New rules about tobacco, e-cigarettes and smoking: 1 October 2015

[TransAmDan]

From 1 October 2015, private vehicles must be smoke free if they are enclosed, there is more than one person present and one of them is under 18.


So it will be an offence:

• for a person of any age to smoke in a private vehicle that is carrying someone who is under 18
• for a driver (including a provisional driver) not to stop someone smoking in these circumstances

The rules don’t apply to e-cigarettes.
[h=3]Penalties[/h]The fixed penalty notice fine for both offences is £50. Somebody who commits both offences could get 2 fines. Private vehicles must be carrying more than one person to be smokefree so somebody who is 17 and smoking alone in a private vehicle won’t be committing an offence.
Enforcement officers (usually the police) will use their discretion to decide whether to issue a warning or a fixed penalty notice, or whether to refer an offence to court.

Souse: Gov.UK https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...bacco-e-cigarettes-and-smoking-1-october-2015

 

[TransAmDan]

You see soo many times smokers trying to light a fag while pulling out of a junction, surely smoking and driving should be in the same category as being on a mobile phone.

Neo recalls a statistic about a decade-or-so ago in America that more accidents were caused by smoking than DUI.

I know people need their fags, and a car is their own private space, but when it's moving, and you are not even allowed to eat and drink while driving, you shouldn't be allowed to smoke either.

This law is certainly a step in the right direction to protect children in the vehicles against the harmful invisible smoke. However it should be taken further to reduce road accidents too.

 

[an88fiero]

But how far do you go - a radio or any type of music in a vehicle could be classed as a distraction

 

[sarah]

I once came close to hitting a kerb because I was faffing around changing a CD! They'll have to ban passengers too.....

 

[TransAmDan]

They'll have to ban passengers too.....

Or be able to turn them off!

 

[AmericanThunder]

What about pedestrians smoking/lighting up whilst crossing the roads. Their smoke directly affects more people around them who have no choice?
How far do you go?

The truth is that his has nothing to do with safety and everything to do with revenue generation. I'm fairly sure will plod will have quotas they have to meet regarding how many smokers they stop and this just detracts from them dealing with real crime. Notice how the number of law enforcement officers has not been increased accordingly?
Once again the motorist is treated as the cash cow.

 

[saleen 192]

Quote Originally Posted by sarah View Post
They'll have to ban passengers too.....
Or be able to turn them off!

yes a volume control would be nice ? ha ha ha