We all remember the TV commercials featuring the teary-eyed Native American and the punch line: "please don't be a litter bug." I wonder why they stopped running these commercials? Certainly, drivers still toss cups, fast food wrappers and cigarette butts from their cars. Maybe we need a new campaign.

Littering creates significant environmental problems. When you litter, invariably what you throw onto the street ends up in a stream, lake, river or, eventually the ocean. Roadways have storm drains which are meant to capture storm runoff. Those drains empty into streams or other water bodies. So when you toss that bubble gum wrapper, you may very well be polluting public waters.

Even if the water is unimpacted, littering is still a disgusting, lazy habit. We have all traveled on interstates and have observed how some portions of the highway appear to be more litter-polluted than others. Why is that? Is it because the local highway department is not performing enough maintenance?

Some States have a good solution; prisoners are used to remove litter. That's a great idea even if some find it to be offensive in some manner. It has the benefits of a chain-gang, without actually being a chain gang (except in one Southern State, where they are actually using chain gangs, with real chains!) I suspect that inmates do not have to pick up too many soiled diapers before they decide that they never want to get into trouble again.

Visual pollution caused by littering is pollution, just as is water pollution and air pollution. The problem is that we Americans want immediate gratification in every aspect of our lives. For some people, littering at 60 mph is instant gratification. You toss that cup out of your window while traveling so quickly that you don't even see the cup land. If you don't see it land, you do not have to feel badly because, in your mind, the litter evaporates rather than pollutes.

Debris comes in all shapes and sizes, and can be lethal as well as unsightly. According to federal government statistics, in 1997 over 150 people died in debris-related vehicular accidents. While we generally don't think about road debris as potentially lethal, it is very dangerous.

Perhaps the most famous debris-related death occurred last November when film maker Alan Pakula was killed after his vehicle was struck by a steel pipe left on a Long Island highway. According to published reports, the pipe was hit by another vehicle which propelled it through Pakula's windshield. One month before that accident, another person died when his car swerved to avoid a shredded tire.

One problem seems to be that people do not remove debris from the road after it falls from their vehicles. This explains a proposed Rhode Island law which would place that responsibility on tow truck operators. If that proposal becomes law, wrecker operators will have to remove road debris as a part of their standard operating procedures.

Hub caps, tale pipes, and other vehicular debris are every bit as much road litter as are cigarette butts and hamburger wrappers. If you're vehicle loses one of its parts on a highway, somehow you need to report it so that it will be removed and not hurt someone.

What will fix this problem? Clearly, enhanced littering penalties should help. This problem needs to be taken seriously. When it is taken seriously by legislatures, police officers and by judges we will see some improvement. Right now, I don't think too may people are doing time for littering.

Finally, the problem is not limited to paper litter of fallen car parts. A Pennsylvania court of appeals held that the Turnpike Commission was not responsible for a wandering cow that entered the highway and caused an accident. A driver was injured when he swerved to avoid the lost animal.

However, a Texas motorcyclist was allowed to sue the County when he slid out of control after skidding on loose gravel. The gravel had been placed on the road during a re-surfacing project. In that case, the Court held that the County did not enjoy any immunity from the lawsuit.

Whether its wrappers, tail pipes or cows, highway debris is still a problem. The paper debris causes visual pollution and water pollution. The bigger stuff can, and has in the past, cause a bad accident. If something falls off of your vehicle while you are driving, remember that it can pose a danger. If you cannot retrieve it yourself, let the local police know so that they can take protective measures.