Smoking in business cars continues one year after the ban and costs businesses hard cash at resale time One year after smoking was first banned in business vehicles, companies face more than a fine for failing to enforce the law. A smoker’s vehicle is proving increasingly difficult to sell in the current market. It can cost a company typically L200-L300 to bring it back to a condition that’s acceptable to buyers.
Presentation is one of the strongest price factors in the used car market and it becomes all the more important when used values come under pressure, as they have now. Buyers have their pick of a huge range of used cars and vans at the moment, so they are ignoring any vehicle that is below par.
Presentation is not just about how a car looks, but also about how it smells. The lingering smell of cigarettes, discolouration of the roof lining, burn marks on the trim – all will prevent a car from selling. Our experience is that such things will even stop other smokers from buying it.
A professional valet can alleviate most of the effects of smoking in a car. However, that costs time and money – typically L200-L300.
Failure to valet a smoker’s car before putting it up for sale will almost certainly prove to be a false economy, though. It is unlikely to sell and then you’ll face the double whammy of having to get a valet done anyway as well as the extra depreciation caused by the delay in selling it. And, of course, you’ll have to go through the reselling process all over again.
The answer is simple and any company who doesn’t enforce the smoking ban in business vehicles should start now.
One year into the smoking ban, it may be timely to remind drivers that they face a L50 fixed penalty notice for smoking in a work vehicle, or up to a L200 fine if it goes to court.
The penalties for employers are far more severe. Failure to prevent smoking in smoke-free premises or a vehicle carries a court fine of up to L2500.
Smaller businesses can find it harder to impose restrictions than larger organisations, but the consequences of not doing so could be costly.
