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[Adventurer]

Published: Tuesday, March 27, 2007 | 4:25 PM ET
Canadian Press: GAVIN RABINOWITZ

NEW DELHI (AP) - Smoking poses serious health risks. So does driving in New Delhi.

And combining the two is deadly, according to two New Delhi judges who have barred smoking at the wheel, officials said Tuesday, apparently the first such ban in the world.

Declaring "New Delhi roads dangerous to human life," the city's High Court on Monday imposed a slew of new measures aimed at deterring habitually bad drivers, including the smoking ban and a prohibition on using mobile phones while behind the wheel.

"Anything that distracts the attention of driver is dangerous. The human mind cannot do two things simultaneously," said New Delhi's traffic commissioner Qamar Ahmed, welcoming the ruling, which goes into effect April 9 and only covers New Delhi, a city of 14 million people.

Those caught smoking while driving will have to pay a fine equivalent to about C$37, a large sum by local standards. Offenders caught more than five times will have their licence revoked, the court said. The same fines apply to using a mobile phone and the less well-defined offence of "dangerous driving."

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Oddities/070327/K032727AU.html

[Canuck Teacher]