Company car drivers support smoking ban

With the smoking ban set to come into force in less than a week, Skoda can reveal that the majority of company car drivers welcome the new legislation with 64% drivers recently surveyed agreeing with the ban.

The recent study of over 500 company car drivers, conducted by YouGov, revealed that women favour the ban more than men (73% compared to 61%), as does the older age group of those 55 and over, 70% of whom strongly agree with the new legislation. Londoners (68%) and Northerners (62%) are the most supportive of the ban with 68% and 62% respectively expressing their approval.

Reasons quoted for supporting the ban saw several common themes. Health risks associated with passive smoking, the unpleasant smell of smoke and the permanent taint of smoke inflicted on pool car drivers were frequently listed. Many also raised the issue of smoking as a distraction in a similar manner to mobile phones and the issue of lower vehicle value at re-sale.

The minority of respondents who disagreed with the ban (24% in total), smokers and non-smokers alike, feel it is unnecessary for those who travel alone. Some were of the opinion that paying tax on company cars should entitle drivers to treat the vehicles as their own, thus giving them freedom to smoke. A few questioned the logic of referring to cars as a public space.

Martin Burke, head of business sales at Skoda, comments: “Considering how much time is spent on business car travel, it is reassuring to see that most drivers agree with the new legislation.

“We feel that smoke-free cars will have clear health benefits to company car drivers and to buyers whose vehicles will be expected to reach higher residual values.”