The traffic is in full swing on the vacation route and some may well be tempted to throw their cigarette butts out the window during their journeys.
However, this gesture represents many dangers.
In addition to the environmental impact, the risk is also to cause a fire which could be catastrophic.
New departures on vacation are expected this Saturday but also many returns.
Smart Bison sees red this weekend and anticipates long hours in traffic jams, some of which will take advantage of to toast a few cigarettes.
However, be careful not to throw cigarette butts out the window, because in addition to the waste that this generates, the risk is above all of causing a fire.
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On the A8 motorway in the Var, cigarette butts are the cause of 95% of fires.
The fire broke out on central medians, on the edge of the woods or on rest areas, as explained by the Var firefighter commander, Delphine Vienco.
“It may seem trivial, but a cigarette butt near vegetation can start a fire. This is not a myth, she assures. Here the vegetation is very dry and our region is subject to strong winds, with very low humidity levels. So the conditions are right so that the slightest spark can lead to the development of fire which is sometimes catastrophic ".
12 years to decompose
According to a study, one in three smokers say they throw their butt out of the car window, or about 100 butts per kilometer and in both directions of traffic. For Bernadette Moreau, general delegate of the Vinci Autoroutes Foundation, the attitude to adopt is nevertheless very simple. "If you smoke in the car, you keep your cigarette ends in a pocket ashtray while you find a trash can. There are some in all areas of the Vinci Autoroutes network. So about every ten minutes you can stop to put your waste in the trash, ”she says.
Throwing a cigarette out the window can start a fire and cause serious disturbances on the motorway network such as traffic jams or lane cuts. But the environmental impact is above all frightening: a cigarette butt takes about 12 years to decompose and pollutes 500 liters of water.