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Smoking to be banned in cars with children. Your view?

As of next year, a driver can be fined up to £60 and have 5 points on their license for smoking in a car with a child in.

It is currently illegal to speak on a mobile phone (holding it up to your ear) and to eat behind the wheel of a car. Do you think it should be made illegal to smoke in your car regardless of whether you a child in it?

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Reply 1
Avatar for babouskha
babouskha
Yes, I think that smoking while driving should be made illegal. The same as with a phone. One hand is of the wheel, it slows down your reaction time.
Reply 2
Avatar for CJKay
CJKay
19
Good. I'm not even sure why smoking is legal at all while driving.
Original post by Jeanlucpicard
As of next year, a driver can be fined up to £60 and have 5 points on their license for smoking in a car with a child in.

It is currently illegal to speak on a mobile phone (holding it up to your ear) and to eat behind the wheel of a car. Do you think it should be made illegal to smoke in your car regardless of whether you a child in it?


I think this is a healthy step forwards. Children should not have to put up with their selfish parents smoking toxic all over them, especially in an environment so confined as a car. Passive smoking from such a young age can lead to nothing good.

It shouldn't be illegal to smoke in a car without children though. Adults can decide for themselves and tell others not to smoke in the car. That said, nobody should be smoking and driving at the same time. It's much the same as eating behind the wheel.
Reply 4
Avatar for s.a.u
s.a.u
17
It's certainly wrong, but I don't think this is something the government should or can properly monitor and prosecute. There are certain things that are down to common sense.
Reply 5
Avatar for Badshah
Badshah
Smoking should be illegal while driving. It shouldn't matter whether there is a child in the car or not.
I'm surprised it isn't already illegal.

Personally think the fine should be in the hundreds of pounds rather than tens of pounds.
I think smoking, eating and talking on a phone should be legal as long as it is not causing you to drive erratically. Ridiculous micromanagement.

Smoking with a child in the car is a completely different argument, probably fair enough although its basically unworkable.
Of course, the fine and points have been completely effective in eradicating people using their mobiles whilst driving.
A scandalous attack on civil liberties.
Original post by moonkatt
Of course, the fine and points have been completely effective in eradicating people using their mobiles whilst driving.


Just ask the champion of safe driving, Sadiq Khan.
Original post by cole-slaw
I think smoking, eating and talking on a phone should be legal as long as it is not causing you to drive erratically. Ridiculous micromanagement.

Smoking with a child in the car is a completely different argument, probably fair enough although its basically unworkable.


Personally, they should all be illegal
Original post by moonkatt
Of course, the fine and points have been completely effective in eradicating people using their mobiles whilst driving.


All that has happened is that people are generally scared to hold their phone up to their ear and make a call, so they text instead.

Texting requires looking away from the road for a longer period, hence accidents have increased.

If you look at people driving around, probably 1 in 4 are looking down at a phone at any given moment.

Any idiot could have seen this coming, I certainly said it was what would happen at the time. So I can only conclude that the government want to kill us.
Original post by Emma:-)
Personally, they should all be illegal


Why? I am perfectly capable of talking on the phone, smoking, eating, drinking a can of beer, whatever, without it affecting my driving in any way whatsoever.

If you are unable to, then that is your personal responsibility to act on that awareness. But don't assume that that applies to everyone.
I think the government needs to stop legislating for common sense.

For example:
Eating at the wheel in the rain on the motorway at night is stupid.
Eating a cereal bar for breakfast in a rush hour traffic jam is fine.

Smoking in cars with children shouldn't be banned. People shouldn't do it, but I feel that it's an attack on my freedom* to legislate against it.

*Not that I have children or smoke (any more - woohoo!)
Original post by cole-slaw
Why? I am perfectly capable of talking on the phone, smoking, eating, drinking a can of beer, whatever, without it affecting my driving in any way whatsoever.

If you are unable to, then that is your personal responsibility to act on that awareness. But don't assume that that applies to everyone.


You might be able to do whatever while driving, and it might not affect your driving. But for most people- talking on the phone affects their driving- as it leads to slower reaction times, accidents etc. So thats why its already illegal. It should be the same for things like eating and smoking as well.
Original post by Emma:-)
You might be able to do whatever while driving, and it might not affect your driving. But for most people- talking on the phone affects their driving- as it leads to slower reaction times, accidents etc. So thats why its already illegal. It should be the same for things like eating and smoking as well.


So that is their responsibility to take that into account. There is no need to make it illegal for everyone just because it MIGHT impair the driving of SOME people.

People need to take responsibility for their own actions.
Original post by cole-slaw
All that has happened is that people are generally scared to hold their phone up to their ear and make a call, so they text instead.

Texting requires looking away from the road for a longer period, hence accidents have increased.

If you look at people driving around, probably 1 in 4 are looking down at a phone at any given moment.

Any idiot could have seen this coming, I certainly said it was what would happen at the time. So I can only conclude that the government want to kill us.


If someone causes an accident while texting, the CPS would actually seek to prosecute for dangerous driving, so the consequences for the driver could be much worse than they would if they'd just made the call.

Anyway, you can make a call hands-free as long as it isn't deemed to be interfering with your driving, so I don't see why people would need to text in the first place.

I can only conclude that people are morons.
Original post by cole-slaw
So that is their responsibility to take that into account. There is no need to make it illegal for everyone just because it MIGHT impair the driving of SOME people.

People need to take responsibility for their own actions.


Some people arent able to take responsibility for their own actions though, you know what some people are like. And theres no "might" about it, it DOES affect a lot of peoples driving and cause quite a few accidents etc. So thats why it was made illegal.
Original post by Emma:-)
Some people arent able to take responsibility for their own actions though, you know what some people are like. And theres no "might" about it, it DOES affect a lot of peoples driving and cause quite a few accidents etc. So thats why it was made illegal.



Your causality is subtly reversed. The more your baby people and over-legislate, the less they understand the importance of practicing personal responsibility. The more laws we bring in, the stupider and more irresponsible drivers become.

Ultimately, your sole responsibility as a driver is to drive safely, considerately and attentively, and the person most qualified to judge the best way to do that is the driver of the car.

Eating a chocolate bar as you cruise down the road is not going to detract from your ability to concentrate in any way. Just use some common sense ffs.

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