A PREGNANT woman who was caught without a seatbelt by police in Dorchester complained she did not want to put her unborn baby at risk... while she smoked a cigarette.

This was one of a raft of excuses heard by officers in Dorset Road Safe’s ongoing No Excuse crackdown on dangerous driving.

Other motorists were given tickets for using both hands to fix their hair or shoo flies while at the wheel.

Dorset County Council’s road safety manager Robert Smith said: “The motoring public are now beginning to realise that with more police patrols on duty on Dorset’s roads there is a much greater chance of them being caught for bad and careless driving behaviour.

“I’m sure that most people would agree that the non seatbelt-wearing and mobile phone use figures are shocking and that there is absolutely no excuse for this.”

Nearly 15,000 motoring offences were detected by police officers and speed camera operators under the No Excuse campaign between January and September.

A campaign spokesman said just under 2,500 drivers or passengers were caught without a seatbelt and almost 1,000 drivers used mobile phones at the wheel.

Other offences dealt with by the officers included 14 drivers jumping red lights, 22 drivers whose vehicles’ number plates were illegal, 38 people driving without insurance and 144 driving vehicles without MOTs.

Police head of special operations Chief Inspector Robert Nichols said: “The No Excuse project is designed to make Dorset’s roads safer for us all.

“I have been impressed with the support we receive from the other services that deal with the tragic consequences of collisions, and from the wider motoring public.

“Unfortunately, a significant number of drivers continue to put themselves and others at risk through selfish or careless practices.

“We will continue to detect those individuals and we accept no excuse.”

The No Excuse campaign is being led by the Dorset Road Safe partnership, which includes Dorset Police, Dorset County Council, Bournemouth Borough Council, Borough of Poole, Dorset Fire and Rescue Service, NHS Dorset and Dorset Road Safe speed camera teams among others.