Light up for liberty: We should defend our choice to be allowed to smoke
 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/ar...=feeds-newsxml

Article about smoking in cars, and banning it :bored:

I can understand banning smoking in cars with children but your own private car is crazy imo

Smokers are treated like villains that need to be extinct.

It will never come in.

They are Just Ideas



So No Panic Needed

Well that's all good then :idc:

Smoking in cars shouldn't be banned (but anyone tries smoking in my car they'll get kicked out there and then even if I'm on the motorway doing 80mph) but it should be banned if you're driving. You're categorically not allowed to use mobiles because you've not got both hands free, and you can get prosecuted for eating, applying make up and other things where you don't have both hands free, although they're not explicitly illegal and it comes under careless driving. Why is smoking any different to that?

But smokers also act like its in their human rights to smoke. Its not, its an addiction, its also a luxury. If it was up to me I'd ban it in public altogether, can't stand breathing in other peoples smoke who have no consideration for other people. Smokers also act like they're hard done by because they have to go outside in public places to smoke. So? Its their choice to smoke, if they don't want to go outside then quit.

banning smoking in private places is way too far imo

Smoking is second nature to most people who do smoke so I doubt it's really that distracting. But with a phone you're actively being distracted reading a text or calling someone

I genuinly don't think smoking could possibly be distracting whilst driving. It's not like you have to look at it or anything to release the nicotine from it.

Because you've only got 1 hand fully free. What if you suddenly need to brake, change gear or do a sharp steer unexpectedly? Its not distracting, its just dangerous. Its the same with anything that involves not having 2 free hands, and with other things like eating you can get fines and points for it.

I don't smoke in cars so that doesn't bother me much. I have got used to smoking outside now in pubs etc, in fact most people are outside having a cig in the beer garden in the pubs I got to and all of my non-smoker friends come outside with us as well. It did freak me out when i was at a lock in the other night though and once all the doors were locked the landlord got out ashtrays and invited everyone to light up, I felt all nostalgic and a little bit naughty for smoking indoors!

You can still do all those things. It's not like your holding a plastic bag full of Mega Bloks.

Yeah because you've still got full control haven't you?

Well yeah. A cigarette doesn't obstruct steering. The left hand can be used for shifting gears. Breaking traditionally merits the use of legs.

You quite obviously don't drive. Most of your grip on a steering wheel or gear stick comes from your thumb, index finger and middle finger. If you're changing gears with your left hand, what are you doing with your right hand? And braking does use the legs, but you need to hold onto the wheel when you're braking harshly because road friction can change your steering if you're not holding it properly.

You're not in full control. Simple as. I don't see how anyone can argue otherwise.

I have been in cars with plenty of people who smoke whilst they drive and I've never noticed anything off about their steering. I think you're accentuating the possible dangers. The wheel can be gripped just fine whilst holding a cigarette I imagine. There is also the option of putting it in your mouth for a bit. In an emergency situation the fag is hardly going to take precedence over someones life or even the cars welfare. It's not as if it's going to find a way to distract you.

It's just this ... little cylindrical thing that gradually kills you.

At my local they are slightly more 'cautious' after the doors are locked in that they just hand-out empty coke cans to flick yer ash into instead of proper ashtrays! :hugesmile:

As regards a smoking ban in cars, they'd really have to clarify if the reasons for any such legislation. The article seems to suggest it has been raised for health reasons (as in a car being an enclosed space). I see Tom is thinking of it more in terms of a driving distraction (I feel this is a weak argument as you still drive with 2 hands when smoking).

Silly thought - assuming it was brought-in due to health concerns (similar to the public buildings/workplaces legislation) but you are still allowed to smoke outside, then what happens in the case of convertibles????? Would I just have to lower the hood on my wee car to have a ciggy as for all intents and purposes I am out in the open air when I do that?! :joker:

I don't get you at all - maybe us smokers are just freakishly telented but we can grip grip a streering wheel/change gears perfectly well using the hand that has the cigarette in it. I'm confused :conf2: I can only guess that you obviously don't smoke.

I've been in cars with plenty of people who drive whilst on the phone and not noticed much difference in driving. Its the same kind of thing, one main hand in control etc and you can still have some grip like when you're smoking when needed. Being on the phone is just like talking to someone next to you and smoking, its no more or less distracting. But just because some people can do it doesn't mean everyone can.

If you don't look at possible dangers then you're never going to get anywhere in terms of safety because everything is only a possible danger and using that logic we could unpick almost anything.

And you're in a tonne of metal that can kill you straight away, but "it will never happen to me".

Yeah I'm done.

it's no more distracting than having a drinks holder. Daft.

Not gonna elaborate why you're done? You're having a conversation with something relatively small in your hand where you can still have control but not 100%.

Depends where your drinks holder is!

A polo mint is something relatively small you inane creature. Stop making this constant comparison between phones and cigarettes. Try holding a phone up to your ear and see how much of your hand it commands. Now try holding a cigarette between your index and middle finger and see how much of your hand it takes up. That's my elaboration.

BUT THEY ARE BOTH TALKING AND WITH A THING IN YOUR HAND!

No. It's just a pointless, reckless, tapped comparison.

If your hand is off the wheel or gear stick then it doesn't matter if you're holding a polo or a laptop. If you're holding a phone, you can still grip the wheel or gear stick, moreso if you hold it in a certain way. You just don't have full control.

Its not a constant comparison btw, I did it once out of a few posts then expanded on it in another :crazy:.

Nice that you have to resort to insults to get your point across though :joker:.

A cigarette doesn't distract you mentally though, phones do, concentration is on that and you're either looking at it to text or holding it up to your ear. And as someone mentioned they wanted to ban it for health reasons, not because lack of control on the wheel.