Brit smokers face fines of up to £100 in new clampdown from today

dailystar.co.uk:

Smokers in the UK could face £100 fines from today as a new clampdown comes into force.As of Saturday, the new Highway Code will now see smokers fined if they throw a cigarette butt out of the car window.The new rule comes into place with the aim of protecting the environment as well as other road users too, by clamping down on drivers who dispose of their smoking waste incorrectly.

The act is considered to be a form of littering and could land you with a pretty hefty fine if caught. Despite smoking in your car being perfectly legal – as long as you and all passengers are over 18 – "incorrect disposal" of cigarette butts could result in a penalty of £50 to £100.

Finance firm CarMoney's Andrew Marshall said: “More and more drivers are being caught out on the roads by unexpected fines. The new changes to the Highway Code will place more responsibility on road users and it will be a criminal offence to disobey them. "More publicised offences, such as making phone calls whilst driving, are already deemed unacceptable in our society but simple things such as throwing a cigarette out of a window are what we see on journeys every day and often without consequence. "We are reminding road users to be considerate of other road users and obey driving laws for their own safety and the safety of others whilst travelling.” To stay up to date with all the latest news, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here. With a series of new rules now in place, there are some that may be easily missed according to CarMoney.

One of the new rules involves drivers changing songs on their phones, as well as any other activities, such as taking photos, which could see perpetrators hit with a £200 fine.