Vaping drivers warned of £5,000 fine if they ignore traffic rule

Drivers in the UK have been warned they could face a shocking £5,000 fine as well as several points on their licence for a common habit. Anyone caught vaping while driving could be in breach of the Road Traffic Act and punished accordingly.

While vaping and driving is not illegal it can result in disciplinary action if it is found to “significantly” impair the driver’s visibility. The Surrey and Sussex Roads Policing Unit, explained that the smoke emitted by e-cigarettes is a potential distraction that can have “dire” consequences.

Speaking to GB News, the police unit warned: “All it takes is a moment to become distracted and potentially cause a crash or, even worse, a fatality. There are no laws prohibiting vaping. However, you need to be in full and proper control of your vehicle at all times.

“Firstly, any person who is distracted in any way could be guilty of an offence – whether that be smoking, vaping, eating, etc. In investigations that we conduct, any distraction would need to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.”

According to section three of the Road Traffic Act, if a person drives a vehicle on a road or other public place without “due care and attention”, or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road or place, they are guilty of an offence. Anything that obscures a driver's vision, including vape or cigarette smoke, can therefore lead to them being prosecuted.

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Offences for distracted driving may lead to a £5,000 fine and three to nine points on their licence. Under the act, the Met Police lists other examples of careless driving as:

• Overtaking on the inside

• Driving too close to another vehicle

• Driving through a red light by mistake

• Turning into the path of another vehicle

• The driver being avoidably distracted, such as by tuning the radio or lighting a cigarette

• Flashing lights to force other drivers to give way

• Misusing lanes to gain advantage over other drivers

• Unnecessarily staying in an overtaking lane

• Unnecessarily slow driving or braking

• Dazzling other drivers with un-dipped headlights.

Other distractions also considered dangerous driving include being distracted by:

• Using a hand-held phone or other equipment

• Reading, or looking at a map

• Talking to and looking at a passenger

• Lighting a cigarette, selecting music, tuning the radio.

If you fail to inform the DVLA of any medical conditions you have that could also impair your driving you could be at risk of a fine or losing your licence.