DRIVERS have stumped up almost £1million in just one year after being caught behaving badly on Dorset’s roads.

From speeding to not wearing a seat belt and using a mobile phone behind the wheel, more than 16,000 motorists have been caught flouting the law during the first year of the county-wide No Excuse campaign.

In the first 12 months of the Dorset Road Safe initiative, 16,630 traffic offences were processed resulting in most of the drivers being issued with £60 fixed penalty fines.

• 11,518 drivers were caught speeding

• 3,223 people were found not wearing seatbelts

• 1,251 drivers were found using their hand held mobile phone behind the wheel

• 638 people were issued with fixed penalty notices for offences such as no MOT, no vehicle excise licence, driving without proper control, driving without proper view.

Some drivers were given the option of going on education courses as an alternative for points on their licence or paying the fixed penalty notice fine.

Dorset Police say the first year of the No Excuse campaign has been a success and has seen significant reductions in casualties.

They say awareness of the campaign continues to grow and research has shown that 89 per cent of people asked recognised the No Excuse logo and the aim of the campaign.