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One in 5 French drivers admit throwing trash out of the window

If you've ever driven on a French autoroute , you might have noticed quite the collection of rubbish at the side of the road and in the grass verges. The culprits? Your fellow motorists. A survey by Vinci , one of the companies that runs France's motorway network, found that one in five motorists admit to throwing rubbish out of the window of their vehicles while driving on the autoroutes . That rises to one in three people who admit to throwing rubbish on any public highway, whether while driving or walking. Advertisement Cigarette butts and plastic bottles or packaging are the most common items thrown onto the highway - while all of these are unsightly, during the summer cigarette butts pose the added risks of starting wildfires on the dry, parched grass verges. The survey is part of Vinci and the other highway companies' ongoing efforts to raise awareness of the problems caused by debris at the roadside, and encourage people to save it and throw it in the nearest bin. Bernadette Moreau of the Vinci Autoroutes Foundation told RMC radio that the percentage of drivers who do this has actually been falling in recent years, although "it is still too high". Fines of up to €1,500 can be levied on people who are caught throwing trash onto the public highway.