Is the UK set to introduce stricter laws on smoking in cars?

Health activists have repeatedly called for a complete ban on smoking while driving, whether children are present or not.

Legislation introduced in 2015 means it is illegal to smoke in a car or other vehicle with anyone under the age of 18 present.

Smoking in work vehicles used by more than one person has also been banned since 2007, when new laws came into force to regulate smoking in “closed workplaces”.

Health and automotive experts are now calling for a complete ban on smoking in vehicles – while closely monitoring the situation. Bill on tobacco and vapingwhich aims to curb tobacco products and vaping among young people and which returned to Parliament this week.

Action on smoking and health (ASH) is a public health charity established by the Royal College of Physicians to advocate for policy measures to reduce the harm of tobacco.

Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, raised the prospect of a total ban on smoking in cars and said: “This is a long-standing call from us.

“We believe that everyone, not just children, should be protected from the harm of second-hand smoke, which is highly concentrated in a car. It is also dangerous for other road users if someone smokes while driving.

“Having a lit cigarette in a car has become normal, but what is normal to have a small fire in your car? It is possible that the bill on tobacco and vaping could be amended in this direction.”

Graham Conway, managing director of Select Car Leasing, says any new rules improving road safety should be welcomed.

He explained: “The debate over smoking in your own private vehicle is an emotional debate and raises questions about individual rights and personal choices.

“But from a safety perspective, we scratch our heads and wonder why there aren’t already restrictions on smoking while driving. For the vast majority of non-smoking motorists, new legislation aimed at combating smoking while driving would be welcome.

“Even beyond any health implications, smoking while driving can create a dangerous distraction while preventing the driver from gripping the wheel and controlling their vehicle. In fact, several studies also found that smoking while driving increases the risk of an accident. It goes without saying that a lit cigarette accidentally falling into the driver’s lap increases this risk exponentially.”

In 2011, the British Medical Association (BMA) called for a total ban on smoking while driving a vehicle, with the “toxic potential of smoke inside cars” being “27 times higher than at home”, he said. However, at the time the Conservative government said it did not believe the legislation was “the most effective way of encouraging people to change their behaviour”.

When contacted for comment by Select Car Leasing this month, the BMA said its position on the matter had not changed, while declining to be quoted on the subject.

The sweeping Tobacco and Vaping Bill aims to prevent the legal sale of cigarettes to the next generation while reducing vaping among young people.

It was originally introduced to the Commons by the previous government in March 2024 and the bill is supported by the current Labor government.

The bill aims to create a “tobacco-free generation” while phasing out the sale of tobacco products across the UK to anyone aged 15 or under, “thereby breaking the cycle of dependence and disadvantage “.

The bill will give the government new powers to extend the indoor smoking ban to specific outdoor spaces – including children’s playgrounds and outside schools and hospitals – while creating vape-free zones.

Advertising and sponsorship of vapes will be limited, while disposable vapes are also expected to be banned from June 1, 2025 under separate environmental legislation.

Smoking kills around 80,000 people a year in the UK and is estimated to cost taxpayers £3.1 billion a year.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Unless we act to help people stay healthy, the growing wave of ill health in our society threatens to overwhelm and endanger bankrupting our NHS. Prevention is better than cure.

“This government is taking bold action to create the first smoke-free generation, tackle young people becoming addicted to nicotine through vaping, and protect children and vulnerable people from the harm of second-hand smoke.

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