The safest way to drive while vaping is likely to not vape while you drive. Distractions can be hazardous not only to yourself and your passengers but those who you share the road with. While it’s likely less safe to vape while you drive than it is to not vape while you drive and instead concentrate on the road and your surroundings while ensuring that your attention is devoted entirely to driving safely, this is not to say that it’s illegal to vape while you drive — then again, maybe it is. Let’s explore this topic and the legalities surrounding it together.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for general informational purposes only and should under no circumstances be misconstrued as legal advice. For legal advice, please consult a licensed attorney.
Vaping While Driving, Is It Legal?
At the time of writing, we are not aware of any laws that specifically prohibit the use of an e-cigarette while driving. But don’t let this fool you because there are laws that relate to vaping while driving, such as those that prohibit the use of e-cigarettes in vehicles when minors are present and those that prohibit distracted driving. As vaping laws are far from uniform worldwide, you will need to check the laws in your area or any areas where you expect to travel while driving in order to determine what exactly is legal and what is not.
As for distracted driving, such laws are sometimes loosely written, so to say. This means that using a vape while you drive may be cause for a law enforcement officer to throw on their lights and pull you over. Would they be justified in doing so? Possibly. In the United Kingdom, using a handheld device while driving is prohibited and an e-cigarette is technically a handheld device.
You’ve probably seen someone vaping while driving before and there’s no question that it does happen. There are lots of vapers who choose to use their vaping devices while they’re behind the wheel and on the road but that doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily okay. Let’s take a look at a situation where it might be okay to vape and drive.
When It’s Not Okay To Vape And Drive
Cloud chasers blow huge clouds of vapor and these clouds can quickly fill a vehicle. If there aren’t any windows open then that vapor cloud might create a haze in the car, obstructing the vision of the vehicle’s operator. If a cop saw a car filled with vapor, what do you think would happen? Would they pull the car over and cite the driver for distracted driving? While we can’t answer these questions definitively, what we can say is that there are likely right ways and wrong ways to vape while you drive in situations where it is legal to do so.
How To Vape While You Drive
If you are going to be using a vape while you’re driving around, you might want to open at least one window to let the vapor out of your car as you exhale it. You also want to remember that as a vaper there are plenty of people in the world that would rather not inhale your secondhand vapor, so make sure you’re aware of your surroundings and avoid vaping your e-cig in situations where there are other people around you that it might bother. As an example, you might find yourself in a drive-thru ordering food and think it’s a good time to puff on your vape. Is it? Maybe, but if we had to guess then we would say probably not. There might be a car behind you or in front of you with its windows open and your vapor might come into their car. It’s best to be polite about your e-cigarette use and always ensure that you are considerate of others regardless of whether or not you know them or think you’ll ever see them again.
You also want to remember that you should avoid being distracted if at all possible. If your tank is empty and needs a refill, the time to do it is NOT while you’re driving. Instead of attempting to refill your vape tank while you’re on the road, first pull over somewhere safe and place your vehicle in park. Once you have managed to safely maneuver off the road and park your car, only then should you be doing anything as distracting as refilling your vape with fresh e-liquid.
Can Vaping In Your Car Ruin The Interior?
Apparently, some people believe that vaping in a car leaves behind a residue that builds up on surfaces. Is it true? Possibly! Can it cause real damage? We doubt it. In fact, you probably won’t notice that someone vapes in their car unless they’re actively doing it because the smell of vapor goes away fast.
With tobacco smoke, the smell does not go away fast. It lingers for long periods of time. It can be so bad that it reduces the value of a vehicle.
As for vaping in the car, if there is a film or residue on surfaces such as windows, the obvious solution is to wipe away the residue with a clean microfiber cloth. You may also want to use glass cleaner if it’s a window or some other cleaning product depending on what part of the interior you’re cleaning.
Some vapers claim that all you have to do to avoid any leftover residue in the car is leave a window open while you vape. We’ve made no real attempt to test this hypothesis so take from it what you will.
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