A Southampton man today admitted driving while impaired by cannabis.

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner fined 20-year-old Michael Byron $1,500 and disqualified him from driving for 12 months.

Prosecutor Carrington Mahoney told the court Byron was arrested after police responded to a single vehicle collision in Devonshire around 1am on July 14.

A subsequent blood sample from Byron found the presence of cannabis in a sufficient enough quality to cause impairment.

Defence Lawyer Bruce Swan told the court Byron was fleeing from a group of men who were trying to fight him and only crashed when he was attacked while trying to get away.