An 84-year-old motorist who drove the wrong way down a busy dual carriageway into oncoming traffic has been banned from the road for 16 months.
Catherine Nicoll has been fined £400 at Perth Sheriff Court and ordered to re-sit the extended driving test before being allowed to return to the road.
Nicoll, from Pitlochry, admitted driving her Honda Jazz dangerously on the A9 Perth to Inverness trunk road, near Ballinluig in Perthshire, on 1 june this year.
She admitted driving northbound against the flow of traffic in the fast lane of the southbound carriageway and causing another driver to swerve to avoid a head-on collision.
Fiscal depute Nicola Caira told the court: “At 4pm on Saturday 1 June, the witness was driving southbound and moved into lane two to overtake slower moving vehicles.
“On commencing the overtake, the road began to bend to the left. On passing the first car he became aware of the Jazz travelling north in lane two of the southbound carriageway.
“It was not slowing down and he had to swerve into lane one between cars and narrowly avoiding a head-on collision. The accused continued driving north, so the witness pulled in to contact police.
“They were only able to give a brief description, that it had been an elderly female driving. Police were deployed, but were unable to trace the vehicle.”
Ms Caira said the witness provided the police with dashcam footage and they were able to identify Nicoll as the driver of the Jazz at the time of the incident.
She said Nicoll admitted being the driver and told the court that the pensioner had ignored numerous warning signs which would have showed her she was going in the wrong direction.
“She stated to the officers that she did not know how she had made the mistake,” the fiscal depute said. “She said she stopped and turned around at the first lay-by she came to.”
Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said: “She still works three days each week and drives 7,000 miles per annum. She has been driving since this without incident.
“It is a road she has travelled on for many years and, as she said to police, she has no idea how she came to make this particular mistake. She has done 50 years driving without difficulty.
“As soon as she saw the vehicle coming towards her she pulled into the lay-by. She is sorry for making this mistake. She passed an eyesight test. It is a mistake which could have had consequences and she is very grateful for the actions of the other driver.”
Sheriff Jennifer Bain KC said: “You described it yourself as ‘a frightful experience’ and it was no doubt very frightening for the individual who had to swerve to avoid a head-on collision.
“You have had your driving licence for almost 50 years. I take into account that you rectified your mistake as quickly as you could.”
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