Help with PCN: Caught in yellow hatched area

reach229

Hello,

I was driving through a crossing with yellow hatched area at the exit. I was in the right-hand lane, and it all looked clear ahead. However, just before I reached the other side of the box, a bus decided to jump into my lane, cutting me up, and leaving me hanging halfway across the yellow area.

According to the highway code 174, "You must not enter the box until your exit road or lane is clear." but it was clear at the time I pulled off, it just got blocked before i could exit, so am i technically right or wrong? Ie. Is it my fault if someone pulls out on me?



I imagine this is rather like those cases where people move out the way for emergency vehicles, they may be good people, but they still get stung!



If i can get video evidence of the bus pulling out, could it be grounds to dismiss the charge?

Thanks ^^

DoaM

Take this over to Pepipoo ... they're best-placed to help with questions like this. (I'm not sure which board will be best ... Speeding and other Criminal Offences or Council Parking Tickets & Clamping and Decriminalised Notices ... probably the former).

Don't try to register using a Hotmail address, and read the posting guides first.

Scrapit

You should have at least a picture. I had a picture and HD quality video for me to look at last time I got done in a box. No appeal for me, sometimes you make mistakes.

Alter_ego

I believe there is an exception if you are waiting to turn right?

Car_54

DoaM wrote: »

Take this over to Pepipoo ... they're best-placed to help with questions like this. (I'm not sure which board will be best ... Speeding and other Criminal Offences or Council Parking Tickets & Clamping and Decriminalised Notices ... probably the former).

Don't try to register using a Hotmail address, and read the posting guides first.

No, it's a PCN so it's one for the Council Parking Tickets & Clamping and Decriminalised Notice forum.

forgotmyname

reach229 wrote: »

Hello,

I was driving through a crossing with yellow hatched area at the exit. I was in the right-hand lane, and it all looked clear ahead. However, just before I reached the other side of the box, a bus decided to jump into my lane, cutting me up, and leaving me hanging halfway across the yellow area.

According to the highway code 174, "You must not enter the box until your exit road or lane is clear." but it was clear at the time I pulled off, it just got blocked before i could exit, so am i technically right or wrong? Ie. Is it my fault if someone pulls out on me?



I imagine this is rather like those cases where people move out the way for emergency vehicles, they may be good people, but they still get stung!



If i can get video evidence of the bus pulling out, could it be grounds to dismiss the charge?

Thanks ^^

Bus jumped?? Yes get the video... Send it to the TV shows and get £250.

If the bus is changing lanes wont it be in your picture you already have? It should still be partially across the lane unless you were way back and it was a massive junction.

They dont exactly change lanes in a car length.

AdrianC

Tricky blighters, these leaping buses. So agile, and so unpredictable!

DoaM

Alter_ego wrote: »

I believe there is an exception if you are waiting to turn right?

Except the OP wasn't turning right. At least that's not how I read the post.

reach229

forgotmyname wrote: »

If the bus is changing lanes wont it be in your picture you already have? It should still be partially across the lane unless you were way back and it was a massive junction.

They dont exactly change lanes in a car length.

The bus had completed its manoeuvre. There was just more than a bus length's worth of space in my lane, which is why I decided to go, and why I ended up hanging half-way in the box once the bus was done. And I'm not sure if you've seen them, but these London buses can be pretty quick off the block!

I've done some more reading, and in case anyone else is in the same predicament, the law (TSRGD 2016) makes two points I think are relevant here:

11.—(1) ...a person must not cause a vehicle to enter the box junction so that the vehicle has to stop within the box junction due to the presence of stationary vehicles.

and

(2) ...a person must not cause a vehicle to enter the box junction so that the vehicle has to stop within the box junction due to the presence of oncoming vehicles or other stationary vehicles beyond the box junction.

So by my interpretation, although it may seem like it was the bus driver's fault, it is still ultimately the driver's responsibility to ensure they do not stop in the yellow box.

There is perhaps, some argument to say the bus driver committed a contravention as well (because their driving caused a vehicle to stop in the box) but that won't help get out of the PCN. At best you could report it to the council, and if you were bothered enough maybe sue the bus company (obviously, that's ridiculous).

Will still request the video, but it looks like I'm taking this on the chin. Thanks Bus Man :mad:

Alter_ego

DoaM wrote: »

Except the OP wasn't turning right. At least that's not how I read the post.

Agreed, but he was in the right lane. So a possible defence if there was a right turn available.

DoaM

Which would a) depend upon where in the box the OP was photo'd, and b) whether OP was signalling to turn right (on the video). I'd imagine that neither will help the OP in this case.