(RALEIGH) -- Hundreds are hitting the streets between now and the end of the month, picking up trash on roadsides as part of the statewide fall litter sweep. Amy Mitchell with the Transportation Department said many of those taking part are members of Adopt A Highway Groups and safety is always stressed with the clean up effort.

"We encourage all of our volunteers to visit our web site and conduct a safety meeting with each volunteer," said Mitchell.

Litter Sweep volunteers will be joined by NCDOT maintenance crews, N.C. Department of Correction inmate crews and community service workers during the fall Litter Sweep.  During the 2012 spring Litter Sweep, volunteers removed more than 1.5 million pounds of roadside litter.

Another component of the litter sweep is stepped up patrols by the Highway Patrol looking for litterbugs and those who may be carrying unsecured loads that could dump trash on the highways. Littering is an illegal offense, and the Highway Patrol issues more than 1,500 citations annually for unsecured loads and littering.