A study suggests that many French people still consider the roads as garbage dumps. Naturally, they always have a good reason and point out the responsibility of others!

The number is impressive. Every day, 25 tons of litter are collected along the highways. On this weekend of cross-country travel, where Bison Futé has raised the black flag, Vinci is launching an awareness campaign called “Hold back” (Retenez-vous) to urge the French to stop throwing their rubbish out of their car windows.

A reminder of civic-mindedness is necessary since the latest survey carried out by Ipsos for the Vinci Foundation shows that this inappropriate gesture is still very widespread. 30% of French people admit throwing rubbish out of their car window on the holiday road. This is better than in 2019 when it was 37%, but it remains at the same level as in 2015.

This is surprising when environmental issues are becoming more and more prominent in the public debate. The French are also aware of the harmful effect of this incivility, both for the planet (76% admit that throwing waste out of their car window entails a high risk of water and soil pollution) and for road safety. Thus, for 72%, it is a threat to the staff who have to pick it up and for 62% a risk of fire.

In this summer season, when France is experiencing a heat wave and many départements are affected by drought, one fact does not seem comforting: one out of three smokers throws their cigarette butts out of their car window, a behaviour that does not improve with time.

As usual, this survey shows how very critical the French are of their compatriots. For example, almost one in two (48%) think the others throw rubbish in the street or on the road, but 11% admit to doing so regularly. The same applies to explanations. When it comes to giving reasons about why others litter, two-thirds think their fellow citizens behave in this way because they have a sense of impunity or are insensitive to others. Fifty-two per cent also think they do not have the patience to wait for the next garbage can.

But when they have to defend their bad deeds, there’s always an excellent answer. Eighty-two per cent of those surveyed said it’s because the bins are too full or because there aren’t any… even though they are found in all rest areas. Finally, 30 per cent think the taxes they pay should be used to collect their garbage.