Where Will It Stop?

[cdiver2]

From the BBC

Call to ban smoking while driving

The Highway Code lists smoking while driving as a distraction
Road safety officers are calling on the government to ban smoking behind the wheel to cut the number of accidents.
Simon Ettinghausen, of the Local Authority Road Safety Officers' Association, said smoking was a dangerous distraction.

He said there were concerns the ban on smoking in public places from 1 July might tempt more drivers to light up.

But Forest, a pro-smoking group, opposed the idea while the Association of British Drivers called it absurd.

Representatives from the Local Authority Road Safety Officers' Association are to meet government officials in coming weeks to discuss the proposal.

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Isn't this taking the smoking ban a step too far?

Sam Davidson, Bournemouth


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The Department of Health said there were no plans to introduce a ban but if the association submitted a proposal, it would consider one.

Mr Ettinghausen said: "Anything you do in the car is a distraction, whether it's eating, drinking, using a mobile phone or smoking. But smoking in particular can be very dangerous."

"If you drop a lit cigarette, your concentration on driving will immediately vanish."

But Simon Clark, of Forest, called for evidence to prove it was dangerous and said there were already laws in place to deal with careless drivers.

'Ban it' mentality

He said: "Are we going to ban people retuning the radio or changing a CD?"

Hugh Bladon, of the Association of British Drivers (ABD), said: "We've got a 'ban it' mentality in this country.

We've got a 'ban it' mentality in this country

Hugh Bladon, Association of British Drivers


Is a ban wise?

"I personally don't think the ABD will want to know about banning smoking."

The proposal has been supported by campaign group Action on Smoking and Health.

The Highway Code lists smoking while driving as a distraction.

In less than seven weeks, smoking in all enclosed public places will be banned across England, bringing it in line with the rest of the UK.

 

[nereas]

I am surprised that nicotine is legal anywhere.

And with nicotine legal, why isn't coccaine also legal? Coccaine does not give you lung cancer.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

:shakehead

 

[cdiver2]

I am surprised that nicotine is legal anywhere.

And with nicotine legal, why isn't coccaine also legal? Coccaine does not give you lung cancer.

Make everything legal, or ban everything. Phones, coffee, eating, music and putting on makeup :no

 

[trucker girl]

:shakehead

DITTO!

 

[cdiver2]

DITTO!

As a professional driver you must have an opinion as to what effects a drivers ability

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

Cellphones, eating, drinking, texting, fiddling with the stereo.... All of these are FAR more of a distraction than cigarettes. Cripes... We'd better ban kids riding in cars, too. They are a distraction to the parent who's driving. How stupid can this whole thing get? What's the furthest point of ignorance to which it can be taken? It's already reaching that point now. Pffffft.... I swear....

Now, in all fairness, I hate seeing smokers tossing their cigarette butts out the window, or emptying their ashtrays on the ground in parking lots, and the other inconsiderate and idiotic things that many smokers do.

What this is really about, is that smokers have become the segment of the population that it's okay to hate. People have to be oh-so-sensitive and politically correct when talking about anyone else, so all of that pent up frustration is being vented out on smokers.

 

[Homunculus]

i smoke while driving and it actually makes me concentrate more and distract less. cell phones are definitely the biggest distractors and should be banned; and if they are banned then the law is badly enforced 'cos i keep seeing people yapping while driving. also senile people behind the wheel should be trippled checked by DMV before renewing their driving licenses.

 

[trucker girl]

As a professional driver you must have an opinion as to what effects a drivers ability

Cell phones. Definitely cell phones. As cheap as hands free sets are- I just can't understand why so many people insist on holding them to their ears. It seems like most of the time someone is driving like a moron (aka can't hold their lane, bad merges, speed up/slow down), they have that phone stuck to their ear! Truck drivers, too!

If you can't be on the phone and pay attention then you shouldn't be on the phone at all.

That doesn't apply to folks smoking cigarettes- they may or may not be paying attention but I can't say cigarettes would be more of a distraction than soda pop or singing along to the radio...

 

[trucker girl]

Soon it will be legal in California to smoke pot while driving but not cigarettes