While there are many health benefits attached to not smoking whilst driving, there could be additional actual financial savings to be made by not lighting up behind the wheel.

Though Government schemes are making smoking inside a car illegal in many instances, such as with children in the car and whilst in a working environment, there are some who cannot ignore their nicotine cravings and have to smoke a cigarette.

But the cost of smoking in your is not only costing you your health, a report from data experts HPI is suggesting that a smoker’s car could be up to £2,000 less when it comes to trading it in.

While smokers will insist that their car smell can be hidden with air freshener the reality is that the smell of smoke never really disappears. In addition, there is also the worry of physical damage to the interior.

With many smokers currently attempting to go through the entire month of October without a cigarette for ‘Stoptober’, the prospect of adding some value to your motor may be a further incentive.

“There is often no obvious visual damage, but the smell of smoke is a major problem for motor dealers. Smoke becomes ingrained in the fabric of the car and climate control system, requiring a professional valet and specialist tools to clean the air conditioning,” said HPI’s consumer director, Fernando Garcia.

“Unless consumers want to see the residual value of their vehicles literally go up in smoke, I’d urge them to try to quit or at the very least refrain from smoking inside the car when driving.”

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