Drivers could risk fine 'up to £5k' if passengers do common habit in their car

Drivers could risk fine 'up to £5k' if passengers do common habit in their car Drivers could still be fined - even if they were not caught doing the dangerous act Motorists are being warned they could be hit with hefty fines if vaping inside a car affects their driving. The rules are clear - and even passengers are not exempt from this possible fine risk. Markus Lindblad, head of legal and external affairs at Northerner, said there is no specific UK law that bans vaping in a private vehicle. But motorists can still get into trouble if clouds of vapour or a passenger’s vaping cause a distraction or obscure visibility of the road. If police believe you’re not in proper control or your view is affected, you could be dealt with for driving without due care and attention. That can mean a £100 fixed penalty and three points, or, if it goes to court, in extreme cases, a fine of up to £5,000 and up to nine points. There’s also an important difference with smoking, which is already illegal in a car carrying anyone under 18. In that situation, both the smoker and the driver can be fined £50, because the driver is legally responsible for stopping it. Vaping isn’t covered by the same rules yet — but the UK Government has considered extending similar restrictions, including a potential ban on vaping in vehicles carrying children and in some shared work vehicles, as part of broader plans to limit young people’s exposure to vaping. The proposed plans to ban vaping and heated tobacco products in private vehicles carrying anyone under 18 are part of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. This is currently under review following the end of public consultation in May 2026. The Department of Health and Social Care has said that the government response will be published "in due course". It typically takes the UK government several months to review feedback and publish an official summary response following a major public consultation. Any formal law changes are likely to take effect in 2027 as secondary branches to the main law, which received Royal Assent and became law in April 2026. This landmark legislation grants ministers the overarching legal authority to establish vape-free areas through secondary regulations. The advice for anyone tempted to vape on a journey right now is to wait until you are safely stopped - that goes for passengers as much as drivers. Lindblad also suggested that nicotine pouches could be an alternative that does not create vapour that could distract a driver or affect visibility.