asked the Minister for the Environment if he will amend the regulations under the Road Traffic Acts to provide that, in the light of the danger to children from fire and the public attitude towards health consciousness, cigarette lighters are not fitted to new cars.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Car Cigarette Lighters.
15.
I have no proposals to do as suggested by the Deputy.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Would the Minister agree that cigarette lighters in private cars could indeed constitute a fire hazard, es-pecially if young children, and not so young children, are left in cars even for a short time? It is very easy to pull them out and it would be extremely easy to start a fire. Would the Minister ask his Department, or the appropriate section, to look into this; possibly if they are not to be excluded altogether to provide that they are lockable?
The position is that a cigarette lighter is fused when fitted to a vehicle by a manufacturer. Accordingly if a fault develops in a lighter the fuse will blow and the lighter assembly becomes inactive. The heat content of a blown cigarette lighter is barely sufficient to light one cigarette. If the lighter is held manually in the engaged position against the release spring it will continue to heat and eventually may initiate a fire. However, it is likely that hand knob would become too hot to hold before a fire could be started in this way.
(Cavan-Monaghan): I do not think the operation of cigarette lighters has anything to do with whether or not the car is switched on. They work when the car is not switched on.
We will not have an argument about cigarette lighters.
(Cavan-Monaghan): This is like the matter of traffic lights in Dublin. It is not urgent until something happens and then it becomes extremely urgent and gets a lot of publicity. Will the Minister agree to look into this matter.
I consider the ban-ning of lighters in cars would not eliminate the greater hazard which would be created by the more extensive use of matches.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Would not the Minister agree that matches would be kept in the parent's pocket and he would take them with him when leaving the car, while he cannot take the cigarette lighter, which is part of the car?