POLICE have revealed they have tackled 1,650 cases of bad or dangerous driving in three months.

The figures come from Dorset Police's No Excuse team which targets bad driving.

Between January 20 and April 19 this year a total of 1,650 tickets were issued to motorists for a range of offences, including using a mobile phone while driving, driving without due care and attention, speeding and not wearing a seatbelt.

Eight motorists were arrested for drink and drug driving and driving without a licence.

A total of 53 drivers were sent to court for 'extreme speeding'.

The team uses a combination of enforcement and education to tackle the new ‘fatal five’ on Dorset’s roads, which are drink and drug driving, excessive and inappropriate speed, not wearing a seatbelt, driver distractions such as using a hand-held mobile phone and careless driving.

The team comprises one sergeant, six police constables, two police staff enquiry officers, and is supported by special constables.

Dorset Police proactively publishes where the ‘No Excuse’ team and the Safety Camera teams are based each day on Twitter, Facebook and the Dorset Police website.

The role of the team is to tackle poor driving and educate motorists in a bid to reduce the number of casualties on Dorset’s roads.

The team operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week – they could be anywhere at any time.

The team aims to educate drivers instead of endorsing their licences and 80 per cent of those who met the criteria took up the offer of a place on the Driver Awareness Course (DAS) rather than going to court or receiving a £100 fixed penalty notice and three penalty points on their licence.

Further ‘No Excuse’ activities have also been taking place across Dorset, including work with the Maiden Newton Childcare Provision, where high visibility items were issued to teachers and children, and in Marshwood where the ‘No Excuse’ team worked with the community and Dorset County Council to tackle speeding in the village.

Dorset Police also has a dedicated Enquiry Team who proactively target those motorists who have not responded to the fixed penalty notice issued to them.

Between 20 January 2015 and 19 April 2015, the team resolved 500 cases, visited 200 drivers at home, ensured that 100 fines were paid and licences were endorsed, booked 50 court places and made several companies aware of their responsibility to know who was driving their vehicles.

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill said: “I support this self-funding enforcement team. Road safety remains a priority and I praise the work that is taking place to keep our roads safe. I remain fully committed to reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads. It is important that we work together to make our roads safer and I am delighted to see the police so well supported by local residents with initiatives such as the Community SpeedWatch Scheme.”

‘No Excuse’ Operations Manager, Brian Austin, said: This initiative is one of the tools in our armoury to remove bad and careless driving from our roads. The large number of concerns we receive proves that the public are keen for the ‘No Excuse’ team to visit their communities and take action against those who put them and their loved ones at risk.

“There is no excuse to break the traffic laws in Dorset. They are there for your safety and the safety of those around you.

“I would also like to remind motorists who have been caught that there is nowhere to hide. Our dedicated Enquiry Team will ensure that those who think that they can ignore the Notices of Intended Prosecution issued against them for committing traffic offences don’t avoid the consequences of their actions.”

If you have concerns regarding bad or careless driving in your area, contact police at dorsetroadsafe@dorset.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101. Please provide as much information as you can such as vehicle registration numbers, colour and make of vehicles and general times the vehicles are seen.

To follow the ‘No Excuse’ team and their locations visit: www.dorsetpolice.co.uk www.facebook.com/dorsetpolicenoexcuse www.twitter.com/dorsetnoexcuse