A WOMAN driver caught not wearing a seat belt in a Dorset Police road safety clampdown told officers: “I just had a spray-on tan applied and don’t want to smudge it.”

And a man behind the wheel of a Volkswagen horsebox said he was not wearing one because he was late – and it was stuck under his engine cover.

The motorists – who were both fined – were among thousands nabbed under the No Excuse campaign, which has picked up almost 7,000 traffic-related offences on Dorset’s roads in just four months.

Failure to wear seatbelts accounted for 17 per cent of the total, and using a mobile phone while driving a further 14 per cent.

Enforcement teams also detected several people driving at more than 100mph in a 70mph zone. One driver decided to overtake the car in front at speed – only to find it had slowed for officers wielding a hand-held speed detector.

Another man said he was speeding because he was a stranger to the county and was confused by the road signs. An unimpressed officer pointed out that speed limit signs are the same all over the country.

Other misdemeanours included no insurance, no driving licence and anti-social driving, leading to vehicles being seized. Provisional licence holders were caught for driving unaccompanied or not displaying L-plates.

Chief Inspector Bob Nichols of Dorset Police specialist operations said: “The No Excuse initiative is supported by all the agencies involved in the tragic aftermath of avoidable collisions.

“By increasing the likelihood of detection for drivers who put other road users at risk, I am confident standards of driving and concentration will improve and make using Dorset’s roads safer.

“Many of the motorists who are caught are eligible for driver awareness courses which allow them to avoid incurring penalty points and offer the chance to improve their driving skills.”

Public recognition of the ‘no excuse’ logo rose to 73 per cent in the first four months of the campaign, which will continue for the rest of the year.