Motorists in Britain can be handed a £150 fine for being caught littering from their car. What’s more, the driver will also be fined if a passenger litters from the car. This follows updated laws which mean councils no longer need to provide who committed the offence. The driver is, therefore, responsible for anything that is littered and thrown from the vehicle.
In April 2018, the Government increased the on-the-spot fine for this offence from 80 to £150, giving councils more power and acting as a bigger deterrent.
Councils can now hand fines to the driver if it can be proved that litter was thrown from the car, not necessarily who committed the offence.
Data by Highways England suggest that one in seven motorists admit to throwing rubbish from the window of their car each year.
One of the other reasons for the crackdown on littering from cars is to reduce the cost of cleaning up the mess.
Out is estimated that it costs taxpayers £700million every year to clean up litter from UK streets.
Freda Rashdi, Highways England’s Head of Customer and Operational Requirements, said: “Litter is an important national issue and we’re pleased we were able to support the Great British Spring Clean.
“We collect litter throughout the year but this time we wanted to have a particular purge in a bid to encourage drivers to take their litter home. If people don’t drop litter in the first place it wouldn’t need to be picked up.
“Litter is not only unsightly as well as a risk to wildlife and the environment, but it also puts our workers at risk collecting it and diverts time and money that could be better spent on improving the network.”
The AA’s Edmund King said: “Rubbish from vehicles spoils the environment, costs millions and puts road workers at risk when they clear it up.”
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