Smoking while driving remains a legal activity under French law. On the other hand, it is forbidden to smoke in your car in the presence of a minor, under penalty of a fine which can reach 750€ when it is not limited to 135€. Throwing a cigarette out of a car window also entitles you to a fixed fine of €135, which rises to €3,750 when this act causes damage on the public highway. A penalty that does not prevent 25% of French smokers from continuing to throw their cigarettes on the road while driving, according to a study by Vinci Autoroute.
This is why some mayors in France want to go further to put an end to the problem of cigarettes thrown on the roads. Pascal Parmentelat, the mayor of Laveline-du-Houx in the Vosges, asked the deputy who represents him to propose to the assembly a law to ban smoking in the car during the most risky periods of the year. Same thing for the mayor of Langlade in the Gard.
Precedents
Already in 2019, the mayor of Saint-Jean d’Illac in Gironde had published an order prohibiting drivers from smoking in the car in August and September if the vehicle was not equipped with an ashtray. But these orders have a fairly limited scope. Remember that it is estimated that more than 80% of the proportion of fires due to human origin in France. And let’s not forget that according to an English study, smoking in your car considerably lowers its residual value. The loss can exceed 2000€ for a vehicle that smells of tobacco…
