This whole smoking in cabs thing has really ruffled my feathers, so i’d just like to point a few things out.
Smoking whilst driving is specified by law as being an example of driving without due care and attention, the same as eating whilst driving or looking at a passenger with who you are engaged in conversation with. This can carry up to 9 points and up to £500 fine. Therefore, smoking whilst driving is dangerous, and would only be undertaken by drivers who have no regard for others.
given that, and the fact that as the driver of a large goods vehicle, you should stop periodically to check the vehicle and its load, there is absolutely no need for anyone to smoke in a truck. have a ■■■ whilst checking your vehicle, it really is that simple.
the fact that a smoker can sit on a plane for hours without smoking proves they CAN wait to have a ■■■.
OTOH, the whole argument is a load of rubbish and even the Police agree seeing as they think it is perfectly acceptable to use a handheld radio during a pursuit.
It is nothing more than yet another example of the nanny state outlawing anything that could be remotely hazardous and isn’t revenue generating thus making it revenue generating by the back door. Piloting a 1.5 tonne lump of metal down a road at a speed the human brain wasn’t ever designed to cope with with feet of others doing the same is FAR FAR more dangerous but it provides a nice pot of money for H.M.Treasury.
Smoking whilst driving isn’t dangerous. Neither is eating. Or changing the volume on the radio. Or looking at the clock on the tacho - as long as they’re all done at appropriate times, i.e not whilst you’re trying to negociate a 3 lane roundabout. The Govt is looking for an excuse to explain the accident rates without admitting that the mass reassigning of Trafpol to other duties and replacing them by robots isn’t working.
Conor:
OTOH, the whole argument is a load of rubbish and even the Police agree seeing as they think it is perfectly acceptable to use a handheld radio during a pursuit.
Do the police agree? have they said it is a load of rubbish or is that what you want to believe?
Look, a cigarette is a substance which is burning. set fire to a newspaper whilst driving and toss it out of the window when its almost burning your fingers and tell me its safe to drive with something burning in your hand.
regarding the radio thing, the radio is simplex with a loud speaker, so the operator can have both hands on the wheel and listen, then use the mike to talk when its safe. that’s why its still legal to use a cb, but not a handheld phone which is duplex.
Conor:
Smoking whilst driving isn’t dangerous. Neither is eating. Or changing the volume on the radio. Or looking at the clock on the tacho - as long as they’re all done at appropriate times
not according to the law. eating & smoking whilst driving are dangerous. its there in black and white. yea, you could argue mittigation, but the law is the law.
using your argument as an example, you could say its ok to do 60 in a 30 between 9&3 because the kids will be in school so I won’t kill one.
if your going to break one law, you may as well bak them all. run without a tacho or a limiterand be overloaded. you’ll be ok, just tell the copper you did it at an appropriate time.
Roadhog:
This whole smoking in cabs thing has really ruffled my feathers, so i’d just like to point a few things out.
Smoking whilst driving is specified by law as being an example of driving without due care and attention, the same as eating whilst driving or looking at a passenger with who you are engaged in conversation with. This can carry up to 9 points and up to £500 fine. Therefore, smoking whilst driving is dangerous, and would only be undertaken by drivers who have no regard for others.
given that, and the fact that as the driver of a large goods vehicle, you should stop periodically to check the vehicle and its load, there is absolutely no need for anyone to smoke in a truck. have a ■■■ whilst checking your vehicle, it really is that simple.
the fact that a smoker can sit on a plane for hours without smoking proves they CAN wait to have a ■■■.
i would say that more Driver have Accidents by driving with due Care and Attention as Smoking Drivers.
Actually have Lorry and Busdrivers more distance to Vehicle in Front to react early enough.
They must do as they seem to think that using one hand to operate a PTT on a microphone is perfectly acceptable to do at 70MPH during a chase through a town.
Roadhog:
not according to the law. eating & smoking whilst driving are dangerous. its there in black and white. yea, you could argue mittigation, but the law is the law.
Which doesn’t mean it is dangerous. Taking a 44 minute 30 second break in 4.5hrs driving instead of 45 minutes is illegal but doesn’t make it dangerous.
I’ve always said though i’ve nothing against smokers, so long as they leave the cab in a state where i cant tell they’ve been smoking in it, ie. clean and doesnt stink, then thats fine.
Well smoking ie. the act of getting rid of the ash is clearly another distraction from the job in hand.
Just smoking is one thing though, people trying to get ■■■■ out of the pack or light ■■■■ whilst driving or even rolling them whilst driving is just plain stupid.
Smoking while driving is ‘clearly’ a distraction and distractions ‘do’ cause accidents. simple as.
What is an apropriate time though? Passed a guy driving a truck reading the paper earlier, was that an apropriate time for that?
I think all this ‘nanny state’ they wont let us do what we want crap, that people whinge about is purely the old school cowboy drivers rearing their head. Many people said the same when Tacho’s were introduced, along with drivers hours restrictions, speed limits, speed limiters, seat belts, MOT’s, drink drive laws.
The same people who thought it acceptable to drive a death trap at 80mph round country lanes, for 18 hours without a break for 6 days of the week while ■■■■■■ up, steering with their knees and rolling a ■■■. Then when they were impaled on the non-colapsible steering column through not beleiving in wearing the seat belt, and after mowing their way through a school bus, people said “but he was such a great guy”
Roadhog wrote:
not according to the law. eating & smoking whilst driving are dangerous. its there in black and white. yea, you could argue mittigation, but the law is the law.
Which doesn’t mean it is dangerous.
Well it does because ‘driving without due care and attention’ IS dangerous.
Well, I do like a good debate, and I have been known to wind people up, but this is serious.
How many drivers got a bluetooth headset when the phone ban was introduced? and how many drivers do you see with their headset on, but a ■■■ in their hand. those people may as well hold the phone to their ear.
Drivers should be taking breaks from driving to reduce fatigue, checking their load, lights etc. the point i’m making is that drivers could combine these regular stops/breaks with having a ■■■. it solves all the problems. drivers stop frequently. whilst they are smoking, the truck & load are getting the once over, and a non-smoker can use the same truck without smelling like an ashtray.
Theres nothing unreasonable about suggesting that. But like it or not, you smokers will have to stop smoking in vehicles next year.
Personally I would be happy to hear that drivers were banned from smoking, then again they are banned from using mobile phones and that didn’t stop some idiot nearly wiping me out on the way to work this morning whilst chatting and making a left turn using the whole road without paying any attention to traffic.
Then again I find that attitude of some smokers funny - a guy told me a few weeks ago that he wouldn’t do fuel tankers since the fumes give you cancer, but proceeded to chain smoke the whole shift I was with him !!!
If you got off your high horse you maybe able to smell the ■■■■■■■■ coming from your mouth.
While I do agree with what you are saying bout smoking when driving, why should i get out of my cab in the ■■■■■■■ rain either on a break or at night. I am not driving, not doing anything. But the new rules say i have to get out of MY cab that i share with no-one.
Its just more crap from phoney tony and his left wing cronies!!!
If you got off your high horse you maybe able to smell the [zb] coming from your mouth.
While I do agree with what you are saying bout smoking when driving, why should i get out of my cab in the [zb] rain either on a break or at night. I am not driving, not doing anything. But the new rules say i have to get out of MY cab that i share with no-one.
Its just more crap from phoney tony and his left wing cronies!!!
so you never get out mid-shift to check your vehicle? what if you’ve lost some wheelnuts? Got a soft tyre? what would you say to VOSA, I don’t check my vehicle when its raining?
I don’t share my truck, but i’m merely suggesting that as professional drivers SHOULD periodically get out of their seat to check their vehicle, that this would be a convenient time to smoke. Like it or not, driving comes with responsibilities and that includes making sure your vehicle is fit to be on the road, and you can only do that by getting out and performing a walk-round check.
fred Kanka:
i would say that more Driver have Accidents by driving with due Care and Attention as Smoking Drivers.
Actually have Lorry and Busdrivers more distance to Vehicle in Front to react early enough.
I think I get what you are saying Fred, but when you see some people close their eyes as they inhale, or when
they exhale they start wafting the smoke away, that’s got to affect reaction times in an emergency.
Tailgating(driving too close to the vehicle in front) is also covered by the due care law, so I guess if your smoking whilst tailgating, you could be looking at a driving ban if you’re caught.
scottbrown:
so next time i stop on the hard shoulder cos i want a ■■■, i can just say i am checking my load/truck cos i am a professional
[sigh] Surely you know you can only stop on the hard shoulder in an emergency? and given that on the majority of motorways, services are roughly 15mins drive apart, you would be able to pull into one to do your check?
before i start i’m an ex smoker who shared a 7.5 tonner with non smokers never botherd me that much
but just one thing its all well and good saying pull over and check your load and have a ■■■
I work nights and you try pulling into a msa to have a smoko and you’ll be 500mtrs up the hard shoulder with all the other late comers
Roadhog,Are you sure you didn’t want to be a copper when you was a kid You yap on about check load’s tyre’s etc whilst on route to your destination,please explain to us readers how a driver check’s how secure his load is whilst in a sealed curtainsider/container etc.I’m surprised you get your day’s work complete with the amount of checks you do.Do yourself a favour get down of your high horse and stop trying to tell guy’s that have been doing the job alot longer than you probably have and concentrate on how you do your own job.If they muck up then that’s their look out not yours.I used to smoke in the cab ( untill last sunday smoking ban) i eat in the cab,i drink in the cab,i’ll turn music up if i like a song,does that make me a bad driver in your eye’s it probably does. get a life man
Theres nothing that gets my back up more than some lunatic who thinks they have the right to tell me what i should and should not do in my own vehicle.
Up your hoop roadhog…
I’ll have a ■■■ when i want one, just the same as i’ll have a mars bar when i want one. I wouldnt put the kettle on at 56 mph but have a ■■■? come on, get real.
You yap on about check load’s tyre’s etc whilst on route to your destination,please explain to us readers how a driver check’s how secure his load is whilst in a sealed curtainsider/container etc.I’m surprised you get your day’s work complete with the amount of checks you do.Do yourself a favour get down of your high horse and stop trying to tell guy’s that have been doing the job alot longer than you probably have and concentrate on how you do your own job.If they muck up then that’s their look out not yours.I used to smoke in the cab ( untill last sunday smoking ban) i eat in the cab,i drink in the cab,i’ll turn music up if i like a song,does that make me a bad driver