Smokers Face Punitive Measures

[Captain Weirdbeard]

News today...

Drivers who are discovered to have been smoking during an accident will risk charges of driving without due care and attention.

[Karma Supra]

I personally think this is a good thing...

After all having the back seats smouldering when they have failed to flick out the window properly has got to be more distracting then talking on the 'phone...

I also think if they are seen flicking out the window they should have an on the spot fine..... It REALLY winds me up when someone flicks out, my car inhales it into the cabin venting system and my car stinks of smoke... A smell that I took ages getting rid of..

I even had one bounce up and land in one of the front brake scoops in the rubber front lip on my old grey supra, it burnt a hole in it!

-And to save a repeat of the old thread, before anyone says they like driving along smoking with their fog lights on and no one else has a right to complain because it doesn't affect them, it does affect me when your ash hits my car and burns holes, and when your smoke gets in my car that’s an invasion of my personal area :) If you happen to slam into me because you leg is on fire that will also be considered as affecting me!

That said I have no qualms about people enjoying a puff in their car, using the ashtray with the windows up...

[Captain Weirdbeard]

I personally think this is a good thing...

After all having the back seats smouldering when they have failed to flick out the window properly has got to be more distracting then talking on the 'phone...

I also think if they are seen flicking out the window they should have an on the spot fine..... It REALLY winds me up when someone flicks out, my car inhales it into the cabin venting system and my car stinks of smoke... A smell that I took ages getting rid of.. windows up...

That is always overlooked, the fact that the bit of litter that is being ejected, also happens to be alight.

You think you have problems following a smoking motorist? Try it on a motorcycle with your visor up. It's not nice to get someone's nub end stuck in your face as you're lining up for an overtake. I sometimes wonder if certain types do it deliberately...

[Jinxed]

I personally think this is a good thing...

After all having the back seats smouldering when they have failed to flick out the window properly has got to be more distracting then talking on the 'phone...

I also think if they are seen flicking out the window they should have an on the spot fine..... It REALLY winds me up when someone flicks out, my car inhales it into the cabin venting system and my car stinks of smoke... A smell that I took ages getting rid of.. windows up...

That is always overlooked, the fact that the bit of litter that is being ejected, also happens to be alight.

You think you have problems following a smoking motorist? Try it on a motorcycle with your visor up. It's not nice to get someone's nub end stuck in your face as you're lining up for an overtake. I sometimes wonder if certain types do it deliberately...

lol to both of you smoker baiting ... always fun I guess. Alcohols next guys so hope they dont finish with us too quickly :P

[Tegan]

I think its about time - if you cant eat or drink when driving - why should you be allowed to smoke? It does really rile me aswell when someone flicks their nub out the window and it hits my car - even if it doesnt do any damage it still riles me!

I suppose its better than the bottle i got thrown at my car today - but thats another story

Seriously though - i think its a wise move to enforce this - it has to take your focus off the road while trying to light a !Removed! etc etc

[Raistlin]

I enjoyed a smoke afterwards but the bit before was a bit scary as it was difficult to concentrate on the driving

[Flat Pack]

Has anything actually changed here? Ok so it's been explicitly included in the Highway Code, but no new laws have been passed (thank god, we've got enough of them already).

Driving without due care and attention covers exactly this kind of situation. It covered it yesterday too and it'll cover it tomorrow. We don't need legislation to cover each individual distraction, it's arbitrary and pointless. Mobile phone legislation is a case in point... If someone is driving without due care and using a mobile do them for driving without due care. If they're able to use a phone and still drive with care then leave them be as they're not harming anyone anyway.

[Kev Mc]

I think its about time - if you cant eat or drink when driving - why should you be allowed to smoke?

Beat me to it, smoking while driving has to be more dangerous than eating while driving & yet if somebody drives past the police while smoking & I'm driving behind them eating a Mars bar, I should be pulled & not them. I think they should drop that law though, I'm perfectly capable of using 1 hand to eat when it's safe to do so (I wouldn't eat a subway butty as I was driving through a town trying to change gears) but sod it, it's not a massive issue

[Tegan]

Ive got to disagree about the mobile phone thing even if its not the main topic of discussion

I think a mobile phone is just too distracting to be making calls or txting while your driving - and how are they supposed to judge who can drive safely using a mobile phone? A police car could go past somebody using a mobile on a motorway and they havent done anything wrong so they let them be - thats not to say they wont cause a ten car pile up further down the road when they miss the car in front braking quickly!

[Flat Pack]

Ive got to disagree about the mobile phone thing even if its not the main topic of discussion

I think a mobile phone is just too distracting to be making calls or txting while your driving - and how are they supposed to judge who can drive safely using a mobile phone? A police car could go past somebody using a mobile on a motorway and they havent done anything wrong so they let them be - thats not to say they wont cause a ten car pile up further down the road when they miss the car in front braking quickly!

True, but you could make the same argument for smoking, eating, talking to passengers, faffing with a CD player or daydreaming... They're all distractions to varying degree and once you say people can't make that decision for themselves you're simply arguing about where to draw the line.

I believe that most people can be trusted to make their own decision as to what's safe or not and get it right most of the time. Those that can't (or won't) can be effectively dealt with using legislation like driving without due care when their driving is obviously below par (whether or not they actually cause an accident).

[Jinxed]

I believe that most people can be trusted to make their own decision

except us smokers obviously.... carry on please :)

[Tegan]

Most people cant make that decision cos theyre all noobs - the amount of idiotic drivers out there astounds me - i think they should take it a step further and just ban everyone apart from me off the road B)

[Jinxed]

Most people cant make that decision cos theyre all noobs - the amount of idiotic drivers out there astounds me - i think they should take it a step further and just ban everyone apart from me off the road B)

just please ban the fascists before you ban all the smokers so they can enjoy the privelege of living with what they expect others to endure first please please please with amaretto frosted chewy seedless cherry on top and a dusting of light vanilla icing sugar :P

is world peace restored now we banged the dirty smokers to rights and made you the sole soveriegn queen of the highway? :P

ALL HAIL TEEGS! QUEEN OF THE ENGLISH ROAD SYSTEM OORAH! :D

[Tegan]

Most people cant make that decision cos theyre all noobs - the amount of idiotic drivers out there astounds me - i think they should take it a step further and just ban everyone apart from me off the road B)

just please ban the fascists before you ban all the smokers so they can enjoy the privelege of living with what they expect others to endure first please please please with amaretto frosted chewy seedless cherry on top and a dusting of light vanilla icing sugar :P

is world peace restored now we banged the dirty smokers to rights and made you the sole soveriegn queen of the highway? :P

ALL HAIL TEEGS! QUEEN OF THE ENGLISH ROAD SYSTEM OORAH! :D

At last someone with sense , and please no need to bow :P :D

[cfc1]

There is absolutely nothing new here.. except it is now in the highway code.. it has ALWAYS been illegal to throw a cigarette end out of a car window (or other vehicle for that matter), the current laws on driving without due care and attention also covers smoking while driving aswell as a dozen other things (turning your music up, changing the radio station, putting your window up and down etc etc etc) all things that involve you from taking your hand(s) off the steering wheel, so to kick up a fuss now over people smoking while driving is ridiculous, I'm not saying it isn't dangerous.. because of course it can be, but like I said, so can a multitude of other things (incl your sat-nav stuck to your windscreen and other "driver aids)... soon we will all be forced to drive automatics.

[vmail]

Loud music is not a discraction(sp)

next they will stop you from talking to the passenger or listen to the radio

[Captain Weirdbeard]

lol to both of you smoker baiting ... always fun I guess.

That wasn't the intention but you are right... It is fun.

BTW. I am one of those people who you almost certainly hate - a born again non-smoker. Over four years now and feeling great!

[Captain Weirdbeard]

Has anything actually changed here? Ok so it's been explicitly included in the Highway Code,

That was the point of the post in the first instance.