I think this argument is one of those never-ending ones. Its all relative. For example, if I had a choice between going on a long journey in a car with my Dad knowing that he was going to be on the phone for at least some part of the journey or with my Mum - who since a little incident doesn't even have music playing - I'd never choose my Mum. She is a bad driver. With or without phones, cigg's, music or screaming kids (who have been known to travel in the boot covered in sand which still brings back memories of extreme chafing). When I drive I listen to music really loud and I'll have a conversation with the person next to me, but I know that I can't do more than that. In fact, I'm the source of much amusement when I'm being talked to when driving as I'm often in the middle of speaking and I just stop because I have to think about something like traffic lights and then 30 seconds later I carry on talking as if I never stopped... I never notice myself doing it I consider myself a safe driver, and I generally know that I can't do much more than wind the window down while driving. Thats the problem though. People who have no concept of their own limits and abilities. My Mum used to be like that and seemed to believe that she could text, put makeup on and turn around and speak to people in the back seat but then she drove straight into the back of a stationary car at a traffic light and it scared the crap out of her. Obviously though its just not feasible to screen everyone who takes a driving test to check their multitasking skills so you just have to do blanket bans. Thats what they did with mobiles and I would not be surprised that in the next few years smoking while driving will become more and more frowned upon. More so than it is now. Then you'll just have to deal with it. Until then, yes it stinks, but as long as the smokers are not causing discomfort to the non-smokers the most you can do is give them the evil eye or turn your music up really loud and see how they like your kind of pollution.
I agree with a lot of posts... it all depends on who's driving. When I was still living in Belgium and drove to work, I smoked in my car. I never ever lit a cigarette in heavy traffic, on any other lane than the slow lane, and especially never threw a cigarette butt out of my window - people who do that should really be stabbed in the face. Not only don't you throw sparky things out of your window, but we all know how annoying it is when the guy in front of you does it... especially in tunnels or at night. I was a careful driver, and when I had a smoke in my car I was even more careful (and kept my eyes on the road). People do stuff in their cars that is a lot worse than smoking, even talking on the phone - just talking to your passenger can be very dangerous. I cannot begin to explain the frustration I felt when I saw the driver in front of me looking at the goddamned passenger for aaaaaages... I know eye contact is important and all that, but not causing an accident has just a bit more priority in my book. Ah well, people will always be sucky drivers - with or without cigarettes, passengers, phones, or even cars. Who likes pedestrians anyways?
I don't like cigs and will never smoke, but I value freedom much more than security and generally dislike rules that prevent you from doing stuff, and cigs don't make you drive bad. If people want to smoke while driving, they should certainly be allowed to. I just hate when they throw butts out the window.
Ive smoked for years, I have tried to quite twice, The past few years Ive come to terms with what's likely to happen to my health and that i'll have a ****** death, and im ok with that, my body will be donated to medical science, so at least a few people will benefit. I smoke while I drive and I think most smokers treat it as instict, but I think the argument about dropping a lit *** is downright stupid, anyone dumb enough to shove there head in the footwell while doing 30 deserves to be removed from the roads, i'm sure the majority of people would find a safe place to pull over then hunt. There are far more distracting things in the car these days, climate control, stereo, ipod etc etc
Some excellent points made in this thread so far - I agree with spec et. al. completely: smoking shouldn't be banned, we should just be more watchful of drivers who pay too little attention. We've all seen them around, and they're a pest without comparison. I can see why a blanket-ban of mobile phone usage was implemented (even if handsfree kits made it a bit of a joke), but that is a lot more of a distraction imho. (I can't even talk on the phone while driving, it requires far too much concentration, I did it once, and it was too much.)
I do fine with public transport, my feet and a bike, horses are not permitted on roads and crap everywhere. what i was referring as important is that a car can not run without emanating poison. And if you did not notice i am in favor of hybrid and electric cars and "pedalecs" or in other words bicycles with electric motor assist for long and inclined roads. i don't care if someone smokes, i just don't want that person smoking next to me, and in closed spaces, especially with kids around.
I agree with all the comments about it being bad, just the other day i almost had a smoker rear end me... I saw she had an unlit cig in her mouth and lighter in the other hand, she looked down ready to light it but decided it wasnt the time...good move. She then looked down again, and this is where i applied the brakes....and got as close as i dare'd to her front bumper, when she looked up with her nice lit cigg she took a healthy dose of OMG IM GOING TO CRASH, and with a panic'ed look she slams her brakes on and i give her the disaproval look of your stooopid dooyup. Take you eyes off the road and what do you expect, hopefully she'll think next time about it! Oh and ive also not pulled off at traffic lights when the woman behind me was on my phone and i just did the phone 'hand' out the window and shook it, she **** her pants and put it down straight away.
But Stickeh, this was a women being stupid. People who don't realise that they shouldn't light a cigarette also won't realise tha tthey shouldn't put on makeup, or won't take the mobile phone law seriously. They're bad drivers and we have rules to stop them killing people. We don't need more.
I agree with her stupidity, but still, drop a cig on your lap and thats your main concern, and thats a scary scary thought to what it could cause!
Umm, well it shouldn't be your main concern(it really doesn't hurt _that_ much to have a cig up against clothing). Like I've said before, it's all down to the driver. If they're competant and rational then there won't be a problem, if they're a bad driver there will be. But laws already exist for this stuff, and so we do not need more. Not that that'll change anyones views...everyone already has views set in stone when it comes to anything related to smoking.
