Do you smoke while carrying children in your car? It will soon be illegal

Smoking in private vehicles when someone under 18 is present will be illegal in England and Wales from 1 October 2015.

The law will apply to every driver, including those aged 17 and those with a provisional driving licence.

Road safety and breakdown cover specialist GEM Motoring Assist recently offered its full support for the forthcoming ban.

GEM chief executive David Williams MBE commented: “We welcome the ban, which we believe offers an important step in protecting the health of children. Smoking in cars is particularly bad for children, who cannot escape the poisonous fumes that have been linked to so many health issues and infections.

“We hope the arrival of this new law will give smokers a new incentive to improve their own health as well as that of young people who may travel with them.

“We see this as a great opportunity for all drivers to implement wider safety checks and ensure the risks their children face on road journeys are as low as possible. So as well as ensuring all children now travel in a smoke-free car, we encourage parents and carers to ensure that seat belts are always used – by every occupant on every journey – and that any child safety restraints in use are in good working condition and comply with the law.â€