A VEHICLE in irresponsible hands can have fatal consequences– and there is no excuse for bad driving, a police chief has warned.

Yesterday, the Echo printed photographs of drivers continuing to flout the law and endanger others by using their phones at the wheel.

The photos were taken in the same week that devastating footage was released of a lorry ploughing in to the back of a car, killing four people, when the driver got distracted by his phone.

Now, Colin Pipe, acting Police and Crime Commissioner, has issued a warning about the blight of poor driving on Dorset's roads.

So far this year, 15 people have lost their lives on the county's roads and 308 have been seriously injured.

Penning an open letter, Mr Pipe has set out the measures police are taking to tackle bad driving– but says officers can't be everywhere all the time and motorists need to be responsible.

"Dorset Police invests significant resources into policing our roads and officers and staff work hard to catch offenders who break the law," he said.

"Teams visit schools to educate young people on road safety and dedicated officers and special constables within our No Excuse team target those who flout the law. The team has also recently launched ‘Operation Dragoon’ which specifically targets the most prolific offenders in the county.

"Nevertheless, speeding, drink/drug driving, careless driving, using a mobile phone at the wheel and not wearing a seatbelt are still the five main causes of fatal road traffic collisions. All of these are preventable and all down to poor driver behaviour and decision making."

Since the beginning of the year, Dorset Police have issued a total of 47,367 prosecution letters, including 652 for using a mobile phone at the wheel and made 704 arrests covering the fatal five. The recent change in legislation for drug driving has made it easier to catch and convict these offenders with 46 people being charged with drug driving related offences since January.

"Education and enforcement are only part of the picture," Mr Pipe added. "They do not provide an alternative to the principle that drivers of all vehicles have a fundamental responsibility to behave with due care and attention, to drive safely and ensure they do not put themselves or others in danger. Being issued with a driving licence when you pass your test permits you to drive a vehicle but it also places these responsibilities on [you]. Police officers cannot be everywhere and the responsibility to drive safely is not dependent on the risk of being caught offending. A licence to drive is not the same as a licence to own a firearm but it can be just as lethal in the wrong hands."