Fined because I stopped in box junction

sophie43

Hi everyone,

I got a fine from transport for london because I stopped in a box junction when the light was still green (you can see the light is still green on the picture). I stopped because the traffic slowed down but then moved on. I didn't stay in this box junction more than few seconds.
I am followed by two vans which stopped as well just behind me (I guess they got a fine as well).

Am I right to think this is unfair?

Thanks for your help
Sophie

peter_the_piper

The important question is was the exit clear when you entered the box? If so then there are grounds for appeal on this point at least. The big boys/girls will be along shortly to better advise.

sophie43

peter_the_piper wrote: »

The important question is was the exit clear when you entered the box? If so then there are grounds for appeal on this point at least. The big boys/girls will be along shortly to better advise.

Hi there,

Thanks for your answer. When I entered in the box junction, I was just following the traffic. Nothing let me though I was gonna stop (I stopped just at the edge of the box although 4 wheels are inside).

Sophie

veggiecar

unfortunately following traffic won't get you off unless you were waiting to turn right.
TFL must be making a fortune from this:mad:

from the highway code:
Box junctions. These have criss-cross yellow lines painted on the road (see 'Road markings'). You MUST NOT enter the box until your exit road or lane is clear. However, you may enter the box and wait when you want to turn right, and are only stopped from doing so by oncoming traffic, or by other vehicles waiting to turn right. At signalled roundabouts you MUST NOT enter the box unless you can cross over it completely without stopping.

sophie43

veggiecar wrote: »

unfortunately following traffic won't get you off unless you were waiting to turn right.
TFL must be making a fortune from this:mad:

from the highway code:
Box junctions. These have criss-cross yellow lines painted on the road (see 'Road markings'). You MUST NOT enter the box until your exit road or lane is clear. However, you may enter the box and wait when you want to turn right, and are only stopped from doing so by oncoming traffic, or by other vehicles waiting to turn right. At signalled roundabouts you MUST NOT enter the box unless you can cross over it completely without stopping.

thanks very much for your reply.

TFL must indeed make lots of money from it :mad: Taught me another good lesson. £60 down the drain :mad:

sarahg1969

OP, get on to www.pepipoo.com for some useful information and assistance. It may be a well-known money-making junction. The box may not be correctly marked – there are a whole host of possible errors.

And remember the rules say you must not ENTER the box if your way is not clear. There are plenty of boxes where it appears the way is clear, only for you to find that two lanes go into one once you've entered it. And then you're stuck..

Do NOT pay until you have been on to pepipoo for some proper advice.

sophie43

Thanks for your reply, I'm going to have a look right now

Idiophreak

sophie43 wrote: »

Am I right to think this is unfair?

Sorry to say it, but I don't really think so.

You don't enter a yellow box unless you're free to leave it, not rocket science.

Sure, I've been caught out a couple of times and ended up sat in the things - down to misjudgements on my part - but if I'd been fined, I'd just have sucked it up and paid - I knew I was in the wrong.

Don't really see what's unfair about them fining you for something you admit you did wrong. Unlucky, maybe, but not unfair.

Anyway, as sarah says, the peeps at pepipoo may well be able to help you wriggle out of paying...

Pound

It's illegal to stop in a box junction. But there's one near me where it's impossible to get to the other side of it without stopping.



During rush hour traffic from the red and yellow dots want to reach the same point. When there's a free space the car at the red dot isn't traffic light controlled so can and will quickly scoot across. The car at the yellow dot could sit there for an hour before it could get across the box junction without stopping.

Mark_Hewitt

Pound wrote: »

It's illegal to stop in a box junction. But there's one near me where it's impossible to get to the other side of it without stopping.



During rush hour traffic from the red and yellow dots want to reach the same point. When there's a free space the car at the red dot isn't traffic light controlled so can and will quickly scoot across. The car at the yellow dot could sit there for an hour before it could get across the box junction without stopping.

Have you informed the local highways department about your findings?

elvch01

interesting photo & it does suggest that this box junction is not tought out very well at all, but here's my layman's €0.02

If my understanding of the law is correct, you should not enter a box junction unless your exit is clear, but given the road layout shown in the photo, it is clearly possible to enter the junction from the yellow dot when the exit is lear and for a car to enter the junction from the red dot and "steal" the exit space.

If I were caught at this juction, I would ask to see all photo/video evidence to see if it could be argued that when I entered the junction, the exit was clear, but that another motorists actions had served to "block" the exit AFTER I had entered the junction