8:35 am, January 13, 2020
THE chairman of the Institute of the Motor Industry has stepped down from the role after being banned from the road for drink-driving.
Adrian Smith, 62, a former Saab dealer, was found in his car near a roundabout in Milltimber, a suburb to the west of Aberdeen, by a concerned member of the public, the local Press & Journal newspaper reported.
Police observed that the vehicle was stationary but that the keys were in the ignition so carried out a roadside breath test.
It was found that Smith had 116 micrograms of alcohol in his breath. The legal limit in Scotland is 22.
As well as being IMI chairman, Smith, of North Deeside Road, Milltimber, is a former chief executive of the Scottish Motor Trade Association and ran his own Saab dealership until the demise of the brand in 2011, said the Press & Journal.
Solicitor Gregor Kelly, defending Smith at Aberdeen Sheriff Court at the hearing last week, acknowledged that his client had recorded a high breath-test reading and said that he had ‘no place getting behind the wheel of a car having consumed that much alcohol’.
He added that Smith, who he described as a law-abiding citizen, was ’emotionally fragile’ because of the recent loss of his father and described the incident as ‘isolated’.
Smith admitted a charge of drink-driving. He was banned from the road for two years and fined £2,000.
In a statement issued today, the IMI confirmed he had decided to step down as chairman with immediate effect, having served seven years in the role.
It added: ‘We would like to thank him for the enormous contribution he has made to the organisation and wish him well for the future. Kevin Finn, currently honorary treasurer for the IMI, has kindly agreed to step in as interim chairman.’
