Filed under: Etc.
No smoking for you! Germany may ban smoking in cars
Even though the majority of European Union nations have cracked down on smoking in public places, in Germany you can still smoke inside restaurants and bars. However, one place where smoking rules may change in Germany is inside your own car. German officials are currently studying whether it would be possible to restrict automotive smoking to curb the danger of second hand smoke, which is amplified inside the tight confines of an automobile. Besides second hand smoke for passengers, smoking in the car may also prove to be a distraction that can lead to traffic-safety issues as well. While a ban on smoking inside your own car may seem like a gross invasion of personal rights, any place where freeways are sometimes without speed limits could do with as few distractions as possible.
[Source: Drive.com]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Avinash machado 9:48AM (2/20/2007)
I think that is a good idea.
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Guenther 9:55AM (2/20/2007)
Funny- emissions requirements are way less restrictive, yet she feels that smoking in the car needs to be banned for health reasons... I can understand not smoking in the car with your kids (or in front of your kids, for that matter), but this is rediculous. Not to mention that ventilation in a car can be 100 times better than in a german bar/restaurant, with their lack of forced air heating/cooling.
Is smoking part of distracted driving? certainly. But so is changing stations on the radio and having a conversation on the hands-free phone. Perhaps they need a "distracted driving surcharge" on a ticketable moving violation.
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akintz 10:03AM (2/20/2007)
If they're trying to play the "second hand smoke" angle and still allow smoking in public places, that's just stupid.
They'd be better off to spin it as a distraction and "find" some data that relates accidents to people smoking. And then mention the second hand smoke problem as a secondary benefit.
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Peter 10:27AM (2/20/2007)
One single MP trying to get headlines, wouldn't read to much into it...
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Dan from Delaware 10:30AM (2/20/2007)
I for one welcome our new nanny overlords.
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Bob 10:50AM (2/20/2007)
God bless America.
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gino 10:53AM (2/20/2007)
Chermans are shmarten. Keep smoking in bars and restaurants, but not in your car.
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Gardiner Westbound 11:07AM (2/20/2007)
I'd rather the eco-nazis ban farting or wearing strong perfume in cars.
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jg 11:13AM (2/20/2007)
' I for one welcome our new nanny overlords.'
ROTFL
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mike 11:14AM (2/20/2007)
Bob, I think you mean "God Bless America, except California." Don't, or didn't they pass a law like this too?
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epp_b 11:35AM (2/20/2007)
If they're trying to play the "second hand smoke" angle and still allow smoking in public places, that's just stupid.
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Oh, so you think that everyone who *doesn't* smoke deserves to be poisoned? Nice.
If you want to poison yourself, that's your own business and I have no right to stop you from doing it. But *you* have NO right to poison someone else, even in your own car.
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DJ 11:35AM (2/20/2007)
Before you get too 'god bless America', this type of ban already exists or is about to in the US as well...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8697348/
http://bangordailynews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=144999&zoneid=500
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moogy 11:40AM (2/20/2007)
Well in Canada they are thinking of passing a law to make it illegal to smoke in a car if you have a child under 18 in the car.
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Ben 11:50AM (2/20/2007)
Why don't they just ban the production of cigarettes worldwide if it's such a danger to the public?
Governments' priorities are misplaced.
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WolfgangNC 12:05PM (2/20/2007)
Socialism at its finest
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Carlos 12:20PM (2/20/2007)
I don't like restrictions like these (in private spaces), especially for health reasons.
BUT, smokers have proven themselves to be the absolute worst road litterbugs in the world, so no sympathy from me. Honestly, that's my only problem with them and it's a big one.
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mehugtree 12:24PM (2/20/2007)
I agree Carlos.
Smokers just can't seem to manage keeping their butts in their own cars, which again shows their utter lack of respect for anyone but themselves.
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carlos 12:34PM (2/20/2007)
Don't they have enough laws already?
When will these people retaliate?
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ed 12:36PM (2/20/2007)
If you put the window down an inch, every trace of smoke and smell is sucked outside. so that's not an issue. Is it a distraction? No more than talking.
This proposal can't be taken seriously. It must be considered a tyrannical harrassment of smokers, but fortunately it's unenforceable. It's easy enough to keep an eye out for the cops.
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JC3 12:38PM (2/20/2007)
a law against pumping cancer fumes into public places makes sense.The fact that it hasn't been implemented yet because someone enjoys it doesn't.
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