Ground Transport Group - Vaping behind the wheel may soon be banned

Vaping while driving could be banned following calls from motoring groups amid concerns that they impair vision and cause dizziness.

With councils urging the government to act against vapes by 2024, motoring experts at LeaseCar.uk are also calling for an urgent ban on smoking e-cigarette devices when behind the wheel.

As of August 2022, 4.3 million people claimed to vape in Great Britain, the highest rate ever recorded at an 8.3% growth from the previous year.

Disposable vapes came under controversy earlier this year after it was revealed that their nicotine levels were way over the limit, causing supermarkets nationwide to stop selling them.

The legal limit for nicotine in a vape is 2ml, and the maximum nicotine strength should be 2%, but an investigation found many to be over that limit by 50%.

Nicotine has been proven to have abnormal effects on the body, including dizziness, lightheadedness, which can be incredibly dangerous while driving.

In the UK, it is a legal requirement to drive with due care and attention, and the experts at LeaseCar.uk say there is no way people can adhere to this standard of driving while vaping.

Aside from causing drowsiness and dizziness, the devices emit vast clouds of smoke, which restricts vision, making it impossible to be aware of surroundings.

Drivers not in complete control of their vehicle could receive penalties such as an unlimited fine, 9 points and a discretionary disqualification. In extreme cases, if someone is injured or killed due to careless driving, they could be jailed.

In the UK, the only current law around smoking and driving is that it is illegal to smoke with someone under 18, but even this doesn’t apply to vaping.

As more is revealed about the side effects of vaping on health, including lung diseases and organ damage, the experts are calling for an urgent review as to why the dangers are being ignored.

Tim Alcock from LeaseCar.uk said: “It is only a matter of time before we start seeing more fatalities on the road with the current vaping epidemic.

“There has been growing concern over the effects of vaping, but we do know that there are high levels of nicotine in the devices, which is highly concerning from a driving point of view.

“E-cigarettes that contain nicotine cause dizziness and lightheadedness, which is highly dangerous, putting both the driver and other road users at risk.

“It is appalling that drivers are still allowed to vape with children in the car given the immediate dangers on the road and long-term medical side effects which are still being researched.

“Not only that, as people puff at the devices, the vast clouds of smoke create a massive hazard as it blocks and restricts vision.

“We are calling for the government to make urgent changes to current motoring offences and consider just how dangerous vaping at the wheel is.”

https://ash.org.uk/uploads/Use-of-e-cigarettes-vapes-among-adults-in-Great-Britain-2022.pdf?

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https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/240820