The driver who was pulled over by the police officer offered to “pinkie swear” about how much he had been drinking rather than having to do a breathalyzer test.
Then, there was the driver who alleged that the only reason the officer had pulled him over for speeding in a school zone was because he was in a Porsche.
These are among the excuses – heard by Abbotsford Police traffic officers – that have been posted online throughout the week as part of a social media campaign.
“It’s a way to generate a little bit of additional attention to road safety and to do it with a little inflection of humour,” said Const. Ian MacDonald of the four-day campaign, which started Monday on Twitter and Facebook.
MacDonald said drivers’ excuses for their bad behaviours tend to fall into one of three categories – a straight-forward explanation, an accusation that the officer was wrong, or a claim that it was the officer’s fault.
In one case, a young woman who was driving while prohibited had her car impounded at the scene.
She then blamed the officer for “ruining her life,” saying she had plans to go into Vancouver the next day.
Other excuses posted online include:
* “There’s no way my car could go that fast; it would explode!”
* “I wasn’t on my phone. I was holding it. I have to hold it. I can’t let it go.”
* Driver says, “My dad could buy you.” Officer responds, “Get him to buy two of me. I could use the help.”
* “You can’t give me a ticket for this. I got one last week!”
MacDonald said police will likely run the campaign again at some point this year.
At the beginning of 2013, the Abbotsford Police Department designated road safety as its top priority after a year that saw nine traffic-related fatalities.
