Smoking in car with kids could carry $1,000 fine in Indiana soon

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- Two Indiana lawmakers are pushing for a four-figure fine for drivers caught smoking in a car with a child inside.

The bill proposed by State Sens. Eddie Melton and Jim Merritt would make smoking in a car with a child under the age of six a crime.

Drivers caught puffing inside a vehicle with a young child would be ticketed with a $1,000 fine.

If you are caught three times in a year, the fine would go up to $10,000.

Eight states and Puerto Rico have smoke-free car laws, including:

• Arkansas, with a child under the age of 14
• California, with a child under the age of 18
• Louisiana, with a child under the age of 13
• Maine, with a child under the age of 16
• Oregon, with a child under the age of 18
• Puerto Rico, with a child under the age of 18
• Utah, with a child under the age of 16
• Vermont, with a child under the age of 9
• Virginia, with a child under the age of 8