02 July 2024 , 20:25
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A spokesperson for waste experts Wheeldon Brothers warned that the Government raised the maximum on-the-spot penalty for littering from £80 to £150 in 2018
Drivers could face fines for littering from their vehicles, even if it’s a passenger who’s responsible for the rubbish. A change in law means that councils no longer need to prove who exactly threw the litter, making car owners liable for any rubbish tossed from their vehicle, experts have said.
A representative for waste specialists Wheeldon Brothers has warned that the Government increased the maximum instant fine for littering from £80 to £150 in 2018. They explained that under these changes, local councils now have the power to fine car owners if there’s evidence that litter was thrown from their vehicle.
The spokesperson also revealed: "According to National Highways, yearly, they remove around 200,000 sacks of litter from the country’s motorways. The cost is around £50 a sack-about the same as fixing a pothole-and money that could be better spent elsewhere on road repairs."
They added: "The crackdown on littering drivers aims to address the widespread issue of discarded coffee cups, fast food wrappers, nappies, and cigarette ends littering roadsides and motorways, which will hopefully lower these numbers. Litter thrown from vehicles not only damages the environment and incurs substantial costs but also jeopardises the safety of road workers tasked with its removal. Let’s keep our roads clean. We urge drivers to simply hold onto their litter until they spot the nearest bin."