Tyre smoke the only smoke allowed
Smoking as you drive to be banned?
The Department of Health has that it would seriously consider a ban, as are, apparently, the authorities in Germany, Australia and America. The move was backed by anti-smoking campaigners but has drawn criticism from others as an attack on personal freedom. As of 1st July, England will join the rest of the UK in introducing a ban on smoking in enclosed public places and the workplace.
The association claims that drivers are in danger when they take their hands off the wheel to find, light and smoke cigarettes, especially if a lit cigarette or ash falls in the car or is blown back through the window. The organisation, which represents 180 of Britain's 200 local roads authorities, fears that once people who drive are stopped from lighting up in other places from 1 July, they will smoke more while in their own cars. It is aiming to meet transport officials within weeks to ask them to pass the ban.
'Driving is a complicated business, especially with the high volume of traffic motorists have to contend with these days. It's not an area where you can multi-task,' said Simon Ettinghausen, a spokesman for the association. He referred to the recent law banning the use of hand-held mobile phones in cars as an example in his opinion of how special bans were more effective than general road-safety legislation.
'In this country, we're libertarians, we like to give people freedoms, but if you are distracted unfortunately your freedom to do these things can affect other people's lives,' he added
The Department of Health said it was 'looking at how we can get further momentum towards smoking cessation beyond the introduction of the smoking ban in England'.
'We are looking at further proposals and this could be one of them. If the road safety officers put information and evidence before us about this, and explain the case for it, we would study it,' said a spokeswoman.
Amanda Sandford of the campaign group Action on Smoking and Health said: 'We fully support this proposal. Not so long ago it would have seemed inconceivable that we would have a total ban on smoking across the country, but in a few years time people will think it's inconceivable that we allow people to continue to smoke while driving.'
However, Andrew Lansley, the Conservative shadow Health Secretary, condemned the plan as a denial of citizens' rights to decide how they behave in their own personal space. 'Parliament hasn't accepted the completely anti-libertarian view that people can't do what they like in their own homes and own cars,' he said.
Paul Smith, founder of campaign group Safespeed, said: "I'm amazed that the Local Authority Road Safety Officers' Association (LARSOA) should propose such a thing - it shows the tragic state of road safety in the UK. Smoking at the wheel isn't a known cause of crashes - the risk is purely theoretical. The problem with chasing theoretical risks is that life saving resources are taken away from real causes of risk."
"One thing's for sure - while a Police officer is giving you a ticket for smoking at the wheel, he's not catching drunk drivers or stolen cars."
"We would also need to consider the new crash risks that a ban on smoking at the wheel might bring. Smokers can feel agitated or anxious when they need a cigarette and the last thing we need is more agitated or anxious drivers."
"All things considered a ban on drivers smoking is highly likely to increase road risks and I'm disgusted that LARSOA don't know better. They are playing with fire.
i always thought it was just as dangerous rolling a cigarette while driving as talking on a mobile phone, if not more so......
BUT
my house mate smokes, and if he drives somewhere in manchester without a cigarette the stress levels go through the roof.... allow people to smoke while driving, as it cuts down on road rage, and in my house mates case, makes him a better driver.
well thats my pennys worth anyway
It's irritating that judgement isn't used and laws have to keep being created. Someone cruising along the motorway can smoke or use a phone without affecting the balance of danger very much at all, on a busy roundabout you can't.
Crucially though creating rafts of new legislation employs people in non-jobs which lets the gubmint crow about increased employment and public spending...
SM
it is safer to let a smoker smoke than make them go without
also women should only drive 3 /4 weeks same reason
One day in 28, I feel slightly crud, take a painkiller, feel better. This does not affect my ability as a driver. At all. Ever.
Perhaps it's just something that they will be able to use as 'evidence' of reckless or dangerous driving in the event that there's an accident...
The one and only incident I have been involved with was down to another driver not reading the road and traffic properly and slamming into the back of a line of stationary traffic causing the typical sandwich effect (I was the 4th car in the line). Incidentally that driver was not smoking either.
Looking forward to cars being stopped in dangerous places by the side of roads so that people can have a smoke. I see chaos ahead....
I think that a cigarette is not an answer to his issues though.
I could argue that having a blowjob while driving reduces stress, but I'd get prosecuted for it.
I could argue eating an apple reduces my stress levels, but I can't do that either (or so it seems).
To allow it simply because people have anger issues is not good.
However, I simply say that if their driving is dangerous no matter what they are doing, then do them for that! I'm sure someone picking their nose is a risk at the right/wrong time.
More plod will reduce accidents, not simply bringing in laws there are no plod to enforce anyway.
Dave
No talking to passengers.
No children in the car
No music
No window winders
Nose-plugs to stop distraction by stray odours
Illegal to wear revealing clothes while walking on pavements
Only flappy-paddle gearboxes
Hands to be chained to the wheel while driving
I've had a better idea
Paint your windows black then you can get distracted by the outside world then you can only look at your speedo
don't forget kids speed kills
Personally I never could understand why smoking while driving is acceptable, and as a biker who has had a lit cigarette stub in the face I REALLY dislike the practice, but yet I can't support any move to prohibit yet another freedom. There may actually be smokers out there who do have a social awareness and do smoke responsibly (though the fact that they smoke at all does kind of make that unlikely).
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