What's it all about?

Soft toys strapped to the front of large vehicles (Trucks, dustbin lorry's, delivery vans and the like) What's that all about; is it symbolic or do the drivers just pick up those discarded and strap them to the front grill as a bonnet ornaments (almost a low rent homage to a Rolls Royce Silver Lady or something)? I'm intending to discover the reason for this peculiar practice.

... and what the hell is going here? An electric trolley used to collect refuge around the centre of Newcastle-under-Lyme, which has a myriad of toys fixed to it. I find it hard to believe that all these have been discarded around the town in the last few years, which makes me wonder if they actually search them out?

What ever & why ever it's certainly odd.