No smoking in cars carrying children: Big Brother or good idea

At 4-foot-9, you are talking about a booster seat, which in many cases is keeping the shoulder strap from choking a child.

I can see an argument about when it stops, but this type of law makes perfect sense regarding infants and toddlers.

Sorry, as much as a parent may love holding their babies, they need to be in a proper baby seat, not mommy's arms, in a moving vehicle.

 

"It's another way to tax drivers by fining them for doing something that isn't illegal. "


It could possibly expand the powers of police in vehicle stops and searches as in:

Officer: Ma'am, I smell cigerette smoke, do you mind stepping out of the car?"

 

A few weeks ago, I remember listening to one talk show host (I think it was Rush Limbaugh, but I'm not sure) waxing nostalgic about the days when babies weren't required to be strapped into car seats and he said something to the effect of when you got into an accident, the baby died. It was no big deal and we were all better and tougher for it.

 

Sounds like something Limbaugh would be obnoxious enough to say.

 

As long as the babies were killed and didn't become disabled...that would take money out of the public coffers for war and corporate handouts.

 

I get the privacy and limits on government involvement arguments. I really do. The conflict comes where those clash with the public health angle. And it's a pretty significant clash. Here's my take: When someone smokes with a child in the car, they are a.) exposing the child to long-term health issues and b.) exposing everyone else to the costs of the child's future health care. With its state-run health system, Canada seems more susceptible to this than does the U.S.

Personally. I'm really pissed if I have to pay for the actions of someone I never met and I had no say-so in the actions that generated those bills. So I'd fall on the side of regulation.

 

I'd side against the regulation, albeit reluctantly. I certainly understand the rationale behind it, but my civil libertarian side won't quite ok the notion.

 

WI, I have to ask this, and this as a serious, not snarky, question.

What part of your civil liberties are being attached or eroded by a law like this?

I'm a little puzzled.

My main problem with laws like this is enforcement.

 

Frankly, I don't trust the police not to abuse such a law. If you put your hand to your face, move your right arm off the wheel or turn to the right while driving, that could give a cop an excuse to say you looked like you might be smoking, even if you weren't. Yet another excuse to pull people over. I'm lucky in that as a white guy with short hair in a modest but nice car, I fly under the radar. But I know that all kinds of profiling- racial, economic class and otherwise- occurs, and I'm wary of giving the police one more way to fuck with people.

 

I don't care if politicians are lying when they say it's about the children. If I see a proposed law like this one that will actually benefit children, I'm for it.
Nobody is saying you can't ever smoke in your car. They are saying you can't do so when kids are present.
How is this different from saying you can't speed, or you can't drink and drive, or you must wear your seatbelt?

 

Babies and toddlers? Well ... no shit.

But 4-foot-9? That's what I meant by going too far.