17% of French smokers admit tossing cigarette butts from car windows as wildfires burn 117,000 hectares

The survey findings

A survey conducted online by Ipsos BVA for the Vinci Autoroutes Foundation between 19 and 23 June, sampling 2,279 people aged 16 to 75 representative of the French population, found that 17% of smokers admit to throwing their cigarette butt out of their vehicle window while on the motorway. The foundation, in its 12th annual summer study on how the French manage their waste during holiday travel, described these behaviours as 'alarming'.

The consequences potentially dramatic of a simple act of negligence, like throwing a cigarette butt.

Fire season toll

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez warned on Thursday 30 July that the fire risk remains 'extremely high', despite an improvement, notably in the Gironde region. He stated that more than 14,000 fires have been recorded since the start of the season, burning 117,000 hectares. The interior and ecological transition ministries report that 90% of forest fires are of human origin, and more than half are caused by carelessness or risky behaviour.

Public awareness grows

Awareness of the danger is rising: 87% of French people consider that throwing a butt from a vehicle window 'presents a major risk of starting a fire'. One third of respondents (33%) say they have already been affected, directly or indirectly, by a forest fire, and 60% consider it likely they will suffer the consequences of such a disaster in the coming years.

Legal framework

French law does not prohibit smoking in a car, except when a minor is on board or when holding a cigarette prevents the driver from 'driving safely'. Since 2023, however, smoking in forested areas during fire-risk periods has been banned. A negligently discarded butt that causes a fire can lead to criminal penalties, up to ten years in prison and a fine of €150,000 in the most serious cases involving fatalities.