Motorists are being warned that they could be handed hefty fines of up to £2,000 just for vaping inside their vehicles.
It may not be a law that’s on everyone’s radar, but the International Drivers Association is warning motorists that when it comes to driving, “visibility is everything”, and a clear and unobstructed view of the road is a “fundamental requirement” for safety.
Understandably, vaping has a bit of an impact on this, as when you exhale the vapour from e-cigarettes inside your car, it can create a dense and cloudy atmosphere that goes on to “significantly reduce visibility”.
This temporary impairment of vision can be enough to obscure some crucial details of the road, which, as you can imagine, could lead to dangerous situations, accidents, or even fatalities.
With the popularity of vaping and e-cigarettes soaring, the industry body wants to make drivers aware that if their vaping habits reduces their visibility, this therefore inadvertently means they’re breaking the law, and could potentially lead to fines of hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds.
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Motorists warned they could get £2,000 fines for vaping in the car / Credit: Rawpixel
Here in the UK, the Highway Code states that anything that significantly reduces a driver’s visibility can be considered a ‘driving offence’.
Basically, the same laws that penalise drivers for having a windscreen or their windows obscured by dirt or snow, for instance – Section 41D of the Road Traffic Act 1988, to be exact – can be applied to those whose view is obstructed by vape smoke, and that carries a fine that can go up to a £1,000.
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But, should an accident occur as a result of this impaired visibility, then this can be considered as ‘careless driving,’ which comes with even more serious consequences – including larger fines of up to £2,000, higher insurance premiums, or even a driving ban.
So is it any wonder why motorists are being advised that not vaping while behind the wheel is the “simplest and most effective” way to ensuring they avoid any potential fines or consequences, and ultimately, keep everyone safe? consider the following recommendations.
It’s probably just not worth it, let’s be honest.
Featured Image – Flickr
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UK’s most popular commuter towns named and four are in Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
The UK’s most popular commuter towns have been named, and four of them are here in Greater Manchester.
Where are the most popular commuter towns in the UK right now?
Well, new data collated based on the number of people enquiring about available properties on Rightmove has revealed the locations where buyer demand is highest, and with Manchester being one of the largest cities in the country, of course there’s some Greater Manchester towns on the list.
Rightmove says that choosing the best commuter town requires buyers to balance a number of factors – including property prices, travel times, and local lifestyle
To narrow it down, the property platform has chosen to focus on commuter towns within a 45-minute rail journey to the target city, and with at least 20,000 people living there.
For Manchester, it’s Stockport that’s taken the title as the city’s most popular commuter town, as amazinly, it generated 70% more enquiries per listing than Manchester itself.
The UK’s most popular commuter towns have been named / Credit: James Feaver (via Unsplash) | Manchester City Council
Being just an eight-minute journey from Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport has an average property price of £308,299.
Elsewhere in Greater Manchester, the picturesque Stockport town of Marple takes second spot on the list, while the Tameside town of Stalybridge comes in third place, and Rochdale also features in the top five, alongside Warrington – which is just outside of our region’s borders, but is only a short 22-minute train journey into the city centre.
Transport options is obviously one of the most important factors in what makes a town a so-called ‘commuter town’.
Stockport benefits from around six fast trains per hour, while Stalybridge and Rochdale offer four per hour. Marple is less frequent at two per hour but still attracts strong interest, likely due to its lifestyle appeal and stunning setting on the edge of the Peak District.
Price growth has been strong across most of the Manchester commuter towns, with Stalybridge (+6.1%) and Rochdale (+5.8%) seeing notable increases year-on-year.
However, average prices for four out of the five commuter locations on the list were higher than the average Manchester property price (£261,891), suggesting that lifestyle factors were a stronger draw for Manchester’s surrounding towns.
Featured Image – Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
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Noah Kahan begs fans to ‘just go to the bathroom’ ahead of Manchester shows
Daisy Jackson
Noah Kahan has had to issue a bizarre warning on concert etiquette ahead of his UK tour, after a fan apparently defecated on the floor at his show.
The Stick Season singer-songwriter, who will headline two massive gigs in Manchester this year, has begged his fans to ‘just go to the bathroom lmao’.
He’s had to speak out after videos circulated online that appeared to show human faeces beneath a chair and in the walkway at one of his US gigs.
According to witnesses at his Philadelphia show, one concert-goer relieved themselves onto the floor, then tried to kick the faeces under the seat in front.
Noah Kahan has now released a statement online that says: “If you have to poop at a show please dear god just go to the bathroom lmao.
“I’ve pooped my pants as much as the next 29 year old but you guys gotta understand there’s a venue worker out there with a 1000 yard stare after dealing with that.”
The star has since gone one step further, and addressed the poop incident on stage in Toronto.
He told fans inside the venue: “This is awkward. When you enter this building, you enter a social contract, right?
“And rule number two besides ‘don’t literally f**king kill each other’, is ‘don’t s**t on the floor’.
“So we’re gonna do some therapy type thing where we all repeat after me, okay?”
He then led the crowd to repeat the following chant: “I solemnly swear, I will not s**t my pants, and if I do, I won’t take it from my pants and put it on the floor.”
Emily Sergeant -
4th August 2023 
