Posted on Nov 01, 2016 | Blog
Coming To An OMV Near You
Studies have found that motorists are responsible for approximately 53% of all roadside litter. Litter thrown out the car window doesn’t stay there long. It either blows back onto the roadway, creating a hazard for other unsuspecting motorists, gets stuck in roadside vegetation, or travels into a waterway where it is consumed by hungry wildlife that mistake it for their next meal. It obscures the beauty of a landscape and gives visitors the impression that those who live in that area don’t care about it, and hurting property values and attracting other criminal behavior. Due to all the harm litter does, states have taken it upon themselves to pick it up, a job which has cost Louisiana $4 million annually.
Now, for the good news. Litter, this enormous environmental, economic, health and social problem — is 100% preventable. We can completely eliminate litter and all of its associated hazards simply by taking personal responsibility of correctly disposing of our trash and recyclables.
To get this message across to Louisiana motorists, Keep Louisiana Beautiful created a campaign specific to them, which aims to educate on four important teaching points of litter: “Litter is Harmful. Litter is Costly. Litter is Illegal. Litter is preventable.” To reach drivers, the campaign will be on display at the two places through which every driver must pass through two places: a driver’s education school, and the Office of Motor Vehicles.
The Louisiana Driver’s Education handbook, given to new drivers at their driver’s education school, will now include a page dedicated to preventing roadside litter, and the information presented will be part of the computerized test that each driver must pass before receiving his or her license. In addition, each Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles will be adorned with a window cling, a wall poster, desk mats and table tents that reemphasize those four key points about litter. Every Friday of the month, employees at the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles will wear t-shirts that bear the same message to show that they stand with Keep Louisiana Beautiful in our stance against litter.
So, keep your eyes out for these messages the next time you are getting your driver’s license or registration renewed – and most of all, remember the four teaching points of litter:
Litter is Harmful. Litter is Costly. Litter is Illegal. Litter is Preventable.
