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UK Police Warn Drivers Face Prosecution for Vaping at the Wheel

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UK Police have warned drivers that vaping behind the wheel could be deemed illegal and cost them their license.

Although vaping while driving is technically not illegal in the UK, the country's laws allow police to decide what they deem a distracting handheld electronic device.

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Senior police officers have warned that motorists determined to be driving without due care and attention because of using e-cigarettes face being prosecuted with a fine of up to £2,500 or even losing their license.

The problem with vaping behind the wheel is that breathing thick clouds of vapour into the car could temporarily blind the driver and cause a crash, even a fatal one.

The caution comes as latest figures reveal more than three million people in the UK currently use e-cigarettes, with the majority of them driving.

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"The smoke caused by vapes are a distraction and the consequences of them can be dire, all it takes is a moment to become distracted and potentially cause a crash and even worse, a fatality," said Sergeant Carl Knapp, with the Sussex Road Policing Unit, as cited by the Sunday Express.

A spokesperson for the Department of Transport said drivers should always follow the rules set out by the highway code and make sure they are in proper control of their vehicle, avoiding all kinds of distractions.

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