This may include a ban on smoking in carsfor the five million people who use their own private cars for work (source: ), or even a totalban on smoking and driving for everyone. Smoking at the wheel was deemed adistraction in the updated Highway Code, and so there is already a case forprosecuting offenders for driving without due care and attention.

Whatever the result, a number of otherrestrictions are already in place governing in-car behaviour, and it pays toknow the rules in order to avoid a fine or a ticking-off from a friendlytraffic police officer.

Seatbelts, for example, must be worn both inthe front and the back, if your car has them. New legislation came into forcein September 2006 covering the use of 'child restraints' - which basicallymeans a child seat or a booster seat.

Child safety

Any child under the age of three must use anappropriate child seat, while children over three must now also use anappropriate child restraint until they either reach their 12th birthday or growto over 4 ft 5in (1.35 metres) tall.

The only exceptions to this, for childrenover three, is in a licensed taxi or private hire vehicle, if the right childrestraint is not available; or for unexpected necessity over a short distance,if the right child restraint is not available; or where two occupied childseats in the rear mean there is no room for a third child seat.

Children under three years may travel in therear of a taxi unrestrained if no child restraint is available, but never in aprivate vehicle.

In addition, a rear-facing baby seat mustnot be fitted into a seat protected by an active frontal airbag.

Another well-publicised driving restrictionwas the law passed in 2003 banning driving and talking on a hand-held mobilephone.

The new regulations apply to the drivers ofall motor vehicles on the road, including motorcycles, goods vehicles, busesand taxis. They also apply to anyone supervising a learner driver, while thelearner driver is driving.

Must be hands-free

The law still allows you to talk on a phoneas long as it can be operated without holding it, using hands-free equipment,for example. Pushing buttons on a phone while it is in a cradle or on thesteering wheel is permitted, although you still risk prosecution for failing tohave proper control of a vehicle under Regulation 104 of the Road Vehicles(Construction and Use) Regulations. If there is an incident, the use of anytype of phone could potentially be used to justify charges of careless ordangerous driving.

The law also requires you to be able to seeclearly, either with or without glasses. Drivers are legally required to beable to read a number plate from a distance of 20.5 metres and to wear anynecessary glasses or contact lenses at all times.

Other in-car activities - such as tuningyour radio, reading a map on your knees while driving, or even talking to and lookingat another passenger - while not specifically banned can be deemed an offenceunder regulations requiring you to drive at all times with due care andattention.

The best advice is to concentrate on yourdriving and not do anything else. If you do this, as well as complying with thelaw, you're less likely to have an accident.

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