A new law bans smoking in any vehicle when children are present.

Although all rental vans (and cars) are no-smoking zones anyway, drivers now need to remember that smoking in any vehicle when children are present is now illegal.

Starting from 1 October 2015, new UK legislation makes it illegal to smoke in a vehicle when any under-18s are present.

This applies even if the door, windows or sunroof are open.

The new law provides an extra layer of smoking prevention in addition to the existing rules that ban smoking in any enclosed workplace, include trucks and vans used by more than one person.

By definition all rental vans are non-smoking, but so are almost all company-owned vehicles  — used by only one person means exactly that. It isn’t acceptable to smoke in your van, for example, if you sometimes give your children a lift in it, even if they are not present when you smoke.

Anyone found to be smoking in a vehicle where children are present is liable to be finded £50. This fine can be doubled if the smoker is also the driver.