Don’t toss trash out the window
Is flicking cigarette ashes out the car window illegal? How about when travelling in the United States? Eric Lai replies: Under S. 180 HTA, it’s unlawful to deposit waste or litter on or adjacent to a highway.
If you smoke, keep it to yourself and use your car’s ashtray. Carelessly discarding butts or ashes is illegal. What goes out your window can come into mine. Should a roadside grass fire or fire in another vehicle result, criminal charges may apply.
Discarded butts contain environmental toxins and the acetate filters aren’t biodegradable.
In the United States, it’s estimated that two million butts are discarded daily as street litter, and these comprise one-fifth of all litter.
In California, tossing a butt or ashes out a car window will net you a $500 fine and — talk about poetic justice — eight hours of community service picking up litter or removing graffiti.
Last year, Illinois upped the ante with a “three strikes” law against butt-tossers to safeguard against forest fires.
The first two convictions carry a maximum $1,500 fine, but a third conviction carries a $25,000 fine, one to three years’ imprisonment and a criminal record — which would restrict future foreign travel. Is it legal to throw a biodegradable apple core onto the highway?
York Regional Police Const. Andy Pattenden replies:
Throwing anything out a car window is a bad idea. Beyond risking a ticket, discarding items like banana peels, apple cores and other debris onto our roads can endanger pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcycle riders.
Trash cans are conveniently located at nearly every drive-thru and parking lot. Please use them. Can I lawfully toss anything from a car? Eric Lai replies: Do not throw anything from a moving vehicle. In my opinion, the only innocuous items that might be excusable coming from a stationary vehicle are plain water, but not the water bottle, and perhaps the odd stray leaf, twig or hair strand.
Discarded drink ice cubes pose a slip-and-fall hazard to pedestrians and cyclists. Dumping coffee, even without the cup, is potentially chargeable as a sticky (sugar), smelly (milk), pavement-staining mess results.
“Litter highway” charges are laid at an officer’s discretion and subject to interpretation by the court.
Incidentally, MTO advises that roadside droppings from a ridden or led animal, including a police horse, won’t result in littering charges. Freelance writer Eric Lai is a frequent contributor to Toronto Star Wheels. Email your nonmechanical questions to him at wheels@thestar.ca. Due to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.