Christian Daniel Wood, 34, drove almost 400 metres along the incorrect side of the Midland Highway near Magpie on November 27 last year, before he crashed into a car that was trying to take evasive action.

Despite the crash Wood continued driving, colliding heavily with the front passenger side of a second vehicle soon after and causing "considerable" damage.

Wood was unlicensed and had a blood alcohol reading of 0.186 at the time.

The Wendouree man appeared in Ballarat Magistrates Court yesterday where he pleaded guilty to charges including drink driving and dangerous driving.

The court heard that after he was breath tested, Wood told police the reading was impossible as he'd only had three drinks.

"I believe your machine is wrong," he said.

Wood was lodged in the police cells to sober up.

Defence lawyer Amanda Hurst said her client was an alcoholic and had tried to shake the addiction for a long time.

"He's struggled his whole life to overcome this," she said.

"He's very ashamed of the offending that's brought him to court today."

Ms Hurst urged the court not to jail her client, who she said had sought counselling to address his problems.

She said Wood was not drinking at present.

Magistrate Frank Jones warned Wood not to get behind the wheel after drinking.

"I don't mind if he drinks or even if he drinks himself into oblivion but not to get in the front seat of a car," he said.

Mr Jones sentenced Wood to an 18 month community corrections order including 150 hours of unpaid community work.

"You were that close to going to jail today, but the main thing is treatment," he said.

"There's no point warehousing you and you come out the same way".

"You're fully aware of what could have happened, you could have killed someone."

Wood was also disqualified from driving for five years.