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Mother <"@ {mother} @"@101fc.net> wrote:
> A EU funded 'focus group' (sic) made a recommendation that the EU
> introduce legislation to ban vehicle manufacturers from including an
> ashtray in the design of new cars, as it may encourage drivers to
> smoke.
>
Chrysler made a bit fuss about an ashtray-less car a couple of years
ago. The current model has an ashtray. As an aside, working for a car
maker I expressed a little surprise that the new car (luxury jobbie)
had positioning of teh ashtray as quite such an important design
issue (I got involved being a smoker). The reply from the marketing
types was that quite a lot of wealthy types enjoy a cigar in he car,
though they would swear blind they were non-smokers. Obvioulsy
this was US market - Europeans (excluding the Commosioners) are far
more tollerant.
> They concluded that smoking whilst driving was dangerous, furthermore,
> it posed a health risk to the driver and potentially, via passive
> smoking, any passenger(s). They queried whether they (the EU) could
> later face actions and claims for illness or injury as a consequence
> of not implementing such a strategy.
>
Seeing as nitcotine is a stimulant, that's always puzzled me - a smoker
is far more alert than a driver who has not had a stimulant (Dr. Magnus
Pike got into trouble for pointing this out on the TV).
> Thankfully someone saw sense before this went any further. Sadly the
> focus group were not summarily executed and are now looking at banning
> pointed kitchen knives.
Perhaps they should view old editions on Blue Peter....... anyone
who gets that is showing their age!
>
> This, at the time when the EU say that they intend to simplify
> legislation and make it more understandable!
>
>
The sad thing is that a lot of the *really* silly laws don't come
out of the EU - they are home-grown and everyone assumes they are
from the EU.
Richard
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