A COLLEAGUE recently regaled us with his sorry tale of being caught driving while not wearing his seatbelt.

We were all waiting with anticipation to hear how he had managed to get himself into further trouble by arguing the toss with the officer, but were extremely disappointed to discover he’d taken it on the chin and accepted his punishment without complaint.

Which appears to be more than can be said about some of the 7,000 drivers who have been nabbed by Dorset’s traffic operation.

One of the best things about the campaign is its name, an inspiration that goes every which way to spotlighting its aims, as well as highlighting the national tendency to apportion blame elsewhere.

We have all had cause to feel aggrieved at the antics of many drivers on a daily basis, whether they’re glued to their mobile phones talking or texting or simply driving like idiots.

The fact that in just four months several thousand miscreants have been reminded of their shortcomings on the road is a fantastic result.

And while some of those excuses might make us smile, ensuring the rest of us are a little bit safer on the roads is still a very serious business.

Perhaps the young lady with the spray tan might ponder on just how smudged she would have looked after going through her windscreen...