Motorist f ined £400 for driving at 15mph in M-way rush hour
A MOTORIST caused traffic chaos after driving at 15mph down one of Scotland’s busiest motorways.
Other motorists had to take evasive action to avoid hitting Onyebuchi Akuonu as he crawled along the M90.
Drivers trying to enter the Perth to Edinburgh motorway from the slip road had to slam on their brakes to let Akuonu crawl past during rush hour.
Perth Sheriff Court was told last week that Akuonu – who worked as a lawyer in his native Nigeria – had been driving since the 1970s and had never attracted police attention.
But officers who were called to the scene by other concerned motorists pulled the security officer’s 15-year- old BMW B200 over and charged him with dangerous driving.
Akuonu, 64, from Aberdeen, admitted a reduced charge of driving carelessly by going at ‘excessively slow speed’ and causing other vehicles to brake to avoid colliding with him.
‘The incident took place near Bridge of Earn, Perthshire, on March 26 last year.
Fiscal depute Kristina Kelly told the court: ‘It was just after 5.30pm. The first witness entered the M90 motorway at junction nine, near Bridge of Earn. They built up speed and observed the accused’s vehicle travelling at a slow speed. [The witness] required to brake to avoid a collision.
‘He then joined the road behind the accused’s vehicle. He described the accused as travelling at 15mph. Another witness described him as driving at about 20mph.
‘Police attended and stopped the accused and took him to a nearby lay-by.
‘An off i cer t ook over t he driving of the accused’s vehicle due to the safety concerns for other road users.’
Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said: ‘He has no previous convictions and no outstanding cases.
He has not been charged with any offence in more than 40 years of driving. It is understandable to ask why this offence was committed. It was driving without due care and consideration for others.
‘The accused had driven into very bright sunlight and at that point he was driving a new vehicle. He was driving slowly because it was a low sun directly at him.
‘Driving at a speed of 15mph or 20mph on the motorway is very slow. He accepts he was driving at low speed because of the hazard.
‘For a truck driver going behind him at a certain speed it is then harder to [slow down]. That is how the matter came to police attention.’
Mr Holmes said Akuonu had grown up ‘fighting adversity’ during the Biafran conflict in Nigeria and had not received any education in his homeland as a result.
Akuonu later attended Aberdeen University for a year before dropping out. Mr Holmes told the court: ‘He is someone who doesn’t drive fast. He was caught in the moment.’
Sheriff Neil Bowie said: ‘Clearly, with hindsight, he should have found somewhere to pull in – a layby or whatever. I am not satisfied the nature of the driving is such that it requires disqualification.’
He imposed six penalty points and fined Akuonu £400.
According to the RAC, there is no official minimum speed limit on most motorways, but travelling too slowly can be considered dangerous and result in police action.
‘Driven into very bright sunlight’