As excuses for speeding go, it has to be up there among the most unusual.
But their ‘dog needing the toilet’ was exactly what one driver told police when asked to explain why they were travelling on the A30 at 94mph this week, when the maximum speed limit is 70mph.
Unfortunately for both driver and dog, Devon and Cornwall Police’s No Excuse team caught up with the vehicle and pulled it over.
Warning that such excuses would not be enough to avoid further action, a team member said: “The ‘dog needing the toilet’ was a different excuse given earlier on A30.
“Driver reported for excess speed.”
Launched in 2018, the specially trained Devon and Cornwall Police officers of the No Excuse team concentrate on tackling the Fatal Five offences that cause deaths and serious injuries on the roads: excessive or inappropriate speed, not wearing a seatbelt, distracted driving such as using a handheld mobile phone, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and careless or inconsiderate driving.
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They are joined by Devon and Cornwall Police’s wider Roads Policing Team – who also get some pretty unusual reasons given when stopping vehicles.
Last night (Friday) the team pulled over a car that was seen to mount the kerbs on two major roundabouts.
After passing a roadside breath test, with the reading below the legal limit for alcohol, it was discovered that the driver could not see properly put of the window due to them all being steamed up.
A Roads Policing Team officer reported: “The driver mounted kerbs on two major roundabouts near Bodmin and was stopped. Albeit they had had a drink, they blew 14ugs the legal limit being 35.
“Their vision [was] obscured by every window being steamed. Dealt with appropriately.”
Sometimes, however, the reason for speeding is much more simple – although it doesn’t make it any better for the driver.
Today the Roads Policing Team recounted how on their previous shift they were forced to pull over a motorist who was seen driving over 100mph in a 60mph limit in Truro.
After failing a roadside breath test, they subsequently blew a reading of 58 microgrammes of alcohol in every 100 millilitres of breath – the limit being 35 microgrammes.
The spokesperson said: “A speeding motorist was stopped in the Truro area on our last shift.
“Having been seen to drive in excess of 100mph in a 60 the driver blew over on at roadside and subsequently blew 58 at the station.”
The officer revealed that the driver had since been charged.
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