Stomper calls out ‘selfish’ driver for tossing cigarette butt and ash onto road in Bedok
A driver was caught on camera allegedly smoking and tossing a cigarette butt onto the road while driving along Bedok North Avenue 3 on May 11.
Stomper Francis shared a video of the incident, saying it happened on the stretch of road towards the Pan Island Expressway and Bedok Reservoir Road at about 10.26am.
According to the Stomper, the driver was smoking with the car window wound down.
In the video, the driver appears to flick cigarette ash out of the window before allegedly throwing the cigarette butt onto the road.
“It’s okay if he winds up the window,” said Francis. “Instead, he wound down the window, smoked, tapped the cigarette ash out and, when finished, threw the cigarette on the road.”
The Stomper said such behaviour is common on the road because “selfish drivers know it’s difficult to enforce”.
Francis also highlighted the potential dangers of discarding cigarette butts from moving vehicles.
“Lit cigarettes can ignite dry grass, leaves and debris along roadsides and may cause major fires,” he said.
“The ash can also fly into the eyes of motorcyclists or cyclists behind the car, reducing visibility and causing injury.
“It’s convenient for mobile litterbugs to discard cigarette ash and butts, but the aftermath of their actions may do more harm than they realise.”
According to the National Environment Agency, you are allowed to smoke in private vehicles as long as no second-hand tobacco smoke is expelled in smoking prohibited places, such as when the windows are fully wound up.
An individual who is caught smoking in a prohibited place may be allowed to compound his offence for $200 in lieu of attending court. If convicted in court, the offender may be liable to a fine of up to $1,000.
Under the Environmental Public Health Act, any individual who commits a littering offence is liable on conviction to a court fine of up to $2,000 for a first conviction, $4,000 for a second conviction and $10,000 for the third and subsequent convictions.
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