The Skoda Octavia is an excellent car that is equally at home driving around the city our out on the open highway. However, there is some confusion amongst drivers regarding activities that can be performed whilst driving our cars. Specifically, we are talking about smoking in your can and/or driving while engaging in this activity. In this article, we will examine this subject in greater detail and try to clear things up.
Is Driving and Smoking at the Same Time Legal?
The short answer here is yes. However, things are not as
clear cut as this would suggest. It is not illegal to drive and smoke at the
same time, but it is illegal to smoke cigarettes in your car if there are
minors present. This is not surprising because smoking has become a real hot
button topic for health campaigners and law makers in recent years. There are
other factors that should be considered if you want to smoke in your car. The
restricted age limits and the exact penalties for smoking in a vehicle with a
minor can vary a great deal depending upon which state or territory you’re in
at the time.
The Law in Western Australia
Let’s take a look at the regulations in our state of Western
Australia and the penalties given to those that fall foul of the law. This
information can be found with much more detail than we can cover here on the WA
Health Page that covers smoke free vehicles. Here in WA, it’s illegal to smoke
if there are any children under the age of 17 in the car with you at the same
time. If you’re caught by the Police, you could be looking at a $200 fine if
you don't contest it. However, if the case goes to court a fine of up to and
including $1000 could be the price that you have to pay for that quick
cigarette.
Other State Rules and Penalties
We cannot cover every state and territory, but to show how
different things can be let’s take a look at our neighbour South Australia. On
the SA Health page, there is an entire page dedicated to smoking in the car,
and it’s illegal to do this with any passenger that is under the age of 16.
This legislation affects anyone smoking in the vehicle, and it doesn’t matter
if the car is parked or in motion at the time of the offence.
If
you’re looking for a Skoda Octavia for sale, get in touch with us here at Skoda
Perth. We have a large selection of new, ex demo and pre-owned cars available
including the latest Skoda Octavia for sale. We would love to invite you to
join us for a no obligation test drive at your earliest convenience, and you
can try out the Octavia for yourself. If you need to finance your car purchase,
we offer competitive rates, and the repayments will be structured to suit your
circumstances. Our sales team is here to advise you on our latest hot deals,
and they will be happy to answer any other questions that you may have.
