not supposed to be used by drivers.

Smoking involves containing a small fire that could easily escape if the driver has to pay extra attention to the road at some point. I have seen drivers roll and light cigarettes while driving.

Cigarettes thrown form cars cause many roadside fires which sometimes expand to very large fires.

Has any research on the effect of smoking while driving ever been done or are the tobacco companies too powerful?

[friedgreentomato]

Seriously!!! I love a ciggie whilst driving, no one else is in my car and apart from lighting less than 20 seconds and when I take a puff my both my hands are on the wheel.

[Svejk]

Aren't there enough stupid bloody laws to keep you happy, Beso.

[beso]

Plenty of collisions have happened with far less distraction than lighting a cigarette.

Then there is the matter of getting the cigarette pack, opening and getting out the cigarette. How much distraction is going on then?

[friedgreentomato]

I think you will find most drivers that smoke have their packets already unwrapped at the start of the journey!!! Every now and then the journalists jump on this and get into a simulator to prove how difficult it is to smoke whilst driving!!

The problem is they always chose non smokers, I can as I m sure that most smokers also can open a packet one handed, lots of none smokers drive one handed too.

[Svejk]

Beso 'it isn't called spin for nothing'.
You've got that half right, it isn't called spin.
I must have heard at least a hundred names for fags & snout but that's a new one on me.
Do you believe that ones head 'spins' when smoking.Ha ha ha. Are you sure you're not mixing it up with heroin.
It does relax you,that's why you never see a smoker having road-rage, do you?

[AlwaysConfused]

Maybe we should ban: drivers from talking to passengers; dangly air fresheners; car radios. All these are more distracting than a friggin cigarette!

[Svejk]

And sucking sweets.

[friedgreentomato]

Yes you can choke on a bodied sweetie

[jason.p]

A very reasonable question. I'm surprised it has only received flippant and dismissive responses (so far).

[kia cat]

Spin ??

and sweets are difficult to unwrap
and they rot your teeth … etc

[Svejk]

Genuine answers. Where's the flippancy?

[woofgang]

I agree, but smoking, like eating, drinking and faffing with the stereo can all be dealt with under "driving without due care" or driving without being in full control.

[jd_1984]

There is an argument to suggest that you could be equally as distracted lighting/smoking a cigarette whilst driving. Lets say you are fishing about in your pockets or car compartments to find the cigarettes and/or lighter and yes you will need one hand to smoke it.
But the line is drawn and the law states that mobile phone usage is more distracting.
How could/would you police smoking in the car anyway?
Should taxi drivers be allowed to smoke in their cabs, I hate getting in a cab that smells of stale smoke because the driver puffs away betwen jobs?

[jd_1984]

Mind you I eat and drink in my car whilst driving, am I a risk?

[Prudie]

I've never seen any of these many roadside fires. Why do the anti-smokers feel the need to bang on about it? It seems to be the only acceptable thing we can criticize our fellow citizens for.

[tonyav]

Gives them something to do prudie.

[abstibus]

And what about noisy children fighting in the back seat? Should we ban them too?

[tonyav]

Are we there yet annemollie.

[abstibus]

Where, Tony?

[Tilly2]

This is nothing to do with the law but smoking in the car causes the car to smell like a midden and it's embarrassing when you give someone a lift.