Autoblog

Four U.S. states, one Canadian province and one territory have already banned smoking in your car when children are present. Next up to potentially adopt the legislation is Ontario, Canada. A bill has been introduced into parliament that would fine anyone smoking in a car when someone under the age of 16 is also in the car.

The bill makes no exceptions for, well, anything. It doesn't matter if the car is stopped or moving, if all the windows are down and the sunroof open, or whether the smoker is driver or passenger. Smoke inside a motorized vehicle with a "child," and it'll cost you $250 Canadian.

While we don't argue with the supposed spirit of the law -- protecting children from the ill health effects of smoke -- we do wonder about the relevant age. Sixteen years old seems kind of long in the tooth to be classified as a "child," while 17-year-olds are suddenly adults who can handle it. There would also seem to be more dangerous things out there than traces of smoke at 55-MPH with the windows down, but it is Canada after all, so maybe not.

Thanks for the tip, Rodstar!

[Source: Canadian Driver]

As one smoker said at the Detroit Auto Show, "Do you know what smokers have to go through today just to smoke? It's like they're trying to erase us from history." More and more carmakers are making it harder to smoke in one's own vehicle by replacing lighters and ashtrays with storage spaces and power outlets.

The trend is driven by "pressure from anti-smoking groups, fewer smokers and the need for the extra storage space." According to the United Health Foundation, about 20.8% of the population smokes, which means about 60 million people. According to Apple, 100 million people have bought iPods. Add that to the 4 million iPhones sold, and the untold millions of Blackberrys, Palms, Razrs and what have you, and it's easy to see that people who need juice on-the-go well outnumber people who need a puff on-the-go.

Not that we're advocating the rarity of ashtrays. While a company like Chrysler hasn't put ashtrays and the like in its cars since 1996, automakers more likely to have humidor-owning customers, like Rolls-Royce, still include places to properly dispose of cigar ash -- and they're beautiful to behold as well. If anything, we do think it a bit unfair that some carmakers make you pay for your smoking gear, from $15 to $100 for a "smokers group" option. That just ain't right, since, like Vegas, what happens in your car, stays in your car...

[Source: Detroit News]

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]

Senators in California are close to passing a bill that would prohibit smoking in vehicles carrying children who are required by law to ride in a child seat. The bill proposed by Assemblyman Paul Koretz (D-West Hollywood) recently received a 23-14 vote that sent it back to the Assembly, and with our underdeveloped comprehension of state politics we can't really tell you how close that means the bill is to landing on the Governator's desk, but we think it's pretty close. And to think I was freaked out when I last visited California because I couldn't light up in a bowling alley. A bowling alley!

Proponents argue that the bill is an attempt to "protect the health of children who cannot protect themselves." We'll let that one go because we're sure you'll pick it up in the comments, but we will point out something else from the linked article, which is that on the same day the smoking ban was approved the California Senate shot down an alternative fuel bill. This bill would require that at least half of the vehicles sold in California be classified as clean-running alternative vehicles by 2020.

Why bring up both bills? Well, because it seems like the smoking ban bill is something that can be easily passed and forgotten about until election time, whereas the alternative fuel bill, which would join a host of other strict California emissions laws, would be a logistical nightmare. It would no doubt infuriate the auto industry to no end, which does still have some political clout in this country, as we're sure it's getting tired of the Golden State single-handedly setting this nation's environmental policy when it comes to autos.

Thanks for tip, James!

[Source: Mercury News]