To ban smoking in cars? Fair or not?

[mrcandmre]

I believe such a thing is pure stupidity.

Most people...eat whilst driving, change c.ds, use the radio, use sat-nav, children are a distraction....I mean are they going to ban ALL of these too?

I am a smoker, but I do not whilst driving, as my 2 ds' are in the car with me when I do go out. But I believe people have their own rights in their own vehicles!

I'm not a smoker and I think its mad too. Nanny statism gone too far.

Ridiculous.

Don't they have more important stuff to police?

mad as a mad thing

Some people are not like you though - some people smoke with kids in the ar and its one thing that gets to me, those children can't get out, the space is so confined they are forced to breath it, might as well shove a fag in thier mouth ffs!

Not aimed at you like i said you are not one of them.

Haven't heard the news on it yet but are they suggesting banning because its smoking or because its dangerous like talking on the phone?

On a health issue then no it shouldn't be banned. Although there should be more publicity to remind people that this is not a good thing to do when others, esp children, are in the car.

On a safety issue not sure. You can get points and a fine for eating in the car. So should be same rules for smoking really as it is no less safe.

oh yes, absolutely, it should be banned.
Eating whilst driving is banned already anyway.
And when did a radio last drop hot ash in your lap?
Abso-bloody-lutely. There really is no need whatsoever to operate a vehicle travelling at 70mph whilst holding a burning little stick in one hand.

I think the point is that you can't drop a lit cigarette if there is an emergency situation.

I am not sure what I think - on the one hand I agree it is nanny state. on the other I have seen a good friend nearly crash on the motoroway when she dropped her cigarette on her crotch. I was in the car at the time and did think "well they say that smoking endangers lives but I never thought I woudl go like this..."

From July 1sat there will be a ban on smoking in company cars. I haven't seen anything about other cars. MY DH often has to use his company's pool cars and is not too happy when he has a long drive to the other end of the country in a car that reeks of cigarettes because the previous user smoked in it.

I don't think it should be banned as a health issue (and I think this completely the wrong way of tackling it tbh), but as a safety issue just like mobiles or food.

I think this is reasonable- firstly because if a person is lighting a cigarette and taking the thing in and out of their mouth, then they are not concentrating on driving.

Secondly, any passengers will be forced to inhale the smoke.

I don't think people should have the right to endanger the lives of other people, whether it be by dangerous driving or passive smoking.

Agree with Expat.
Far too 'big brother' for me.
So many more imprtant things to police than what we do in our cars.

I think they should ban cars.

Not being a smoker, the "hot-ash-in-the-crotch" thing didn't occur to me. Of course it should be banned!

I once nearly killed myself trying to evade a wasp whilst driving on the motorway (I'm wasp-phobic)- I was lucky that I wasn't in the right hand lane, and could pull over onto the hard shoulder and open all the doors!

To be honest I'd prefer if they just concentrated on stopping people using their mobiles first, before they move on to other things.

And if you ban people smoking in their own cars on the basis of health of fellow passengers, how long before you ban smoking in the home?

i dont smoke and never have but i still think its ridiculous.

there is no way it could be regulated for starters.

and wasps

Driving without due care and attention is eillegal- theoretically then surely anything that diminsihes attention whilst driving is already illehgal? Certainly we have a moral responsibility to other road users to focus on what we are doing. I'm sure I have seen (cant swear by it) research suggestings moking whilst driving increases risk of an accident.

So its not about smoking per se, but about attention whilst driving.

But surely, when all is said and done, the few seconds you take your eyes off the road to change a c.d, or when your child is hoofing you in the back...it is just as distacting, and maybe as dangerous?(not from a health POV)
I don't stick up for smokers in anyway...it's bad, bad, bad etc, but surely it is one's right?

Police should spend more time on offenders who actually KILL people and hurt people and steal

actually I think it's a good idea to ban people driving and smoking at the same time - and I'm a smoker.

If you drop the CD, get the wrong channel, get crumbs on yourself as you have to stop what you're doing and hold the steering wheel with both hands quickly - so what?

If you drop a cigarette (lit) while driving.........

have to tell you teh story of my brother driving along smoking, he flicked teh finished ciggy butt out of teh window...only prob was teh fact he was on a motorway and teh wind blew it back in again

cue 3 minutes of him slapping at his crotch whilst i tried desperatly not to wet myself trhough laughing.

in hindsight it could have caused a terrible accident so probably not funny, but at the time....

madmarchhare- now banning wasps I'd be in favour of!

Can I ask wheres the logic that if they dont ban one thing they shouldnt do any?

(Apart from research that suggest music whilt engaed in an activity actually increases attention for many people)

say inattention because of lighting a ciggie and changing cd's causes 5 deaths a year each (totally made up stats obv lol)

you ban one

5 people survive

net win!