Washington State Patrol to fine for lit butts

The days of littering lit cigarettes without consequence are over in Washington. The Washington State Patrol recently announced it would hand out $1,025 fines to deter motorists from throwing lit tobacco products from their vehicles, according to a press release. The rule change is an effort to prevent careless actions that can quickly turn into major fires, the release said.

June 21, 2016 6:38 pm

The days of littering lit cigarettes without consequence are over in Washington.

The Washington State Patrol recently announced it would hand out $1,025 fines to deter motorists from throwing lit tobacco products from their vehicles, according to a press release. The rule change is an effort to prevent careless actions that can quickly turn into major fires, the release said.

“As conditions continue to dry out in the region, the danger of fires caused by individuals discarding lit tobacco products from their vehicles increase,” the press release said.

Resources needed to fight fires and the subsequent losses, such as homes, structures and even life, are “extremely expensive and costly to tax payers.”

It is a class 1 civil infraction for a person to discard potentially dangerous litter in any amount. Washington State Patrol Troopers will take appropriate enforcement under RCW 70.93.060(4).