Site manager who caused A95 crash by Grantown told even defective tyre will lead to ban
A site manager who travels almost 50,000 miles a year drove his BMW head-on into another vehicle will lose his driving licence for at least six months if he commits even a minor road traffic offence.
Father of three, 56 year old Maxwell Blair of Buttercup Crescent, Cambuslang was given the warning at Inverness Sheriff Court when he admitted driving carelessly on the A95 east of Grantown on the early morning of October 25, last year.
Fiscal depute Victoria Silver told Sheriff Gary Aitken that Blair entered the opposite carriageway, causing one oncoming vehicle to take evasive action.
But despite the other motorist braking hard and sounding his horn, the collision could not be avoided.
Defending, Graham Mann said his client was working at the Macallan Distillery in Rothes and had left his home early to drive there.
"He had taken as much rest as he thought necessary the day before and doesn't have much of an explanation for how this happened.”
But Sheriff Aitken interjected: "It is sometimes the momentary lapse without explanation which causes death or serious injury. He is very lucky this was not worse for him or anyone else."
Mr Mann successfully appealed to the Sheriff not to ban his client who was fined £1675 and had his driving licence endorsed with six penalty points.
However, as Blair already had three points on his licence, the Sheriff delivered the warning a ban would be inevitable under the totting up procedure if he committed another offence, even for a defective tyre.