Its illegal whilst driving......

[AF1771]

A topic that often gets my goat and especially now during the hotter weather:

Why is it illegal to use your mobile phone whilst driving, to eat a chocolate bar, to drink from a water bottle, to read a map, perform a sexual act, etc..BUT it is ok to smoke??? WTF is that all about?!?

I am assuming that they all contribute to driving without due care and attention. However, you are still expected to read road signs, directions and police notices whilst driving. Do these not distract you then? A bit like the flash from a GATSO, perhaps, which blinds you just before you rear-end the car in front which has executed an emergency stop in order to avoid getting caught speeding.

If all of the above actions, whilst driving, have been banned, why has smoking (whilst driving)not been banned? Is it because the government extract a HUGE amount of revenue from the sale of cigarettes, or am I just being cynical?

Let's face it, lighting a fag whilst driving is just as distracting as using a phone. One hand on the wheel, mind focused "inside" the car, hot flame jumping around in front of your eyes, the smoke being blown into your eyes because the window is open (so that you an pollute the rest of the environment too). I have never seen a car driver, who is smoking, use the ashtray. They open the window and use the rest of the world as their ashtray. When they have finished their fag it gets flicked out of the window onto the side of the road (grass verge) so that it can start a fire, or into the path of the Motorcyclist who is overtaking (yes it has happend to me several times), or back into the car via the rear window to set fire to the rear seat (poetic justice). Not forgetting of course that smoking has actually been proved to be bad for your health, it kills. Since when has drinking water been unhealthy?

 

[Warrior_Poet]

I believe that the road traffic act is being amended to include a ban on smoking whilst driving. I am always amazed that seemingly intelligent people choose to smoke. Puzzles me greatly!!

 

[canteen_cowboy]

I should imagine, if seen, the police could report drivers for doing anything, if they feel it is "driving without due care and attention"

 

[AF1771]

I'm not against smokers in general, but more the law that discriminates against one driver for drinking water (for example), whilst the other is allowed to smoke. Where is the justice in that?

 

[CRmeansCeilingReached]

i got stopped for drinking water once. i was looking at a bollocking, until i explained i was merely trying to extinguish a lit cigarette, flung from the car in front and flying in through my window and into my mouth.

 

[pomps]

it would seem many retards out there think its okay to wedge their mobile in the steering wheel then use the speaker function,
thus ensuring they have the posture of an old clunt yelling at the wheel.

off topic but.....

police man pulls a speeding fellow over
"i've been waiting for your type to race along here" he quips
"i know, i know he says, i got here as fast as i could!!!!!"

 

[Scouting for Boys]

With the Scottish ban on smoking in the workplace, a lorry driver travelling north has to stop smoking at the border.

 

[AF1771]

Good Point SFB. Perhaps England will follow soon enough.

 

[CRmeansCeilingReached]

watch it 1771. conversing with someone called "scouting for boys" will not enhance your CV.

unless you are planning to join the roman catholic church...

 

[free2go]

So in Scotland, if you work from home. Do you have to smoke outside during working hours, then at 1700ish you can then smoke inside your house?

 

[Bierwolfe]

So in Scotland, if you work from home. Do you have to smoke outside during working hours, then at 1700ish you can then smoke inside your house?

As long as you're not driving in it.

 

[Rincewind]

With the Scottish ban on smoking in the workplace, a lorry driver travelling north has to stop smoking at the border.

Police are now watching for Smokers in lorries and pulling them over to fine them.

The new law also applies to Company Car drivers, Taxi drivers, van drivers etc.

This has been a bugbear of mine for a long time too - i cant use a phone or drink water when driving but all to often i have been alongside a motorist on the motorway and seen him/her struggle to get a fag out of the box, look for the lighter, drop lighter, fumble with feet to shove lighter closer to the seat, bend down to pick up lighter, use both hands to shield flame whilst ignighting the fag, put lighter away then start to look a the road again.

Talk about dangerous.

Rincewind

 

[brettarider]

A topic that often gets my goat and especially now during the hotter weather:

Why is it illegal to use your mobile phone whilst driving, to eat a chocolate bar, to drink from a water bottle, to read a map, perform a sexual act, etc..BUT it is ok to smoke??? WTF is that all about?!?

I am assuming that they all contribute to driving without due care and attention. However, you are still expected to read road signs, directions and police notices whilst driving. Do these not distract you then? A bit like the flash from a GATSO, perhaps, which blinds you just before you rear-end the car in front which has executed an emergency stop in order to avoid getting caught speeding.

If all of the above actions, whilst driving, have been banned, why has smoking (whilst driving)not been banned? Is it because the government extract a HUGE amount of revenue from the sale of cigarettes, or am I just being cynical?

Let's face it, lighting a fag whilst driving is just as distracting as using a phone. One hand on the wheel, mind focused "inside" the car, hot flame jumping around in front of your eyes, the smoke being blown into your eyes because the window is open (so that you an pollute the rest of the environment too). I have never seen a car driver, who is smoking, use the ashtray. They open the window and use the rest of the world as their ashtray. When they have finished their fag it gets flicked out of the window onto the side of the road (grass verge) so that it can start a fire, or into the path of the Motorcyclist who is overtaking (yes it has happend to me several times), or back into the car via the rear window to set fire to the rear seat (poetic justice). Not forgetting of course that smoking has actually been proved to be bad for your health, it kills. Since when has drinking water been unhealthy?

Dont forget silly slags who put make up on their boiler face driving whilst looking in the sunhade mirror and not on the raod never mind charging them should be pulled out hte car and be beaten to death slowly. Aslo seen some loon's driving fag in one hand not on the wheel and the other hand using the lighter so who what is in charge of the car ect.....must be a right clever dick

 

[AF1771]

Dont forget silly slags who put make up on their boiler face driving whilst looking in the sunhade mirror and not on the raod never mind charging them should be pulled out hte car and be beaten to death slowly. Aslo seen some loon's driving fag in one hand not on the wheel and the other hand using the lighter so who what is in charge of the car ect.....must be a right clever dick

Don't worry. It's nothing a good spell checker can't put right!

 

[Awol]

And....why is it okay to use a wireless hands free thing?

How do those people (the ones that strangely think it's cool to have half a kilo of tacky silver plastic hanging off their ear) actually answer the phone to take the call?

Do they shout at it? Stare at it for a long time? Or just concentrate very hard?

 

[AF1771]

erm..some of them can "Auto-answer" i.e. the phone rings once and then answers so all you need to do is speak. No need to remove hand from steering wheel. Except to pick your nose of course.

 

[Awol]

erm..some of them can "Auto-answer" i.e. the phone rings once and then answers so all you need to do is speak. No need to remove hand from steering wheel. Except to pick your nose of course.

Thanks AF. So how do you kill the call?

Or not accept one you don't want?

 

[Chinggis]

Why is it illegal to use your mobile phone whilst driving, to eat a chocolate bar, to drink from a water bottle, to read a map, perform a sexual act, etc..BUT it is ok to smoke??? WTF is that all about?!?

Let's face it, lighting a fag whilst driving is just as distracting as using a phone.

I completely agree. Before I switched from smoking cigarettes to cigars I never smoked while I was driving. Taking the fag out of the packet, lighting it, using the ashtray, stubbing out the butt – all distractions from the business of controlling the car and not crashing it. If I wanted a smoke during a long journey, I would stop somewhere before lighting up.

Smoking while driving should be treated just the same as using a mobile phone, though given the number of people still using their phones behind the wheel, a ban would probably be honoured more in the breach than the observance.

 

[AF1771]

unfortunately you have to accept every call, which could be rather difficult at times. I assume that the call ends when the caller hangs up?

But your point is that even talking on a mobile device, like holding a conversation, whilst driving is also a distraction which could be construed as driving with out due care etc etc.

They should ban talking in the car! Would have saved all those arguments years ago with my ex! Think of the bliss that parents would have if the kids were not allowed to talk in the car...heaven?

 

[AF1771]

Why is it illegal to use your mobile phone whilst driving, to eat a chocolate bar, to drink from a water bottle, to read a map, perform a sexual act, etc..BUT it is ok to smoke??? WTF is that all about?!?

Let's face it, lighting a fag whilst driving is just as distracting as using a phone.

I completely agree. Before I switched from smoking cigarettes to cigars I never smoked while I was driving. Taking the fag out of the packet, lighting it, using the ashtray, stubbing out the butt – all distractions from the business of controlling the car and not crashing it. If I wanted a smoke during a long journey, I would stop somewhere before lighting up.

Smoking while driving should be treated just the same as using a mobile phone, though given the number of people still using their phones behind the wheel, a ban would probably be honoured more in the breach than the observance.

which brings us onto the next point. If it is made illegal, who is going to police it? How many people do you see on a daily basis using there mobile phones while driving one handed?

I beeb the horn when alongside them. Might cause a few accidents, but then if they weren't on the phone, then I wouldn't beeb the horn and they wouldn't crash.