Vaping While Driving – St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer

Vaping while driving may not necessarily be illegal in St. Louis, but here is why it can be extremely dangerous and lead to an accident.

E-cigarettes or “vapes” have become very popular in the last decade or so. Many smokers are using them as an alternative to tobacco products. Nicotine vaporizers of all types are legal in St. Louis, and there is no law prohibiting them from being used while driving.

However, this doesn’t mean that vaping while driving isn’t a safety risk. Using a nicotine vape while driving can cause distractions and other issues that can lead to a car crash. If a vaping driver has hit you, get help from an experienced St. Louis car accident attorney today.

Why Is It Dangerous to Vape While Driving?

So, why is it so dangerous to vape while driving? People smoke cigarettes while driving all the time. Why is vaping worse? Here are a few reasons. 

• Reduced visibility – Vape “juice,” particularly products with a high amount of vegetable glycerin (VG), can create extremely dense, “foggy” vape clouds. If the person vaping inhales a large amount of vapor, they may exhale it and block their view of the road for a few seconds as the vapor disperses. This can lead to problems with visibility and responsiveness to on-road incidents.
  
• Distraction – Like doing anything else while driving – such as doing your makeup, looking at yourself in the mirror, or eating a cheeseburger – vaping while driving is a distraction.
  
  Distracted driving is a serious cause of accidents and caused more than 3,142 accidents in 2020 alone. At highway speeds, taking your eyes off the road for just 5 seconds means you’ll cover more than the distance of a football field – while being unresponsive to potential threats and road incidents.
  
• Nicotine-induced dizziness and light-headedness – Popular vaporizers like the JUUL deliver more nicotine in a shorter amount of time compared to cigarettes and other tobacco products. This is especially true of custom vaping rigs, which may be used to vaporize juice with extremely high nicotine content.
  
  This means vapers are more likely to experience the “head rush” of taking in a large amount of nicotine at once. This can cause dizziness and light-headedness, which is dangerous on the road. In rare cases, vaping can even cause fainting.

So while it is not currently illegal to vape while driving in Missouri, a person who causes an accident due to vaping-related distractions may still be found at fault for the incident. 

Get Help If You Were Hit by a Vaping Driver in St. Louis

At The Hoffmann Law Firm, our team of car accident lawyers and personal injury lawyers in St. Louis are here to help you get the compensation you deserve after an accident. 

If you were hit by a driver and suspect vaping was involved in the accident, contact The Hoffmann Law Firm to get a free case review and get the legal assistance and representation you need to get the compensation you deserve.

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