Virginia bill would fine drivers $100 for smoking in cars with young kids
Virginia drivers caught smoking with a child aged 7 or younger in the car will be subject to a $100 fine, if Gov. Terry McAuliffe signs a proposed bill into law.
The governor has until April 11 to sign the bill after the Virginia House of Delegates passed it in February and the Senate followed suit earlier this month.
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Officers won't be allowed to pull drivers over for smoking, but they can tack on the fine as a secondary offense after they've pulled a driver for another violation -- speeding, for example.
Drivers will still be allowed to use e-cigarettes.
Republican bill sponsor Del. Todd Pillion said cutting off the age of children at 7 makes sense, because children aged 7 and younger are required to be in car seats. That will help officers identify the age of kids in the vehicle.
If McAuliffe signs the bill into law, Virginia would join Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Maine, Oregon, Utah and Vermont as the latest member of a group of states with laws that restrict smoking while driving with children.
California and Oregon tie for the most strict of those laws. Neither state allows smoking in a car with a child under the age of 18.
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Colin is Mashable's US & World Reporter. He previously interned at Foreign Policy magazine and The American Prospect. Colin is a graduate from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. When he's not at Mashable, you can most likely find him eating or playing some kind of sport.
