The Local Authority Road Safety Officers Association are concerned that the imminent ban on smoking in public places will cause more people to light up behind the wheel. They say smoking while driving is a distraction – an observation that has long since been recorded within the Highway Code. 
So, will smoking join the use of hand-held mobile phones as a banned activity for drivers? It is easy enough to make a case for such action. Lighting and stubbing out cigarettes both require one’s eyes to be temporarily removed from the road, while the act of smoking itself calls for the repeated removal of one hand from the wheel. The potential ramifications of dropping a cigarette while driving don’t bear thinking about.
Are such facts sufficient to make smoking behind the wheel a criminal offence though? Doubtless many people will think so – especially the non-smoking fraternity. However, it is a tricky road to go down, as there are countless other actions that arguably cause just as much distraction, yet we see them performed by drivers every day. They include:
- Using a hands-free mobile phone
- Tuning and adjusting the radio
- Setting up/listening to an MP3 player or other type of headset
- Loading/changing a CD
- Setting or reading a SAT/NAV system
- Reading a map
- Taking a drink
- Eating a sandwich or other item of food
- Talking to passengers
- Controlling children or animals
- Telling the time
- Adding or removing items of clothing
- Waving to friends and acquaintances
- Shaving
- Applying or removing make-up
We all know that the car is a potentially lethal weapon and that in an ideal world those behind the wheel would allow nothing to divert their concentration. We also know that this is never going to happen. The question is, how far should we legislate against known distractions?
