[humyum]

Sorry to hear about this incident.I don't get people when they 'smoke' and drive. Takes away the entire joy of the ciggi in the first place. I mean, you are concentrating on too many things at the same time and not enjoying anyone of them properly. Why not just stop somewhere and enjoy your fag to your hearts content and then continue driving and enjoy that too at its fullest.

[noopster]

I don't allow anyone to smoke in my car; never did it myself even in my smoking days. But it really is a personal preference: if someone wants to poisons themselves driving by all means they are welcome to it (hopefully not their loved ones). The only request I have is to use tha ashtray provided inside and not drop the ash or lighted butts all over the place, especially not out of the window from a moving car. It is annoying, distracting and potentially dangerous. Please have some consideration for other users of the road and for the environment.

[abhishek46]

Hi,

What about spiting paan juice from the bus? That is a total utter shameful act, by misfortune if that falls on the visor of some 2 wheeler guy, then he could be blinded temporariliy, !

[captain.torque]

Originally Posted by Arkin evoisrevo

EDIT: The 7-year old ban on smoking while driving in Delhi is (good) news to me - can Delhi-ite members comment on how effective is its implementation?

As is the case with numerous other traffic rules, no one really follows this here in Delhi. It's a common sight to see people smoking while not only driving cars but two-wheelers as well.

Though, I've kicked the butt and have been nicotine free for a month now . I was never bothered by this rule simply because there was no implementation.

I remember, on numerous occasions, I would come across traffic cops while waiting at a traffic light or driving parallel to a police bike and I would casually puff my cigarette and none of them cared.

So, if you ask me whether the no smoking while driving ban is working in Delhi -- IT ISN'T.

P.S. I had an ashtray in my car

[SnakemanJohny]

Originally Posted by abhishek46

Hi,

What about spiting paan juice from the bus? That is a total utter shameful act, by misfortune if that falls on the visor of some 2 wheeler guy, then he could be blinded temporariliy, !

Back in my 2-wheeler days I used to pass buses with great trepidation, and as far away from the windows as possible -- I was less afraid of being hit by the bus than by its passengers ! But still it happened, about once every year, mostly by pan-spittle, once even by snot ! The last incident, on the way to the office, brought tears to my eyes and murder to my head, once I had reached my destination and stopped to wash off the missile !

Instinctively, the same fear fills me while passing a bus in a car with its windows open !

[ajay4060]

I Quit smoking 1 and ½ years back; but I admit nicotine cravings can’t be avoided while driving. During driving I used to have maximum Cigarettes.

Other than the damage mentioned above few other potential dangers which one can come across-
- Cigarette Butt Flies back into the car while trying to throw out of the window while driving.
When it happened to me; I suddenly applied brakes without even looking in my rear mirror, thankfully nobody was behind me. When I stopped and tried to trace the Cigarette butt; I found it on rear Seat Carpet.

- Many times while smoking the burning Tobacco falls while trying to shed off the ash (Quality Problem in Cigarettes).
If this happens inside the car, I am sure one will end up in taking a decision without thinking.
Once this hot burning Tobacco landed on my lap while driving and I was in middle of Traffic. Thankfully this time also I was safe other than a hole in my trouser.

Few advices to drivers who smoke inside the car
1. Please avoid smoking inside the car as far as possible.
2. Use a bigger size ash tray if you can’t avoid smoking inside the car.
3. Place this ashtray in a convenient easy to reach location.
4. Never throw the Ash outside including Butts while Driving.

We have all the good rules in our rule book to ensure and boost safe Driving practices.
Once a traffic constable caught me red handed; he started giving me lectures on smoking and driving; later released me after taking 5 cigarettes. All he wanted was cigarettes.
Smoking while Driving Ban is not working anywhere in India. Hope someday Supreme Court will take a strict decision after seeing the potential damage it can cause.

Originally Posted by captain.torque

As is the case with numerous other traffic rules, no one really follows this here in Delhi. It's a common sight to see people smoking while not only driving cars but two-wheelers as well.

Though, I've kicked the butt and have been nicotine free for a month now . I was never bothered by this rule simply because there was no implementation.

I remember, on numerous occasions, I would come across traffic cops while waiting at a traffic light or driving parallel to a police bike and I would casually puff my cigarette and none of them cared.

So, if you ask me whether the no smoking while driving ban is working in Delhi -- IT ISN'T.

P.S. I had an ashtray in my car

[avdhesh15]

pathetic. i remember an incident (not with me). on a signal, a smoker flicked his cigarette and it flew inside the adjoining car's bonnet! thankfully nothing happened but the scene was worth having a look at. the smoker literally had to touch the other person's feet. the funniest part was that the smoker was also chewing gutka and spat it on the road so that he could talk! funny incident as nothing happened... could have been disastrous.

[phamilyman]

Originally Posted by ashwin.terminat

Smoking is something we all see in India. What we also see is a lot of people smoking in cars and callously dumping the ash out of their vehicles. They even do so when the vehicle is moving!

The ash that is thrown out is quite capable of causing burns as it is light and can easily be carried by the wind. As these will further elaborate:


"Hot cigarette ash flying into the eye may cause a corneal abrasion."
- Source

"A hot ash from hubby's cigarette blew back (in wind) and went right in my eye. Well, just like anything else blowing in eye, I flinched and blinked and blinked to get the ash out.
Well, um, I'm concerned because my vision is messed up.
I see shadows all around anything I focus in on (to right and left...especially light) and it feels like there's a film fogging my eye.It's about two hours later and my vision in that eye has improved by about 50%. The "film" has lifted about 25-50%"
- Source

I am completely lost here (bold emphasis by me). Flicking ash out of a car is unlikely to cause any hurt to any one on the road, unless your car's stationary and you flick the ash in their face.

The writeup on corneal abrasion sounds like something that can happen to co-passengers if one smokes while driving. Smoking with co-passengers in the car is anyways a bad idea, corneal abrasion notwithstanding - most BHPians would anyways agree to that.

Could you be more specific in your writeup? What's the point of the thread really?

EDIT: I agree with the points raised by Ajay here which correctly capture the dangers of smoking while driving (which isnt what you started the thread as!!):

Originally Posted by ajay4060

I Quit smoking 1 and ½ years back; but I admit nicotine cravings can’t be avoided while driving. During driving I used to have maximum Cigarettes.

Other than the damage mentioned above few other potential dangers which one can come across-
- Cigarette Butt Flies back into the car while trying to throw out of the window while driving.
When it happened to me; I suddenly applied brakes without even looking in my rear mirror, thankfully nobody was behind me. When I stopped and tried to trace the Cigarette butt; I found it on rear Seat Carpet.

- Many times while smoking the burning Tobacco falls while trying to shed off the ash (Quality Problem in Cigarettes).
If this happens inside the car, I am sure one will end up in taking a decision without thinking.
Once this hot burning Tobacco landed on my lap while driving and I was in middle of Traffic. Thankfully this time also I was safe other than a hole in my trouser.

Few advices to drivers who smoke inside the car
1. Please avoid smoking inside the car as far as possible.
2. Use a bigger size ash tray if you can’t avoid smoking inside the car.
3. Place this ashtray in a convenient easy to reach location.
4. Never throw the Ash outside including Butts while Driving.

[fine69]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

I am completely lost here (bold emphasis by me). Flicking ash out of a car is unlikely to cause any hurt to any one on the road, unless your car's stationary and you flick the ash in their face.

While the car driver throws the cigarette butt down but there's a chance the wind carries it up and it goes in the face on another rider or pillion. I'm assuming ash would still be hot enough to cause damage.

And I think it doesn't make sense to throw anything out of one's car on the road, however small or big.

[phamilyman]

Originally Posted by fine69

While the car driver throws the cigarette butt down but there's a chance the wind carries it up and it goes in the face on another rider or pillion. I'm assuming ash would still be hot enough to cause damage.

And I think it doesn't make sense to throw anything out of one's car on the road, however small or big.

Sir - the probability of a cigarette thrown by one rider or driver hitting another person following them is statistically very very low. Hence my skepticism about this thread.

Like I said, smoking with other co-passengers or with a pillion behind you (as you suggest) is anyways a terrible idea - but we've already known that, before this thread, no? What's really the point?!

[samabhi]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

Sir - the probability of a cigarette thrown by one rider or driver hitting another person following them is statistically very very low. Hence my skepticism about this thread.

Like I said, smoking with other co-passengers or with a pillion behind you (as you suggest) is anyways a terrible idea - but we've already known that, before this thread, no? What's really the point?!

Just when I was returning back home from office last evening along with my wife in Bangalore's bumper to bumper peak traffic, we noticed a driver in a Figo with the window roled down completely, has his cigarette outside the window with his hand completely out of the car. He was not smoking either, but just holding the cigarette in his hand outside the car. The wind was heavy too at that time.

No it didnt cause any discomfort to anyone, neither to anyone on the two wheelers, nor to me since I rolled up my windows immediately.

But the sight of it caused a lot of discomfort to me. What IF a spark with the cigarette (its not even the ash) and with heavy breeze just lands at the wrong place with so many vehicles so close by and for many waiting in the open busstop?

The intention of the thread can probably be attributed to very few cases (I agree that in majority of the cases it wouldn't cause such heavy damage), but looking at our regular road manners its more apt that in all reality, even throwing ash out of the car is not acceptable at all and I find it highly disgusting.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

- the probability of a cigarette thrown by one rider or driver hitting another person following them is statistically very very low. Hence my skepticism about this thread.

When a smoker flicks ash out of the window, the possibility of it getting into the eyes of someone riding behind the car without a face-covered helmet is pretty high. Especially in city roads with packed traffic. The ash flies backward at hi-speed aided by the wind. As others pointed out, smoking while driving is not 'pleasurable' and thus I don't usually do it. But in the rare cases I have done, I always look in the mirrors for any visor-less riders behind me before flicking the ash.

[bullboy]

Apart from this I also feel the windshield washing by vehicle can cause problems to two wheelers behind. Usually there will be chemical which irrirtates eye, not sure how harmful they are.

[Octane_Power]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

Sir - the probability of a cigarette thrown by one rider or driver hitting another person following them is statistically very very low. Hence my skepticism about this thread.

Like I said, smoking with other co-passengers or with a pillion behind you (as you suggest) is anyways a terrible idea - but we've already known that, before this thread, no? What's really the point?!

Hello Sir, with all due respect, if we calculate probabilities then everything seems to be safe to our logical mind atleast. Ok, now since you workout, let us take an example related to it. What is the probability of a guy doing dumbbell curls dropping the dumbbells on your feet when you pass by him?

Quite less isn't it? But still you'd be wary of him, wouldn't you? Same way, even though here the probability is less, IF it occurs then the damage is quite severe and that 1 small incidence is enough to spoil one's life (causing irreparable damage to the eye).

My tone isn't harsh, its just that one such accident is enough to spoil your entire life.

-Bhargav

[phamilyman]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

When a smoker flicks ash out of the window, the possibility of it getting into the eyes of someone riding behind the car without a face-covered helmet is pretty high. Especially in city roads with packed traffic. The ash flies backward at hi-speed aided by the wind. As others pointed out, smoking while driving is not 'pleasurable' and thus I don't usually do it. But in the rare cases I have done, I always look in the mirrors for any visor-less riders behind me before flicking the ash.

Interesting - I've never had such issues in my riding days. Of course, considerate drivers like you are rare. When I used to commute in delhi regularly (~6 years back) on bike, I would regularly see some cab guy open his door to spit out the pan, not bothering to see whether someone is about to overtake him. Or at night (esp nights that India would win a cricket match) you'd see some jerk occasionally toss a beer bottle / food packet out of their car on the road itself.

Originally Posted by SnakemanJohny

Back in my 2-wheeler days I used to pass buses with great trepidation, and as far away from the windows as possible -- I was less afraid of being hit by the bus than by its passengers ! But still it happened, about once every year, mostly by pan-spittle, once even by snot ! The last incident, on the way to the office, brought tears to my eyes and murder to my head, once I had reached my destination and stopped to wash off the missile !

Instinctively, the same fear fills me while passing a bus in a car with its windows open !

Yes - and there's puke in the hills! I feel like Neo when riding to dodge a puke spray!

Originally Posted by abhishek46

Hi,

What about spiting paan juice from the bus? That is a total utter shameful act, by misfortune if that falls on the visor of some 2 wheeler guy, then he could be blinded temporariliy, !

Agree fully - except it doesn't blind you. Multiple experiences! But washing the clothes is painful.

Originally Posted by Octane_Power

Hello Sir, with all due respect, if we calculate probabilities then everything seems to be safe to our logical mind atleast. Ok, now since you workout, let us take an example related to it. What is the probability of a guy doing dumbbell curls dropping the dumbbells on your feet when you pass by him?

Quite less isn't it? But still you'd be wary of him, wouldn't you? Same way, even though here the probability is less, IF it occurs then the damage is quite severe and that 1 small incidence is enough to spoil one's life (causing irreparable damage to the eye).

My tone isn't harsh, its just that one such accident is enough to spoil your entire life.

-Bhargav

Agree with your concern.

My point is that we cannot take any concern and flag it as a big danger and burden our minds with it, without understanding the nature of the underlying risk. To my mind the risks highlighted by other folks (pan / spit / snot / food wrappers / soft drink / beer bottles) are much more realistic issues than this.

If you feel comfortable worrying about every risk no matter how improbable, and that works for you, then that's good for you! Not me.