Traffic authorities are putting pressure on Government representatives to get smoking at the wheel banned. The July 1st ban will only cover work vehicles and company cars but at present there are no plans to extend the laws to cover private vehicles.
Road traffic legislation already places responsibility on all drivers to have proper control of their vehicles. Any motorist who fails to do so can be prosecuted.
The new edition of The Highway Code includes smoking in the list of potential distractions to be avoided when driving.
Now the Local Authority Road Safety Officers’ Association is calling on the government to go even further and investigate the possibility of introducing a blanket ban on smoking while driving.
But Nigel Humphries, media spokesman for the Association of British drivers, said it is unfair to focus solely on smoking as a distraction:
“It’s all part of this ‘ban it’ mentality towards smoking. You can’t ban one thing and not the other. It’s like saying you can eat an apple whilst driving but you can’t eat a banana. Police should be concentrating on looking for people who aren’t in control of their vehicle. Rooting out careless driving is much more important than stopping people smoking. If smoking was to be banned then it sets a precedent because there are plenty of other things that can distract drivers.”
But Simon Ettinghausen, spokesman for LARSOA, says this is not an attack on smoking:
“The smoking ban was simply used as a hook to draw attention to the more general issue of raising awareness about distractions whilst driving. We are not anti-smoking per se, but we are against anything that could cause a lapse in concentration. The real point we’re making is that driving is a complicated, multi-task in itself and requires the driver’s full concentration. We chose smoking as a platform to raise awareness about because we feel smoking is more distracting to a driver than, say, changing a CD. It’s not just the act of puffing on a cigarette that’s the problem. Lighting it takes your eyes off the road, disposing of it could seriously impair your concentration, and if it falls in the drivers lap, driving safely is likely to be the last thing on your mind.”
From 1st of July 2007 it will be illegal to smoke in any public spaces and workplaces in England. The new law also means that it will be illegal to smoke in vehicles that are used to transport members of the public or if they are used by more than one person for the purposes of work, whether they are travelling in the vehicle at the same time or not.
It will also be illegal for both drivers and passengers to light up in all taxis and private hire vehicles. This means that drivers will not be able to smoke in their cab, even if they have no passengers.
All vehicles required to be smokefree must display a no smoking sign which must show the international symbol for "No Smoking" which must be at least 70 mm across.
Private vehicles, or those that are used mainly for private purposes will not be required to be smokefree.
A recent survey by ebayMotors.co.uk found that 70 % of people think smoking at the wheel should be banned in all vehicles.
And 60% wrongly believe the July 1 smoking ban – which affects company and workplace vehicles – applies to private cars. 48% of drivers would refuse to travel in a car with a smoker and 54% think smoking at the wheel is just as dangerous as using a mobile phone whilst driving. The survey of 1,277 adults, also showed that 30% admitted to having driven carelessly when lighting and stubbing out cigarettes. Of those questioned, about half refuse to buy a car from a smoker because of the smell, while 55% of those who would consider a purchase from a smoker would expect a discount. Of those who drive company cars, two-thirds have yet to receive any advice from employers about how the July 1st smoking ban will affect them, and 10% wrongly believe smoking in company vehicles will only be banned if a passenger is present.
Emma Parfitt, of ebayMotors.co.uk said that the risk of accidents is not the only reason drivers should think twice before lighting up:
“Let’s face it, no one wants to drive around in an ashtray estate. Quite apart from the risk of accidents, drivers who smoke at the wheel also risk losing hundreds off the resale price of their cars. Whilst there are various ways that drivers can mask the smell of smoke, it’s up to savvy buyers to inspect a car thoroughly and take it for a test drive to ensure that it’s not been damaged by cigarette smoking. If you’re looking online, the more photographs to inspect, the better, and don’t be afraid to ask the seller whether they are a smoker.”
The ban on using mobile phones whilst driving came into effect on the 1st December 2003. Offenders are subject to a £30 fine, which can be increased up to £1000 if an offence goes to court. Simon Ettinghausen said the same fines should apply to smokers:
"The ban on driver's using mobile phones was a positive step forward. We're hoping that smoking is next in line. The figures speak for themselves. Anything that takes your eyes off the road should be considered very carefully. Of course it is hard to guage which activities result in the greatest loss of concentration but it's just common sense that smoking and driving at the same time is not an easy task."
Britain now has 54 road deaths per million of population, according to the European Transport Safety Council's 2007 road safety report.
This is more than the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway and Malta.
Lighting up behind the wheel in Scotland can already cost you £60 after smoking whilst driving was banned as part of the Scottish Highway Code in 2006. In-car smoking is banned in Brazil whilst Germany may also impose a smoking ban whilst driving soon.
Popular German newspaper Bild reported on accident research which showed that a vehicle travelling 31 miles per hour will still travel 16 yards per second whilst the driver is distracted searching for a fallen cigarette.
Links:
http://www.larsoa.org.uk/news.php?article_id=142
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