Safe Speed Forums

Drivers may be banned from smoking at the wheel
By Marie Woolf, Political Editor
Published: 13 May 2007

A smoking ban for drivers is to be considered by the Department of Health in a bid to cut the number of deaths from crashes.

Road safety officers from councils around the country are to meet transport officials to discuss a ban on smoking while at the wheel. A similar ban on using a mobile phone while driving is already in place.

The Local Authority Road Safety Officers' Association, which represents 180 of the UK's 200 local roads authorities, fears that more people will smoke while driving home from the pub once a smoking ban on public places comes into force on 1 July.

According to The Observer, road safety campaigners believe drivers are in danger of crashing when they take their hands off the wheel to light cigarettes; they are also at risk of an accident if ash or a lit cigarette falls on them.

Now drivers face ban on smoking at the wheel

Juliette Jowit and Denis Campbell

Britain's senior road safety campaigners are calling for a ban on smoking while driving, in an attempt to cut the number of crashes.

The Department of Health said last night that it would seriously consider a ban, which is also being looked at in Germany, Australia and America. The move was backed by anti-smoking campaigners but drew criticism from others as an attack on personal freedom. From 1 July, England will join the rest of the UK by introducing a ban on smoking in enclosed public places and at work.

The Local Authority Road Safety Officers' Association, which represents councils - responsible for the majority of Britain's roads - will meet transport officials within weeks to ask them to pass a ban on smoking at the wheel.

The association claims that drivers are in danger when they take their hands off the wheel to find, light and smoke cigarettes, and are particularly at risk if a lit cigarette or ash falls in the car or is blown back through the window. The organisation, which represents 180 of Britain's 200 local roads authorities, fears that once people who drive are stopped from lighting up in other places from 1 July, they will smoke more while in their own cars.

'Driving is a complicated business, especially with the high volume of traffic motorists have to contend with these days. It's not an area where you can multi-task,' said Simon Ettinghausen, a spokesman for the association. He said the existing law banning the use of hand-held mobile phones in cars showed special bans were more effective than general road-safety legislation.

'In this country, we're libertarians, we like to give people freedoms, but if you are distracted unfortunately your freedom to do these things can affect other people's lives,' he added. Last year there were 3,201 deaths on Britain's roads.

The Department of Health said it was 'looking at how we can get further momentum towards smoking cessation beyond the introduction of the smoking ban in England'.

'We are looking at further proposals and this could be one of them. If the road safety officers put information and evidence before us about this, and explain the case for it, we would study it,' said a spokeswoman.

Amanda Sandford of the campaign group Action on Smoking and Health said: 'We fully support this proposal. Not so long ago it would have seemed inconceivable that we would have a total ban on smoking across the country, but in a few years time people will think it's inconceivable that we allow people to continue to smoke while driving.'

Andrew Lansley, the Conservative shadow Health Secretary, condemned the plan as a denial of citizens' rights to decide how they behave in their own personal space. 'Parliament hasn't accepted the completely anti-libertarian view that people can't do what they like in their own homes and own cars,' he said.

'Driving is a complicated business, especially with the high volume of traffic motorists have to contend with these days. It's not an area where you can multi-task,' said Simon Ettinghausen.

Could it be that the tax it generates is just too good to pass up?

Holy f'ing s't, they're at it again!

[Insert replay of eating at the wheel argument here]

Are we really this blind? Are we (as a society) going to sit by and let them take our liberty in a thousand cuts? You're damned right we are, and then we're gonna thank them for taking such good care of us, whilst we suckle at the tit of the bloated Fabian nanny-state!

What next people? Form a queue to the left to have your v-chip cranially implanted.

Holy f'ing s't, they're at it again!

[Insert replay of eating at the wheel argument here]

Are we really this blind? Are we (as a society) going to sit by and let them take our liberty in a thousand cuts? You're damned right we are, and then we're gonna thank them for taking such good care of us, whilst we suckle at the tit of the bloated Fabian nanny-state!

What next people? Form a queue to the left to have your v-chip cranially implanted.

RobinXe, this for me is absolutely IT, the most important point for all of us, both as individuals and also as a society. This note rings oh so true, and you have eloquently expressed the frightening warning that all should heed. As you say "a thousand cuts". How far down the line to losing something so valuable are we already. A terrifying thought.

Freedom IS important.

"I am not a number — I am a free man!"

I'm starting to think that emigration is the only option.

... your energy is wasted in the UK.

Outgroup hostility seems to be hard wired into people. I reckon if you make any proposal that hurts of infringes on a particular group, about 70% of people from outside that group will support it.

Outgroup hostility seems to be hard wired into people. I reckon if you make any proposal that hurts of infringes on a particular group, about 70% of people from outside that group will support it.

Considering how well the mobile phone ban was worked (*cough*), I'm sure this would be equally successful.

That is, until they can invent a heat-seeking camera to dole out the prosecutions for them.