A driver with an “obsession” for hand sanitiser crashed and wrote off three cars when his slippery hands slid off the steering wheel.
Jamie Den Boer had been driving along Westburn Road in Aberdeen at 5am when he lost control of his red Audi.
The 38-year-old, who Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard had become “somewhat obsessed” with hand sanitiser, had applied hand gel behind the wheel, causing him to lose grip and crash into a parked Mercedes.
Fiscal depute Carol Gammie said the Mercedes in turn shunted into another parked car, an Audi.
She said: “A witness nearby was awoken by the sound of the collision. She woke her partner to investigate, went outside and observed considerable damage to the red Audi the accused had been driving consistent with colliding head-on.
“The Mercedes and the other parked vehicle were both also damaged extensively, so much so that all three vehicles have been deemed damaged beyond repair.”
Den Boer pled guilty to a charge of careless driving over the incident, on March 22 last year.
‘Drivers should not put slippery substances on their hands’
Defence agent William Mackay said his client had never been in any trouble before, and on the day in question had been going to pick up his niece who had been unable to get a taxi.
Mr Mackay added: “At the time I think it’s fair to say he was somewhat obsessed with using sanitiser.
“He put sanitiser on his hands and, as he approached this point in the road where it narrows, his hand slipped on the wheel and he collided with the rear offside of the first vehicle.
“It was entirely his fault.
“It wasn’t anything he was doing, other than having sanitiser on his hands, that caused this incident.”
Sheriff Margaret Hodge told Den Boer, of Argyll Place, Portlethen: “I take into account the explanation your solicitor has given me.
“I do take the view this is towards the lower end of the spectrum of careless driving.
“Drivers should not put slippery substances on their hands.
“Perhaps you should have known what would happen if, as your solicitor says, you were obsessed with sanitiser.”
She ordered him to pay a fine of £520 and gave him four penalty points.
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