Road rage driver banned from driving

Aug 26 2010 by Alistair Watson, West Lothian Courier

A ROAD rage driver who smashed into another car as he swerved onto the wrong side of the road has been given community service.

The victim’s car was so badly damaged it had to be scrapped after the car Barry Wood (25) was driving hit it head on as he attempted an overtaking manoeuvre.

Livingston Sheriff Court heard witnesses saw a white vehicle being closely followed by Wood’s car on November 13, 2008.

“They said these vehicles travelled onto Glasgow Road and they described the vehicle being driven by the accused as driving near to the vehicle in front, and the accused’s vehicle was swerving into the opposite carriageway as if it was trying to overtake,” fiscal depute Lisa McCloy said.

“They saw the accused’s car overtake this other vehicle on several occasions. Each time he was overtaking he pulled back directly in front of the other vehicle, forcing it to brake.”

The court heard that on one occasion as Wood attempted to overtake he was involved in a head-on collision with a different car as he swerved onto the wrong side of the road.

“Nobody was injured however there was significant damage to the other vehicle. I understand the vehicle was in fact written off,” Ms McCloy added.

Last week Wood, whose address was given as Millbank Square, Whitburn, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving.

His solicitor, Gerry Bann, said the incident had not come completely out the blue.

“There had been some significant aggressive driving by the driver of the other vehicle,” Mr Bann added. “Everything Mr Wood did was targeted at trying to attract the attention of the other vehicle which had at first overtaken him and driven away.

“He said he was trying to get sight of the registration plate as it was not showing one at the rear.

“He wanted the other driver to stop to speak to him about what had happened earlier. He let his agitation get the better of him as to how he drove and thankfully no-one was injured.”

Banning Wood from the roads for two years, placing him on probation for a year and ordering him to carry out 150 hours of community service Sheriff Douglas Kinloch said: “This was a bad case of dangerous driving and was a road rage incident.

“It is my view that you have shown by this and by the fact you have a previous conviction for careless driving that you are not a suitable person to be driving on the roads at the moment.

“The minimum disqualification is one year but due to the relative serious collision that took place and your previous road traffic record you will be banned for two years.

“Rather than send you back to prison which is a possible sentence this can be dealt with by probation. You have never had that before and I hope this can help you avoid similar matters.”