New regulations on driving and smoking are not fully understood by the public and little effort is being made to comply with them, says GEM Motoring Assist (formerly the Guild of Experienced Motorists).
The new law, that has been in operation since July, requires that vehicles should be smoke free at all times if they are used to transport members of the public or are used in the course of paid or voluntary work by more than one person – regardless of whether they are in the vehicle at the same time. The vehicles must also display no smoking signs.
David Williams of GEM said: “People are beginning to understand that driving with a lighted stick in your mouth is not a good idea. Clearly you may not have proper control of the vehicle especially if you drop the cigarette or try to light it while on the move.
“It has been made clear that drivers can be prosecuted under current law if an incident occurs while they are smoking because they do not have full control of the vehicle.”
The new version of The Highway Code includes, for the first time, a warning that smoking while driving can cause a dangerous distraction.
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