USING a mobile at the wheel, speeding, not wearing a seatbelt and distracted driving – Dorset Police issued more than 1,600 tickets for these types of motoring offences in just three months.

The Echo went on patrol with the team to find out why there really is 'No Excuse' for putting lives at risk when you get behind the wheel.

Officers pulled over a number of drivers during one morning in Weymouth. On King Street, two vehicles were pulled over after they failed to stop at a red light and a pedestrian crossing.

One of the drivers, a 27-year-old woman, said: “I thought the light was green. I’m shocked at myself.” She was given three points on her licence and a £100 fine.

A car was seized when officers discovered the driver was uninsured.

He was handed six penalty points on his licence and a £300 fine.

PC Jason Cartridge said: “I think there is a lot of public support for us when we deal with uninsured drivers because it has the biggest impact.“If they’re involved in a collision each person pays because of uninsured drivers on the road.”

Later, whilst on patrol in Dorchester Road, a driver was stopped for using his mobile phone behind the wheel. The driver said he knew he shouldn’t have answered.

He said: “I know I shouldn’t answer but I just answered and said ‘I’ll call you back.’ But at that moment I was stopped. There’s no excuse for it.”

He was given three points on his licence and issued with a £100 fine.

PC Cartridge said : “The government is saying that mobile phone use is as bad as drink driving because you shut down your vision outside the car.”

Sgt Pitman said: “I think it’s important to show the public the other side of it when dealing with these offences and the potential impact that they can have.

“I would like to make a special comment on the two drivers that we dealt with for the red light offence which in my view was deplorable.

“'No Excuse' is working and will continue to work and is steadily improving the killed and seriously injured figures within Dorset. It will take time to change drivers’ behaviour whether that be by education or by direct enforcement.”

To follow the ‘No Excuse’ team and its patrol locations visit: dorsetpolice.co.uk or facebook.com/dorsetpolicenoexcuse You can also follow them on Twitter at @DorsetNoExcuse