Are smokers more dangerous drivers

[obi_waynne]

Do you think it would be fair if insurance companies started asking if you were a smoker or not and increasing the premiums of smokers?

As a non smoker I'm clearly biased here but I put forward the case that they are usually waving a fag around in their hand, or out of the window. Are distracted whilst lighting, using an ash tray and generally have less of a focus on driving than they would if they were not smoking.

What are your thoughts on this potentially thorny issue?

 

[pgarner]

suppose you could load up the premiums for parents as well. kids screaming away in the back is more of a distraction than smoking.

 

[Big Fat Fatty]

As a smoker I have to say no, it wouldn't be fair and that's a good point made by PG, I pass so many people on the way to work paying far less attention to the road than I am with a fag in my hand, plus being a seasoned smoker I'm used to getting smoke in the eye and have the coordination you need to be able to use the wheel and not get ash everywhere

 

[obi_waynne]

suppose you could load up the premiums for parents as well. kids screaming away in the back is more of a distraction than smoking.

I like that one, looking at the school run drivers, the sudden erratic stopping in the middle of the road and the pulling out without looking.

So insurance should ask "Do you have kids, and do you take them to school in this vehicle!". That will keep all our premiums lower and put the blame where it REALLY lies. (Or perhaps we're just opening a can of worms on this one as well!)

 

[HDi fun]

Personally I'd ban smoking in moving cars even though I'm a smoker.

I'd also make all parents of unruly brats go on parenting courses (at their own expense) to find out how to keep the brats under control. BEFORE they're allowed to drive around with them in a car. Yes, I'm a parent, too.

 

[obi_waynne]

If smokers couldn't smoke at all in a car do you think it would make them ratty and irritable? Especially on long journeys?

A bloke told off a kid for trampling around on his front garden and the mother had a go at him for telling off her son "You don't know what it's like being a parent. You can't go round telling kids what to do!"

I think she's storing up a bundle of trouble for herself and it's no wonder that so many youths have no concept of "being wrong" or "fitting in socially with a set of what's acceptable in public and what's not"!

 

[Big Fat Fatty]

they are usually waving a fag around in their hand, or out of the window. Are distracted whilst lighting, using an ash tray and generally have less of a focus on driving than they would if they were not smoking.

it wouldn't be so bad if car designers made ash trays that worked, my Accord has the worst ash tray design .....in the world, so I put the ash out the window and only use the tray for the ends

when more people were smokers than non smokers it was a lot better (you know what I mean, not better but we're social outcasts nowadays) now though, they hardly put ash trays in any new cars at all.

 

[obi_waynne]

I actually haven't worked out how to empty mine. Thankfully it will only have parking money stashed in it but the design is awful.

 

[pgarner]

mines is long gone along with the lighter

same as lighters are now gone from new cars its aux power sockets. probably more due to smoking bans across europe in workplace.

 

[old-git]

Well, I can't see how it would make them safer drivers. Driving is a complicated business and requires the driver's full attention. Dealing with a fag requires some of that attention so less is available for driving.

 

[Massive]

If smokers couldn't smoke at all in a car do you think it would make them ratty and irritable? Especially on long journeys?

A bloke told off a kid for trampling around on his front garden and the mother had a go at him for telling off her son "You don't know what it's like being a parent. You can't go round telling kids what to do!"

I think she's storing up a bundle of trouble for herself and it's no wonder that so many youths have no concept of "being wrong" or "fitting in socially with a set of what's acceptable in public and what's not"!

well smokers can always stop off at service stations its like being on the phone, if thats banned then i think smoking should be i often see smokers holding a fag in there hand whilst trying to steer then concentrating on taking a drag whilse going round a roundabout

and yes kids they joy of children... not having any

 

[bigbadjoe]

I'm a smoker. 20 a day. I never smoke in my car. Granted, I did in my past cars, but I dont in my baby, because I hate the smell. And re-sale value would drop.

But I don't think it is fair to ban smoking in a car. Give smokers a break! We already pay about £4 a pack tax. We get humiliated by having to go outside and smoke everywhere, even in your own home, people tut if you smoke inside. You cant even have pint in a glass glass, you need to have it in a plastic on if you smoke outside.

Plus, its juts another rule/law to come in to earn them more money.

And as for putting insurance up??? WHY???? If you said that 5% of accidents were caused by people lighting up (and this is a figure I have just made up) then that leaves 95% of people who crashed not lighing up. So what were they doing? The insurance complanies might as well ask

'' Do you were sunglasses while driving? ''
or
'' Do you ever take your top off, and struggle with a seatbelt wile driving ''

I know one thing. I'd lie. As I don't smoke in my car anyway, I'd say I was a non smoker.

 

[bigbadjoe]

well smokers can always stop off at service stations its like being on the phone, if thats banned then i think smoking should be i often see smokers holding a fag in there hand whilst trying to steer then concentrating on taking a drag whilse going round a roundabout

and yes kids they joy of children... not having any

Yeah we could. But when I'm doing a 8 hour dirve, I don't even stop off to take a slash. I only stop to fill up. I don't smoke in my car, but if I was to stop every time I wanted on, my trip would take about 10 hours. I just slap a patch on and drive untill I fill up.

But I'm sure you eat dont you? I'm sure you drink. Ever had that problem, unscrewing a bottle top wile doing 70 on the motorway? Im sure all of us have. Its all little dangers, but thats where you driving ability and confidnece comes into play. The more things they ban, the more people are going to dislike driving.

 

[HDi fun]

It's not so much the 70+mph on a clear motorway that's a problem. It's nursing a cigarette whilst negotiating car parks and heavily used urban roads where the problems are more likely to occur.

 

[thexav]

Don't forget chocolate bar eaters as well. Anything that forces you to drive with one hand is a bad idea.

I'm pretty sure you can get nicked for smoking, eating or generally driving without being in full control of your car. I know one lady who got done for drinking bottled water whilst waiting at some traffic lights.

 

[Big Fat Fatty]

Don't forget chocolate bar eaters as well. Anything that forces you to drive with one hand is a bad idea.

I'm pretty sure you can get nicked for smoking, eating or generally driving without being in full control of your car. I know one lady who got done for drinking bottled water whilst waiting at some traffic lights.

How many people do you know who drive with one hand on the wheel and one on the gear stick waiting for that super fast gear change, changing gear in general forces you to take a hand off the wheel, should we all drive around in automatics? I'm not saying smokers are safer drivers by any means but there are far worse out there who do nothing but drive and still make a hash of it.

This is another case in point of the "Nanny" mentality this country is developing, who is to say what I can and can't do, within reason, in my own car? what right does anybody have to tell me I can't do this or that. Taking away peoples freedom to do what makes them happy only serves to annoy them and make matters worse, I see more people on the phone whilst driving now than I ever did before it was banned.

 

[thexav]

I agree people should be free to drive dangeriously at whatever speed they want and even be allowed to watch movies whilst driving. The thought of infringing the human rights of someone who wants do to things that endangers other road users is frankly quite shocking and repulsive to me.

Muggers and Rapists should also be allowed freedom to do what they want. After all their crimes are just an expression of their personality.

(I do note you said "within reason" though, so this isn't really directed at you BFF. Just aimed at this arguement or misconception that people have rights and can do or should be allowed to do whatever they want.)

 

[Big Fat Fatty]

I take nothing personally mate, it is a free for all debate after all:bigsmile:

What I said before was a little off the mark, I admit (friday afternoons for you ) but reasonable human beings tend to know when they are doing right and wrong and know the difference between them, so if they feel they are capable of eating a chocolate bar or drinking from a bottle or lighting a cigarette and not causing a hazard to anyone else then why not let them? there are more powerful distractions outside of the car than there are inside.

 

[thexav]

Stopping someone who is parked up for blowing thier nose, or drinking out of a bottle is just an abuse of the law and a waste of everyones time.

When drivers start weaving all over the road then it's time for them to be punished before they injure themselves or worse still, others.

I pulled of a roundabout behind a dawdler only to see them weave over the white line and suddenly yank it back. As i overtook on the dual carriageway I saw it was a young girl with a mobile in her hands! :evil:

 

[Yugguy]

I take nothing personally mate, it is a free for all debate after all:bigsmile:

What I said before was a little off the mark, I admit (friday afternoons for you ) but reasonable human beings tend to know when they are doing right and wrong and know the difference between them, so if they feel they are capable of eating a chocolate bar or drinking from a bottle or lighting a cigarette and not causing a hazard to anyone else then why not let them? there are more powerful distractions outside of the car than there are inside.

Doesnt work like that though that's the trouble, because people are not reasonable.

 

[Big Fat Fatty]

I just feel like there is enough to worry about when driving and the new laws that are introduced every other week are making people more and more nervous about their own driving, so as soon as you get the fuzz up behind you you panic thinking "am i doing anything wrong that they might pull me for" and that creates mistakes and can lead to accidents or collisions, they do it on purpose and force other people to think the same way, but that's just me being cynical

 

[carnutter]

Any activity where you constantly have one hand off the steering wheel increases the risk, IMO.

Having said that, a lot of non-smokers drive with only one hand on the wheel!

 

[pikey motorsports]

Lets be honest here, if having a cigarette makes you less able to drive your vehicle, your a retard and probably shouldnt have a driving licence in the bloody first place!

not once in my 8years of driving have i EVER come close to having an accident due to smoking, or eating/drinking/doing rude things with ladies whilst driving either!

Half the driving population of this country cant drive properly in the first place, so hows about leaving alone those of us that can, regardless of whatever else we happen to be doing behind the wheel at the same bloody time!

 

[carnutter]

What happens when these half of the driving population who can't drive properly, get behind the wheel and then light up?

 

[pikey motorsports]

then we're screwed!

I think i have the solution....

During your driving test it should be compulsory to:

Smoke 3 cigarettes
Drink a bottle of coke
eat a mcdonalds
and have a row with your missus

If you cant drive and do that, you dont get a licence!

 

[Yugguy]

Bff's right tho, you see a copper and you start worrying about wether he's going to do you for having a non-eu standard left indicator repeater bulb or something.

 

[carnutter]

Awesome test!

Test multi-tasking as well as driving under pressure! Lol!

 

[Dan2587]

The only thing about driving and smoking that annoys me is when they flick the stub out the window as it could land in my engine or come though window and set fire to my car put the bloody thing in your ashtray.

 

[pikey motorsports]

Land in your engine? as far as i know laguna's have bonnets and bumpers and wings.... so thats basically impossible. and the chances of it landing in your car when flicked out the window are so small you have more chance of winning the lottery!

 

[obi_waynne]

I hate any litter thrown from cars from fag ends to crisp packets!

 

[Big Fat Fatty]

Land in your engine? as far as i know laguna's have bonnets and bumpers and wings.... so thats basically impossible. and the chances of it landing in your car when flicked out the window are so small you have more chance of winning the lottery!

When I see someone on the phone I try and get one through their window, usually gets a small reaction but it always fall short or goes nowhere near

 

[Dan2587]

the grille has gaps in lol and it can go though window it happened to someone i know the window was open aswell.I always brake hard when the person behind is on phone while driving cant they get a handsfree kit and most mobiles have loud speaker.

 

[ChaseMark]

then we're screwed!

I think i have the solution....

During your driving test it should be compulsory to:

Smoke 3 cigarettes
Drink a bottle of coke
eat a mcdonalds
and have a row with your missus

If you cant drive and do that, you dont get a licence!

haha....love that!I think they should start it immediately....if you can drive well after all that and get a license...we'd have no trouble on the roads at all!...basically will be a test of how 'zen' you can be while driving....hehe....

 

[MickieH]

I smoke, and I smoke in my car.

You can look at this either way really.

Having one hand off the wheel for a few minutes while you smoke you ciggy does mean you have less control and so should not be allowed from a safety perspective.

However, someone I know at work has only one arm (his left) and drives a normal car with no adaptations that I can see other than it is an automatic. How he does it I don't know, but I've never asked in case I offend.

So driving with one hand on the wheel is not really an issue as far as I can see.

I don't use the astrays in my cars because they're on my left side and I smoke with my right hand, I mean what were the designers thinking?

Anyone know of a car with an ashtray on the right side (not counting the window of course ) ?

I'll give you one - the Austin Allegro (And yes, I owned one many years ago.)

 

[herb]

Anyone know of a car with an ashtray on the right side (not counting the window of course ) ?

I'll give you one - the Austin Allegro (And yes, I owned one many years ago.)

i think my dads ital had 1 to not 100% sure though.
and are we including lhd cars in this

 

[MickieH]

i think my dads ital had 1 to not 100% sure though.
and are we including lhd cars in this

Yes, but only if you're left handed

 

[Big Fat Fatty]

I found this out because someone I know is training to become a driving instructor and some of the questions on his mock theory were about disabled people, people with NO arms are allowed to drive a normal car, there are videos on youtube watching people drive an automatic with their feet! so I don't see how smoking, drinking (soft drinks), eating a chocolate bar or anything else apart from being on the phone can be any more dangerous.

 

[ChaseMark]

I found this out because someone I know is training to become a driving instructor and some of the questions on his mock theory were about disabled people, people with NO arms are allowed to drive a normal car, there are videos on youtube watching people drive an automatic with their feet! so I don't see how smoking, drinking (soft drinks), eating a chocolate bar or anything else apart from being on the phone can be any more dangerous.

yea...but in those cases I'm guessing they have amazing dexterity with their feet... just because their feet are now compensating the lack of arms and so on...plus they're all very focused when they drive in those videos.

However, I don't see how people driving with one hand on the wheel for the sake of looking cooool is any different from when someone smokes a ciggie and drives!

 

[Big Fat Fatty]

amazing dexterity aside, all it would take is one slip on the wheel and it's good night to someone coming the other way.

 

[ChaseMark]

Tis true...