Drivers face £150 fine and risk breaking Highway Code rules even if they didn't commit the offence

This includes drivers being instructed not to throw anything out of a vehicle, such as food or food packaging, cigarette ends, cans, paper or carrier bags.

It states that this can endanger other people using roads, particularly those towards the top of the hierarchy of road users, like motorcyclists and cyclists.

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Earlier this year, National Highways launched the "lend a paw - bin your litter" alongside the RSPCA to highlight the issues with littering from vehicles.

Data from the organisation revealed that there were over 10,000 reports of animals being found injured, trapped or dead from discarded litter in the last three years - or almost 10 per day.

A spokesperson for Wheeldon Brothers told drivers never to litter if they are behind the wheel as this could lead to wildlife being injured or killed, and they could face hefty fines.

They continued, saying: "The Government raised the maximum on-the-spot penalty for littering from £80 to £150 in 2018.

"Under these changes, local councils now possess the authority to fine car owners when evidence indicates litter was thrown from their vehicle."

The spokesperson clarified that drivers would be fined for litter from their vehicles, even if a passenger is responsible for dumping their rubbish.

Nine in 10 people said they had never discarded litter onto the roadside, but almost two-thirds admitted they had seen someone else doing it from their vehicles.

National Highways data shows that the transport authority removes around 200,000 sacks of litter from motorways every year, with the cost of around £50 a sack.

The spokesperson said the money could be spent elsewhere, like on fixing potholes and improving the quality of roads, especially with the high cost of removing a single bag of litter from roads.

Nick Harris, chief executive of National Highways, took part in a little collection exercise earlier this year with local volunteers to support the measures being taken as part of the Great British Spring Clean.

During just two days of collections along the A428 Hardwick interchange, National Highways collected 32 bags of rubbish and removed more than 12,000 tree guards.

In the past, National Highways ran a trial using AI-enabled cameras with local authorities to carry out enforcement of people littering on roads to clamp down on rubbish found along roadsides and at motorway service stations.

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The spokesperson added: "The crackdown on littering drivers aims to address the widespread issue of discarded coffee cups, fast food wrappers, nappies, and cigarette ends littering roadsides and motorways which will hopefully lower these numbers.

"Litter thrown from vehicles not only damages the environment and incurs substantial costs but also jeopardises the safety of road workers tasked with its removal."

The National Highways research also found that most drivers did not consider biodegradable material, like apple cores and banana peels, to be litter.