Smoking whilst driving is now banned!

[Kathyan]

My neighbour is up in arms about this saying that 'they should let me smoke as I get irritable if I can't have a fag'!
I have been in the car with her when she smokes and quite honestly she cannot control the car properly when she lights up. Why are (some) smokers so inconsiderate?

[redcrx]

i havnt seen a link for this. Have you got one?

Last I heard was that if smoking was affecting your driving then you could be charged with some other offence, but that its not actually an offence to smoke.

[Kathyan]

Don't have a link, just heard on the radio. I understood it to mean that it had been banned! Sorry if I'm wrong.

[4GS]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles /news/news.html?in_article_id=484356&in_page_i d=1770

could lead to conviction

[redcrx]

no need to apologise, you can be convicted, its just not illegal in itself.

[unrulyjulie]

This is stupid! I heard this on the radio this mornng and just thought whatever next! Where the hell has freedom of choice gone. I don't think smoking in a car is dangerous, no more than any other things that people do in there. Once again its slaughter the smokers!

Whilst we're at it, lets ban music, sat navs and especially squabbling children which to my mind are far more dangerous than having a fag!

and NO, im not a smoker or a driver but i do belive in a right to chose, im sick of hearing ban this and ban that, fines fines fines! All done to make money!

[Reverandfunk]

Unruly given the fact that by where i live it's very rare for the police to come out if you've been burgled cant seen them pulling drivers.

Basically everything you do in a car is a distraction, sat nav, cd player, map reading, talking to a passenger etc.

[Loosehead]

This is nothing new, there has always been the posibility of prosection for not keeping proper control of a vehicle. Smoking is just one way that the police may construe that control is not there. The Highway code is merely stating this as an example so your alarmist title to your question is unncessary and false.

[unrulyjulie]

I heard it on the radio too loosehead and thats the way it came across.
They are always on the case of smokers though.

Rev, they seem to put more effort into getting fines out of car drivers than they do from chasing burgulars and muggers so im not so sure!

[Reverandfunk]

fair point unruly.

There are some traffic lights by me where dealers openly go up to cars when the lights are on red and deal. 6 months this has been going on and have plod done anything?

I think priorities is the word I'm looking for lol

[Ethel]

In my business I have seen the results of fatal accidents caused when drivers have dropped their lit cigarettes into their laps, causing them to either swerve or take their eyes off the road. One was driving a huge lorry.

And one very nasty accident where the driver threw the cigarette end out of the window and it blew back in, causing fatal injuries to another driver.

Smoking whilst driving can be a very dangerous thing to do.

[Gromit]

This is nothing new. There are two rules in the Highway Code that cover this.

Rule 148
- Safe driving and riding needs concentration.
- Avoid distractions when driving or riding such as
loud music (this may mask other sounds)
- trying to read maps
- inserting a cassette or CD or tuning a radio
- arguing with your passengers or other road users
- eating and drinking
- smoking

And Rule 160

drive with both hands on the wheel where possible. This will help you to remain in full control of the vehicle at all times.

[unrulyjulie]

but Ethel, accidents are caused by all sorts of things, why just pick on smoking, again?
Im sure accidents caused by dropped cigarettes are far less than those caused by lack of concentration due to other things! Gromits list covers some!

[jackthehat]

I agree with Ethel.
As car-drivers we need to realise that we are in control of powerful potentially dangerous machines..........
Anything, I mean 'anything', that causes distraction in the driver ought to be avoided.
It only takes a second for a situation to turn into nightmare from which there is no return.
It is a shame that the focus of this thread seems to concentrate on the 'unfairness' of being prosecuted for an offence that is being considered as 'low-risk', rather than on the fact that if more drivers took the time to think about how they really drive many of the incidents and accidents could be avoided.

[frankleigh]

I read about this on the front page of Telegraph this morning.

Being a smoker (and a driver), I read the article with interest. The comments regarding it being a 'distraction' which the Police may use to accuse someone of either dangerous driving or driving without due care and attenetion are accurate. I also remember recently someone was prosecuted for taking a drink of water whilst 'driving' They were actually stopped at a traffic light, but the Police prosecuted on the basis that they did not have full control of their vehicle (I believe).

After 30+ years of smoking whilst driving, I won't be giving up.

Far more dangerous to me is the continued use of mobile phones while driving, which continues despite this actually being illegal. How can anyone think they are in control of a car when they only have one hand on the steering wheel, and they're trying to carry on a conversation on a mobile?

[redcrx]

i know someone who rolled his car whilst trying to swat a fly that had just flown in.

Ban window opening! :)

[leg_end758]

no difference between holding a fag or holding aphone .
drivers looking for ashtray whils driving crosses my mind..
isnt the ashtray low down?
wont that take yuor eyes off the road for a few seconds?
how many seconds to hit a child you didnt se?
id guess 1 second is enough eh ?

[unrulyjulie]

So how about continually having to keep your eye on the speedo just in case you go a few miles over the speed limit?????? That is a massive distraction, surely? There are so many things that cause a distraction, my point is, its picking on the smoker AGAIN!

[redcrx]

ashtray is usually near the stereo. above the gearstick!

[leg_end758]

so its well below the dashboard level?
so you cant look at the ashtray andsee the road ?
in general that is ?

thanks for the ifo red : -)

[4getmenot]

unrulie sorry to pick you out :-) but do you have to constantly keep your eye on speedo. I did when I first started but I just know now what limit I;m going. and redcrx I guess its no different from turning stereo down if its near there or changing cd is even worse. When me and my mates used to go for a drive in my ex boyfriends car my friend in the back went to flick her fag out his window but it was closed and cherry came off went down the back of his shirt, now that was a ride. :-)