Smoking to be made illegal while driving??

Shenshen

anthonyk.is wrote: »

My thoughts exactly!!!

Unfortunately, looking at Irish roads today, people will use as little brains as they can get away with, and if possible even less.

Hence the need for legislation. But more than that I think there is an urgent need to actually enforce legislation.

ScumLord

senordingdong wrote: »

I know.
I'm sure all of us here could operate a phone without thinking about it.

Alas...

I can't but know people that assume their that good. The point with a cigarette is once it's lit it requires little attention, where as a phone needs your attention throughout it's use.

I'd use the same argument I'd use for cannabis legalisation. Is the use of cigarettes such a danger that it justifies the resources and man power that it would require to police it?

I don't think it does, I think those resources can't even m,anage current law never mind introducing another thing for guards to be looking out for.

I could also guarantee you anti smokers would cause just as many dangers using their mobiles to report any smokers they see.

There is already an offence for "driving without dure care and attention" that is a bit of a catch all if the police wish to do you.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Sky-News-Archive/Article/200806413131728

A pensioner who flashed a double V-sign at a speed camera has been fined £100 for not being in control of his vehicle. Frank Benson,71, from Selside, Cumbria, made the gesture to a camera in Kendal.

OAP stuck two fingers up at speed camera

Three weeks earlier the plumber had been fined £60 for doing 44mph in a 40mph zone.

Mr Benson's son Tom said the two-finger salute was a "spur of the moment reaction" in response to a previous fine.

He was fined £100 by South Lakeland Magistrates and ordered to pay £35 costs.

Bonito

po0k wrote: »

But if they ban it, how will I look cool whilst driving?

Buy a cooler car?

Pace2008

Shenshen wrote: »

As was aid before, if people were just a little more willing to use their brains, we wouldn't need much of the legislation we've already got.

If people were just less idiotic/careless/violent we wouldn't need any legislation at all. Unfortunately, this is the real world and we have to regulate appropriately.

Again though, I'd like to see if there's any basis for this movement, and it's not just some measure with which to fine people and appease the anti-smoking lobby.

Mrmoe

This is a bit ridiculous and unnecessary and I don't even like smokers. It is utterly pointless bringing in something like this.

Promac

I hope they do ban smoking while driving. I'm sure people have been killed as a result of it.

http://www.ehow.com/about_5544763_accidents-caused-smoking-cigarettes.html

Drivers who are engaged in tasks not related to driving, such as reaching for a cigarette, lighting or extinguishing the cigarette and smoking while driving, increase the risk of having an accident by two-to-three times that of normal driving.

http://www.nsc.org/safety_road/Distracted_Driving/Documents/The%20Impact%20of%20Driver%20Inattention%20on%20Near-Crash.pdf

Snakeblood

po0k wrote: »

But if they ban it, how will I look cool whilst driving?

Sunglasses.

YEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH.

Bonito

I guess you could say....




*sunglasses*



It's all gone up in smoke.

Snakeblood wrote: »

YEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH.

Mellio

Well I think it should bruoght in cos it is a distraction:

Pulling the cigarette out of the box needs both hands generally or one if your really good.

lighting the cigarette - lighter or car lighter needs forther attention

smoke in one hand no inidicators at roundabouts, cant be bothered.


The above for me really is not an issue just points but the biggest issue for me to bring this in is to stop parents from smoking in the cars whether windows are down or not while kids are in the back or front as they have no choice.

It was brought into the work place for helath and safety reasons and kids should be looked at in the same light.

Anyway hope they do bring it in....

Chorizo

Mrmoe wrote: »

This is a bit ridiculous and unnecessary and I don't even like smokers. It is utterly pointless bringing in something like this.

Exactly. They could be doing something alot more productive like getting this country out of a mess its in then making up silly laws that in the end are just going to annoy drivers and give the government less popularity, in a time where they cannot afford to. Who ever thought of this (and supported this) needs a slap. Go do something worth while.

Bonito

Mellio wrote: »

Well I think it should bruoght in cos it is a distraction:

Pulling the cigarette out of the box needs both hands generally or one if your really good.

lighting the cigarette - lighter or car lighter needs forther attention

smoke in one hand no inidicators at roundabouts, cant be bothered.


The above for me really is not an issue just points but the biggest issue for me to bring this in is to stop parents from smoking in the cars whether windows are down or not while kids are in the back or front as they have no choice.

It was brought into the work place for helath and safety reasons and kids should be looked at in the same light.

Anyway hope they do bring it in....

Take box with one hand. Open box with teeth. Pull out smoke with teeth. Put box back. Take lighter or click in car lighter. Light cigarette. Put lighter back.

Both hands now back on wheel and smoke being held in mouth.

I don't even smoke.

ScumLord

Promac wrote: »

I hope they do ban smoking while driving. I'm sure people have been killed as a result of it.

http://www.ehow.com/about_5544763_accidents-caused-smoking-cigarettes.html

http://www.nsc.org/safety_road/Distracted_Driving/Documents/The%20Impact%20of%20Driver%20Inattention%20on%20Near-Crash.pdf

I wonder if any studies have been done to see how tedium affects peoples driving?

Mellio

Bonito wrote: »

Take box with one hand. Open box with teeth. Pull out smoke with teeth. Put box back. Take lighter or click in car lighter. Light cigarette. Put lighter back.

Both hands now back on wheel and smoke being held in mouth.

I don't even smoke.

You forgot to comment on my main point at the end but good example for a non smoker.....

Promac

ScumLord wrote: »

I wonder if any studies have been done to see how tedium affects peoples driving?

I'm sure there are but it can't be that big a problem when the vast majority of drivers can deal with it. Smoking doesn't relieve the tedium though, it just punctuates it.

curlzy

Mrmoe wrote: »

I don't even like smokers

BIGOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jackiebaron

rubadub wrote: »

I am shocked it has taken so long. Phones are banned, I have heard of people fined for eating an apple or bar in a car while driving. Fundamentally speaking you are holding a lit object in your hand, if I was driving along with a lit candle or those car cigarette lighters I would expect a garda to say something.

I have seen a mate drop a cigarette in a car onto their lap and have to brush it off, if this was a bar or phone dropped it is far less of a distraction.

And what about a styrofoam cup of scalding coffee down on your bollocks. You want to ban everything in a car except driving? What about chewing gum....that's a distraction, no? What about looking in the rear-view mirror? Doesn't that cause you to take your eyes off the road? Or consulting the speedometer or looking over your shoulder before changing lanes?
GTFOH

Lighted candle! Gimme a fückin' break!

Sean^DCT4

anthonyk.is wrote: »

Did anyone else hear about this on the news this morning? Aparently the government are trying to illegalise smoking while driving because thay said its a distraction........... In other words it's just another reason for fining people!!!

Thoughts on this???

haha.. This is a complete mis-interpretation. Apparently, and I quote, this was discussed on The Adrian Kennedy Phone Show last night.

Someone was in a car with a friend and the driver dropped the top of his smoke on his lap and it burned him.. Almost swerved into a wall..

Where you got the government from I don't know.. Anyway, let's face it the government will not and could not enforce a law like this.

Bonito

Mellio wrote: »

You forgot to comment on my main point at the end but good example for a non smoker.....

Sorry Ted.

I have a baby sister. When she's in the car, my Dad doesn't smoke. He wont smoke in other peoples cars unless it's OK with them.

So if my dad is driving his car, I think he should be allowed to smoke his cigarettes in peace while havin' a nice spin as it's a change from being stuck in his work van on his own half the day where he can't smoke.

Madness, it's counted as a workplace so he can't smoke in case he damages other employees health.

Nanny state 101, classes starting at noon. All other countries welcome. Translators not provided.

ejmaztec

An aunt of mine almost caused an accident once, because her gas-lighter decided to go into flame-thrower mode when she lit up. She scorched the tip of her nose and singed her hair.:eek:

On several occasions, I've flicked ash out of the window, only to have the glowing end of the cigarette fly off. The only problem is that, I couldn't tell whether or not it had blown back into the car, so had to carry on driving and sniffing for burning.

Keith186

Mellio wrote: »

Well I think it should bruoght in
The above for me really is not an issue just points but the biggest issue for me to bring this in is to stop parents from smoking in the cars whether windows are down or not while kids are in the back or front as they have no choice.

It was brought into the work place for helath and safety reasons and kids should be looked at in the same light.

Anyway hope they do bring it in....

/SLAP

Not everyone has kids so why ban it for all cars?

Lets throw all gardai in jail because they allegedly beat teenagers.
Then you can smoke where ya want.

I don't even smoke but it's bad enough for smokers as it is. They are the backbone of the health system ffs with all the taxes they pay and deserve not to be shafted so much!!!

stevoslice

absolute joke, and never gonna happen.

Driving is a stressful job at the best of times, having to watch for every clueless driver on the road on a constant basis, between the eejits who brake constantly going from 90kph down to 80kph and back up to 90kph because a truck is coming the other direction, apes who constantly pull out in front of you to crawl along, idiots who try and overtake long lines of traffic so they can get home 2 minutes earlier. Believe me it would cause more accidents by getting people more stressed and wound up. Again what a nonsense proposal.

Could you imagine actually being a smoker and a professional courier / salesperson / truck driver, on irish roads 8-10 hrs a DAY!!! I suppose the vehicle could be classified as a workplace, is that the route there gonna take.

And whoever says smoking is distracting, its about as distracting as rolling down the window, scratching your nose and then breathing, i mean ffs.

Antomus Prime

Sean^DCT4 wrote: »

haha.. This is a complete mis-interpretation. Apparently, and I quote, this was discussed on The Adrian Kennedy Phone Show last night.



Where you got the government from I don't know.. Anyway, let's face it the government will not and could not enforce a law like this.

Ok, well if you had read through the thread you would have seen where i said i missed the full story, and when i got into work people here were talking about it too and they also mentioned the government..... Thats why I asked if anyone else heard this? I didnt say "did you hear the government are banning smoking in cars!!??"

And also i thought the question marks would imply its a "question", not a statement no??? lol

chin_grin

MMD wrote: »

Quick, someone call Denis Leary....

And tell him he stole all of Bill Hicks' material.

But I agree.

This has to be BS.

ScumLord

Promac wrote: »

I'm sure there are but it can't be that big a problem when the vast majority of drivers can deal with it. Smoking doesn't relieve the tedium though, it just punctuates it.

But that's how you relieve tedium, a miniature mental and physical activity to break the repetitiveness of driving. A smoker isn't really going to think of smoking while his mind is engaged, it's only when your cruising or stuck in traffic that you'll get the urge.

ART6

What do you expect of the fools and incompetents who receive large salaries for occupying the Dail a few days a year? Many such laws result from the personal hobby horses of the 'holier than thou' brigade.

Smoking while driving means taking a hand off the wheel at least occasionally to flick off the ash and dispose of the stub. It has been said by the 'experts' many times that taking a hand off the wheel is dangerous, and I agree. That's why I always drive in 4th gear and never attempt to change up or down. I am a law-abiding citizen:p

Sean^DCT4

anthonyk.is wrote: »

Ok, well if you had read through the thread you would have seen where i said i missed the full story, and when i got into work people here were talking about it too and they also mentioned the government..... Thats why I asked if anyone else heard this? I didnt say "did you hear the government are banning smoking in cars!!??"

And also i thought the question marks would imply its a "question", not a statement no??? lol

If you had bothered to listen to the topic on the radio you would not have originally implied that the government were planning on introducing this.

Also, the thread title "Smoking to be made illegal..??" definitely implies that you, the OP, are implying that the government are planning on legalising this.

Topic and thread fail. lol :pac:

Bonito

Sean^DCT4 wrote: »

If you had bothered to listen to the topic on the radio you would not have originally implied that the government were planning on introducing this.

Also, the thread title "Smoking to be made illegal..??" definitely implies that you, the OP, are implying that the government are planning on legalising this.

Topic and thread fail. lol :pac:

Sorry but this post is doing my tits in. The OP's thread title clearly shows he's asking is it true. That's why there's a god damn fúcking question mark in the title.

Go back and read the 1st post and stop trying to make yourself look intellectually superior 'cause you're having the absolute opposite effect.

The OP implied nothing but asked something. Fact. End of.

Antomus Prime

Sean^DCT4 wrote: »

If you had bothered to listen to the topic on the radio you would not have originally implied that the government were planning on introducing this.

Also, the thread title "Smoking to be made illegal..??" definitely implies that you, the OP, are implying that the government are planning on legalising this.

Topic and thread fail. lol :pac:

:rolleyes: Again, I said i missed the start of this and was asking did anyone else hear about this?
And secondly, a question mark at the end of a sentence implies it's a question, not a statement. Or did you learn grammar in a different plce to most lol.
Not looking for an argument, simply trying to find the facts and opinions

CrazyRabbit

Adam wrote: »

i was in a van with a friend who was tricking with the radio, only for i shouted "Stop!" we would have crashed. should we remove all radios?

Yes. They are a distraction.

Vehicles are designed to get you from A to B. These days, they are more like home entertainment centres.

When driving a potentially lethal vehicle, you should be concentrating fully on driving.

Note: if the radio was voice activated, I would be ok with that. It's having all these buttons to fiddle with that does cause distraction.
Same logic behind allowing hands free phone use. It's all fine so long as it doesn't involve you having to take your eyes off the road.