Distracted driving: Spider and diabetes court case
In the first, a woman claimed that as she was driving her Volkswagen in the New Forest, her young daughter cried out: "Mummy, there's a spider in the car." Moments later, she pulled into the path of an oncoming car on the A31 Cadnam-Ringwood road, causing the death of an 80-year-old passenger in another vehicle. Jurors were told the woman, who came from Andover, struck the offside of an approaching car before colliding head on with a following car in which the victim was travelling. Pleading not guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, she described how she was waiting to pull into a lay-by to deal with the spider when her daughter shouted out again about the arachnid which was frightening her. "I must have pulled the wheel causing my car to move to the offside," she said by way of explanation for the crash.
But following a direction about the law from Mr Justice Everleigh, jurors decided the distraction was no defence. 
There are a variety of incidents - women taking things out of handbags, adjustment to car mirrors - which can give rise to accidents. I hope if you face similar circumstances again while driving your re-action will be to pull over and stop." However, he felt she had already suffered considerable punishment over the lapse and took a lenient course by not imposing a disqualification.
He then fined her GBP35. The second case concerned the death of an elderly pedestrian who was struck by a car in Upper Northam Road, Hedge End. The driver, a 26-year-old technical supervisor, had been driving normally until he entered the 30mph zone when his car suddenly veered diagonally across the road, mounting the pavement, knocking down the woman standing by a bus shelter and hitting a telegraph pole.
The driver told police he was a diabetic, Asked if he had ever suffered blackouts, he replied: "Yes, but I always get about 10-15 minutes warning symptoms so I can stop in time." In a statement read to the court, he described how he had braked when he saw the 30mph speed limit sign. "I remember the car was doing just over the limit and slowing, but I can remember nothing else until the car came to rest against the telegraph pole." A doctor, who had been treating him for six years, said it was quite possible he had suffered a blackout because the quantity of sugar in his blood was low, and this was usually accompanied by warning symptoms.
Following a lengthy deliberation, jurors acquitted him.
Mr Justice Waller said he must notify the local licencing authority about the case but the prosecution then revealed the defendant had already written to them asking for his licence to be revoked.