It’s appalling to see ugly debris along the side of the roads. Most citizens would no more think of throwing a beer can or a food wrapper out the window than they would of leaving a pile of garbage in the middle of their living room.

Having patrols cleaning up the litter is praiseworthy but an exercise in futility. And getting to the root cause is not that complicated or expensive.

Mount surveillance cameras near the largest concentrations of debris. You probably would need one for the rear to record the license plate and another synchronized to the front. Then move them periodically to different locations.

Drivers who habitually toss things out would have no idea where the cameras are and would have to think twice about throwing anything and receiving a fine of $250 or $500.

This could be the answer. It certainly wouldn’t cost much to find out.

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