In the United Kingdom, it is not illegal to vape while you drive. However, it could be labeled as a distraction much like the law that bans talking on a cell phone while you are driving. It is said to be at the sole discretion of the police officer if a driver is unknowingly being distracted while holding onto a vaping electronic device and/or creating a reduced visibility for themselves.
According to Daily Mail, “Those determined to be distracted by e-cigarettes could be prosecuted for driving without due care and attention, the penalty of which can be disqualification, three to nine points on your licence, or a fine of up to £2,500.”
This distraction comes mainly in the form of the vapor produced while performing the act of vaping. When you are driving and vaping at the same time, without a window rolled down, and you blow vapor directly in front of yourself at the windshield, it could cause a temporary blindness as far as seeing the road ahead of you. I witnessed this first hand. I have done this many times, although most of the time I had a window rolled down. Sometimes I just happened to blow the vapor directly in front of me without thinking twice, and for a good second or two, it’s as if I am almost blinded by the clouds. I quickly noticed at the time that it is totally unsafe and dangerous. What if someone slammed on their breaks in front of me or I miss a red light? These are circumstances that could arise, even in these split seconds. It really is scary to think about. Now, I always make sure I blow the vapor out of my driver side window to avoid decreased visibility.
In most states in the U.S. drivers can be ticketed for having something hanging from their rear view mirror. The reason for the ticket is that it is a distraction for drivers and decreases their visuals of the road. Now, I always thought laws like this are way overblown, especially if it’s just a necklace or rosary beads hanging there. How much of a distraction does that play into? But vapor clouds are different, and really do to a certain extent blind you, even if it’s only for a couple seconds.
We, as vapers, need to be safe out there! We should always keep our window down and blow the vapor directly out so we can see the road. This will prevent any unwanted police cars on our tail and also keep our eyes on the road 100 percent of the time.