should smoking be banned in cars for the driver !?

Question

smoking is just as dangerous as using a mobile phone or eating a burger/sandwich at the wheel whilst driving. so why should'nt it be banned ?

Answer 1

Yes, it should be banned. There's many a time when I was driving when I either dropped the bloody thing or some ash blew into my eyes - or worse still a spark. Then there's the problem that when you've finished your ciggy, you don't put it in the ash try - you chuck it out of the window, and probably either cause a roadside fire or burn a passer-by! And when you get round to emptying the ash tray, where does it go - out of the window or 'discreetly' under the car into the road if you're parked. Do we need any more arguments to stop not only the driver, but passengers too, from smoking in a car? I rest my case!

Answer 2

Yes smoking should be banned in cars as the driver has to take his eyes off the road to light it. There is also the danger of the lit stub blowing back into the car when the smoker chucks it out of the window. I've seen this happen.

Smoking is banned everywhere in Scotland and life here now is much more pleasant. As a non smoker myself, I can now go to pubs and restaurants without risking lung cancer.

Answer 3

No, it should not.

There are all sorts of distractions that come up when you are driving, including passengers, noisy kids in the back, drinks tipping out of cupholders, and fiddling with the radio. If we start banning smoking, we might as well ban all of those, as well.

I can see the sense in banning mobile phones, as there have been multiple accidents in my community where someone was paying more attention to their phone than they were to the road, but I also think a lot of those problems can be solved by the hands-free dialing features available on phones, and by hands-free headsets.

I have smoked for years, and I can honestly tell you that I don't need to take my eyes off the road to light a cigarette or to dispose of it. My right hand knows exactly where the lighter is without searching for it, and I can bring it up to the tip of my cigarette without looking at it. I can also get it back into the port without any problems. I carry a "Butt Bucket" (yes, that's the actual name) in a drink holder, and you simply drop your cigarette into it to dispose of it. I don't have to look over to do that either. And honestly, I am very careful. I rarely light up while actually driving; I usually do it before I leave a driveway or parking space, or while stopped at a light.

People just need to be responsible. They need to realize that driving a vehicle is a privilege, not a right, and they need to prove that they have earned that privilege not simply by learning to drive and getting a license, but by obeying the rules and laws of the road and the jurisdictions in which they travel. Sometimes it seems easier to ban things than to take measures to make people be responsible, but I think there are other ways of dealing with people who get behind a wheel and don't pay any attention to what they are doing once they are there.

Oh, and by the way, I once had a smoking accident while driving at 80 mph on a California freeway. My window was open, and there was a stong gust of wind, and it blew a lit smoke out of my hand and into the backseat. I did not panic, I did not rearend someone, and I did not slam on the brakes. I simply signalled, pulled over to the side of the road, put on my emergency flashers, and dug the little sucker out from where it had rolled to, under the front seat. If I had the presence of mind to do that at 19 while moving at significant speed on a crowded freeway, you cannot tell me it's rocket science.

Answer 4

No!

When you smoke and drive you only use two fingers to hold the cigarette so you can still have both hands on the wheel. Or keep it in your mouth.

Food and mobiles are banned because apart from being distracting, they involve having only one hand available for a longer period of time. Hence why hands free sets are allowed.

If you ban smoking whilst driving, you might as well ban turning your car stereo on, blowing your nose and scratching your bum as well!

Answer 5

It should be banned, as should talking to passengers in the car as it is dangerous because it ruins the drivers concentration as does listening to the car stereo and radio. Total silence and nothing else in the hands but the steering wheel. It is the only way.

Answer 6

Smoking is real dangerous while driving because the hand of the driver is holding the cigarette instead of the steering wheel. It should be banned through legislation.

Answer 7

I Think We Should Ban Ugly PPL From The Planet,Their Ugly Butts Ought To Be Shot,Especially The Ones From Europe First...

Answer 8

Most of the non-smokers out there will reply "YES" and most of the smokers will say "NO"
There is a great deal of legislation out there for the motorist that is blatantly ignored so why not another piece.
Smokers are hit and hit hard, un-yet if it wasn't for the revenue gained from them, your taxes would have to be raised by over 6%.
Are all you non-smokers willing to pay this? Dint go on about the strain on the NHS, the revenue gained out strips the amount it costs the NHS.

Answer 9

this was asked a few days ago, but i'll answer again, yes ban smoking at the wheel but make sure its along with car hi-fi, sat nav and talking to the wife as these are all distracting for the driver.

Answer 10

yes i think it should be banned smoking in the car while driving its dangerous, just as using a mobile phone is lack of concentration