POLICE are shocked by some of the excuses that [Australia's Northern Territory] drivers are offering up for not wearing their seat belts, running red lights and speeding.
 
The Sunday Territorian has obtained a list of recent excuses given to Territory police for traffic infringements.

Worst among them, police say, was a woman pulled up for not wearing a seat belt recently who told police: "I can't wear my seat belt as I have sore breasts."

And two days ago a man was pulled up by an unmarked police car for running two red lights in a row.

When asked why by police, the man said: "It's a V8 - you try stopping it".

Police say when drivers are pulled over, they are always given the opportunity to explain why they may be disobeying the road rules.

"Because there may be some exceptional circumstances that may excuse them, such as a medical emergency," Superintendent of Road Safety Division Mark Jeffs said.

"Police hear all sorts of excuses as drivers try to justify their actions but in many cases they know they have been caught and it's just a feeble attempt to try and justify the action.

"But remember for a lot of those things there is no excuse, it's just simple carelessness.

"There aren't too many things you could say to justify an accident or injury to someone. The bottom line is it's a serious matter and we treat it seriously even though there are some lighthearted incidents.

"Every driver has to take responsibility, there are no excuses for many of the things that occur."

Supt. Jeffs said the V8 excuse was a good example of the reckless attitude of some drivers. "You would be amazed at the stories, red lights are a good one where people say 'I thought I could make it through before it went red'."

THE WORST EFFORTS

Seat belts:

• I CAN'T wear my seat belt as I have sore breasts;

• I WASN'T wearing my seat belt as I was getting changed;

• I KEEP getting in and out of the car and it's a nuisance.

Red lights:

• I COULDN'T stop for the red light as I was going too fast;

• I COULDN'T stop because it's a heavy vehicle and I normally have a wood chipper on the back;

• IT'S a V8, you try stopping it.

Speeding:

• I HAD to speed to get in front of you;

• I'M HURRYING to the service station because I am running out of fuel;

• I'VE got diarrhoea;

• I WAS running late for a funeral.

By Suellen Hinde, at the Sunday Territorian