A Tesla driver who nearly died in a horror crash due to his incorrect autopilot settings has been fined more than £1,000 for careless driving.
Dale Martin from Arbroath spun off the A90 near Aberdeen, bouncing off the central reservation and ploughing through two fences before coming to rest in a field after his high-tech car hit a puddle.
The 47-year-old energy firm manager suffered catastrophic injuries in the smash and had to be put in an induced coma while medical experts battled to save his life.
Martin survived but has now faced court, where he was fined the four-figure sum and also handed penalty points.
‘The carelessness comes from his failure to adjust the cruise control’
Fiscal depute Ellen Barr told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the incident happened around 8am on July 28 2021 on the A90 near Kingswells.
The court heard there was heavy rain at the time, with “large puddles of standing water on the road”.
Ms Barr said a witness had been driving in front of Martin and, due to the wet weather, felt he was driving too close behind him.
She said: “The accused then overtook this witness and, in doing so, the accused’s vehicle was seen to begin to aquaplane on the wet road surface.
“He then collided with the central reservation. His car rebounded and left the road, collided with an emergency layby sign, then crashed into a wooden fence, over a gravel access road and another fence, coming to rest within a field.”
Witnesses stopped their vehicles and rushed to help, finding Martin “drifting in and out of consciousness” in the car with an apparent serious arm injury.
He was taken to hospital and, due to the severity of his injuries, was placed in an induced coma.
The father-of-two was kept in hospital for several weeks.
Martin, of Warslap Avenue, pled guilty to a charge of careless driving.
Defence agent Robin Beattie said his client commuted between Arbroath and Dyce for his work as a manager with an energy services provider.
He explained Martin had been driving his Tesla and had set the cruise control to 70mph and to keep a minimum distance of two full car lengths between it and the vehicle in front.
Mr Beattie said the car in front of Martin had been travelling at a slower speed before switching to the slow lane “which caused his car to rapidly accelerate to 70mph and it went through a puddle of standing water which he did not notice”.
He said: “The carelessness comes from his failure to adjust the cruise control.
“He has suffered enormously because of this.
“Those responsible for his care thought he might not pull through.”
Thanks medical staff who saved his life
Martin suffered a “shattered” shoulder blade, a broken collar bone and five broken ribs.
He had to have permanent metal plating inserted and has nerve damage and loss of sensation in his right hand.
He has also suffered from symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Mr Beattie said: “He has been left a changed man and drives at all times with extreme caution.
“He was back on the road within three months of this. There have been no further incidents.
“He wishes me to say he’s thankful to the medical staff who effectively saved his life.”
Sheriff Graham Buchanan said: “As charges of careless driving go, it’s quite a serious example of that.
“You have no previous convictions of any kind and you did suffer quite badly as a result of your own carelessness.
“In all of these circumstances, I’ll deal with this by way of a fine and penalty points.”
He ordered Martin to pay a fine totalling £1,040 and handed him six penalty points.
