Posted on 07/10/2005 7:08:28 AM PDT by elkfersupper
New Jersey Legislator Wants to Ban Smoking in Your Car New Jersey legislator proposes $250 ticket for smoking while driving.
Lighting up while driving would become a crime if legislation proposed by New Jersey Assemblyman John McKeon (D-Essex) makes it into law. Assembly bill 4306 would allow police to issue an extra $250 ticket to a smoking motorist who is pulled over for a primary offense such as speeding. The bill has the heavyweight support of the Assembly's majority leader, Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) and has been referred to the Assembly's Transportation Committee for consideration.
McKeon, a foe of smoking, has also introduced a bill, A1281, that would prohibit tobacco and alcohol advertising within 500 feet of a school.
Legislation to curtail smoking in the Garden State has gained some momentum. In March, a state Senate committee approved a bill by a 7-0 vote that would ban smoking in public places. A similar ban is in effect in neighboring New York City. In England, police enforce a ban on driving with a cell phone, water bottle and other "distractions" with automated long-range cameras able to mail thousands of citations.
Article Excerpt: ASSEMBLY, No. 4306 As introduced. STATE OF NEW JERSEY, 211th LEGISLATURE INTRODUCED JUNE 27, 2005
Sponsored by: Assemblyman JOHN F. MCKEON, District 27 (Essex); Assemblywoman LORETTA WEINBERG, District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS: Prohibits smoking while driving.
An Act prohibiting smoking while driving and supplementing chapter 4 of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Smoking by an operator of a moving motor vehicle on a public road or highway shall be unlawful. For the purposes of this act, "smoking" means the burning of a lighted cigar, cigarette, pipe or any other matter or substance which contains tobacco.
b. Enforcement of this act by State or local law enforcement officers shall be accomplished only as a secondary action when the operator of a motor vehicle has been detained for a violation of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes or another offense.
c. A person who violates this section shall be fined no less than $100 nor more than $250.
d. No motor vehicle points or automobile insurance eligibility points pursuant to section 26 of P.L.1990, c.8 (C.17:33B-14) shall be assessed for this offense.
e. The Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall develop and undertake a program to notify and inform the public as to the provisions of this act.
2. This act supersedes and preempts all ordinances of any county or municipality with regard to smoking by an operator of a motor vehicle.
3. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month after enactment, but the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission may take such anticipatory actions in advance of that date as may be necessary for the timely implementation of this act.
STATEMENT This bill would prohibit smoking while operating a motor vehicle. The bill defines smoking as the burning of a lighted cigar, cigarette, pipe or any other matter or substance which contains tobacco.
Under the bill, enforcement by State or local law enforcement officers would be accomplished only as a secondary action when the driver has been detained for a traffic violation or another offense. The penalties for violating any provisions of this bill range from $100 to $250.
The bill specifies that no motor vehicle points or automobile insurance eligibility points pursuant to section 26 of P.L.1990, c.8 (C.17:33B-14) would be assessed for a violation. The bill would also require the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to develop and undertake a program to notify and inform the public of its provisions.
Letting air out of police car tires might stop them from responding to a crime in progress, or at least what most of us in flyover country would consider a crime.
Really good (protest) civil disobedience renders things ineffective without endangering the average schmuck and without destroying anything. There is always time for things to escalate beyond that.
BTW, I won't be driving in New Jersey any time soon, either, but will make a point of avoiding the place in perpetuity if they pass this little gem.
I am wondering if it is time to move there. Iraq is now more free than the state I live in.
means of getting the camel's nose under the tent
How about just getting the Camel underneath our nose?
So......if it contains pot, am I okay?
That knocked the living tar right out of me.
Never any problems with smoking whatsoever.
Very few outside the U.S. have gotten all snippy about it. Even most of the European airports let you smoke at varying degrees. (So far, in my recent experiences, Amsterdam's the coolest about that...)
"So......if it contains pot, am I okay?"
Pot or crack appear to be OK!! Smoke it if you got it!!
If they really want to do something about bad driving on the roads they should ban cars with Virginia plates!
Like on an airplane...hehehe
Airplanes are close quarters. I can't stand the smell of smoke on my clothes.
BUT this one is ridiculous.
the market for non-tobacco cigarettes is seeing a resurgence because the majority of these statutes specify "tobacco" and refer to "environmental tobacco smoke"........they can't go back and change them without proving they are hypocrites..........by changing it they throw out the window all their BS of protecting non-smokers from the hazards of ETS - they change it, they just prove it is a social engineering action.
I thought I might find you in this thread. You ARE passionate about these types of issues.
Smoking is probably more dangerous than using a cellular phone while in a car. Not a whole lot of people crabbed when certain states or localities invoked no cell phone rules.
If some New Jersey residents with a little free time wanted to put in the effort it might be a fun project to follow these legi-clowns around with video cameras. Are their cars properly licensed; do they obey all traffic laws; do they have clandestine meetings in back alleys taking payoffs. Observe how THEY drive and so forth.
We should ban people who eat or drink in their cars, that is much more distracting and impairing than a cigarette.
Actually, you're right about that. But I do enjoy a good burger now and then. The only thing I have a problem with smokers in their car is when they flick a cigarette butt out the window. I've been hit a couple of times while walking by. BUT my pet peeve is are people using cell phones who don't pay attention to the road. I can't count the number of times I've seen that.
this has nothing to do with road safety and everything to do with revenue and sticking it to smokers
Agreed.
I was going to post that, but thought, "If everyone already knows that they're a bunch of lying crooks, who's gonna notice?"
Anyone caught talking to a passenger or singing to themselves will be arrested on the spot because it's as distracting as talking on a cell phone.
I think statistically you are right. In my personal experience, I have seen people talking on the cell phone not paying attention a LOT. It's only through paying attention that I have avoided some accidents in some cases (both as a pedestrian and as a driver).
That's why I don't give homework on the weekend:).
How about oral sex on a driver? Don't these idiots know that this would be much more of a hazard? Heh!
You really "drove" home that point.
You're too funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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