Throwing fines

SUMMER is a good time to travel and to enjoy the remote and little­known places of Spain, but it can also be a period in which more driving offences are committed due to these trips.

These circumstances are also compounded by rising temperatures, a risk factor that, together with the recklessness of some people, can lead to a fire.

Throwing cigarette butts from a car window is the offence being pursued by the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT).

Despite the decrease in the number of smokers and the greater awareness of the population about fires, it still continues to be one of the serious dangers for forests and fields. A risk of fire is one of the dangers also posed when butts are thrown into roadside gutters full of dry leaves.

Poorly extinguished butts can pose a direct risk of fire, and the remains of glass can cause a “magnifying glass effect” that starts fire.

If throwing a cigarette butt causes a forest fire, the culprits can face a prison sentence of three to six years.

Such is the point of seriousness with which the DGT takes it, that the behaviour of throwing objects from moving cars, including butts, is punishable by fines of €200 and the withdrawal of 4 points from the driving licence.

On the other hand, the sanctions do not stop there. Leaving, pouring or throwing objects of any kind in a public area is a minor offence, according to current legislation.

These acts will be punishable with amounts ranging from €198 to almost €3,800 with more serious incidents caused due to littering could incur fines ranging from €3,800 to almost €9,800.

If a car is not equipped with an ashtray, it is advisable for smokers to carry a plastic bottle half filled with water to be able to extinguish cigarettes effectively.