News

Say no to car litter!

15 March 2011

Today Keep Britain Tidy's Chief Executive, Phil Barton called on the Government and MPs to support proposed amendments to the Localism Bill to reduce the levels of littering from vehicles.

We believe that drivers who allow their passengers to drop litter are as guilty as those doing the dropping and want Local Authorities to have the ability to track and fine the drivers.  Almost 9,500 people have reported car litterers to Keep Britain Tidy since 2009 but currently we have no way of finding out who the culprits are and acting on it.  If you support our view that car drivers should be held responsible for any litter thrown from their car, let us know.

Tell us more about your thoughts on this matter using the comments box below or at Twitter or on Facebook or report a car litterer at http://www.keepbritaintidy.org/Campaigns/pastcampaigns/CarLitter/Default.aspx

Comments

Comment on this article

• Matthew Wilson, East Midlands

  A question has been raised about throwing Chewing Gum out of a carm asking if it is litter. The simple answer is that Chewing Gum is litter. If you want to dispose of it do so properly, or swallow it. There are few health risks (unless I am very much mistaken) in swallowing gum. I have issued a FPN to a driver who threw Chewing Gum out of their window. My then wife was chatting to her (didn't know what her husband did) and was moaning about this fine and the 'ruddy council'. The fact of the matter is, if you don't want something - throw it in a bin, rather than the road.

• Phil Eadie, South East

  I think the poll question is a little loaded. Yes if drivers ALLOW passengers to throw litter from the car then yes they should be held responsible - however the issue is whether or not they actually ALLOW it or whether passengers just do it anyway. In reality drivers are pretty well occupied driving the car and cannot always be held responsible for what another individual in the car do - when they may not even be related and may have different social values.

• jim, South East

  I didn't want to vote yes to your poll not because I not digusted at litter thrown from cars but because I wouldn't want to fined for the behaviour of a passanger i couldn't control.If the the individual responsible could be indentified who had thrown the litter from the vehicle and fines enforce fairly it would be a good idea.