Excuses revealed for driving offences on Dorset's roads

A speeding motorist told Dorset Police he failed to read a speed limit sign as he was on his way to an eyesight test.

This was one of the excuses given to police this year, as revealed in a list compiled by Dorset Road Safe.

A woman caught speeding argued she was keeping up with the flow of traffic, despite being the only car on the road.

When a motorist stopped for not wearing his seatbelt, said "new laws take a while to sink in", officers reminded him the law came into effect in 1982.

More than 24,000 offences have been recorded by police since the "No excuse" campaign began in January 2010.

It was launched in an attempt to reduce the number of casualties on Dorset's roads.

Another motorist caught using her mobile phone told officers they were mistaken and that she was in fact eating a prawn cracker.

She claimed not have her mobile phone on her. When an officer rang the mobile number she gave him, the phone sounded in the vehicle.

She apologised and offered the officer a prawn cracker before being issued with a ticket.

Brian Austin, "No excuse" project manager, said: "We are continually amazed at the thought process of some of the bad and inconsiderate drivers on Dorset's roads."

He said mobile phone, speed and seatbelt offences are being detected with the covert use of safety camera vans, cars and bikes and technology such as Concept Lasers.

Another woman, caught speeding having just completed a six-month driving ban, told officers: "The use of the laser in an unmarked car to catch people is criminal."

A motorcyclist caught speeding told officers he thought it was unfair police positioned themselves at the bottom of a hill as his bike "goes faster downhill".

So far this year, the No excuse team has processed 4,067 offences, from 1 January to 31 March 2012.

The Dorset Road Safe scheme is run by agencies including Dorset Police, Dorset Fire Service and Dorset County Council.