nissan qq+2 - stopping on a box junction

Honest John Back Room » Legal matters
View Threaded
Mon 6 May 2013 10:35
nissan qq+2 - stopping on a box junction - lissy3

Hi, on Saturday I received a fine for stopping on a box junction. I do recall exactly what happend as there was plenty of room for me, the traffic was moving. A lorry two vehicles ahead of me suddenly stopped leaving me half in the box.

On the back of the fine is a photo of the alleged offence, and it shows the lorry and a gap of at least two car lengths ahead of the lorry. Also, you can see the lights are still on green.

Can I still be fined? I only stopped for about 2 seconds as the lorry moved up, and I will admit that on this particular day I didn't have my crystal ball still on the dash, but you can clearly see in the photo what was happening.

Thank you for any responses as I feel this is totally wrong.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 6 May 2013 11:01
nissan qq+2 - stopping on a box junction - bathtub tom

Highway code rule 174 is perfectly clear on this: You MUST NOT enter the box until your exit road or lane is clear.

www.gov.uk/using-the-road-159-to-203/road-junction...3

I've been done in similar circumstances.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 6 May 2013 11:08
nissan qq+2 - stopping on a box junction - Bromptonaut

Strictly speaking I think this is a 'gotcha'. The offence/infringement is committed when a vehicle (with an exception for right turns) stops within the box. See Highway Code rulee 174 which is phrased as MUST.

https://www.gov.uk/using-the-road-159-to-203/road-junctions-170-to-183

Traffic lights being green is not going to help. They're not part of the box setup.

If the lorry had got the ticket he might have had a defence if, for example, a pedestrian had stepped out in front. As you were following and entered box without having space to exit that won't help.

Having said all that most people read the road ahead and anticipate. London would grind to a halt if they didn't. If it's a council issued ticket your appeal is to a tribunal which is reltively informal. Somebody else may come along with a more helpful (to you) answer.

Another site, pepipoo, specialises in this sort of stuff and has some very knowledgeable people.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 6 May 2013 11:34
nissan qq+2 - stopping on a box junction - lissy3

Hi thanks for the advice. I think the thing that gets me is that "to prove a contravention the enforcing authority must be able to show that when you entered the box the exit was blocked by stationary traffic".

But the traffic was moving slowly, it's a very busy road. So the exit wasn't blocked by stationary traffic. The lorry ahead just stopped, I didn't go into the box when the traffic was stationary if you see what I mean?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 6 May 2013 13:17
nissan qq+2 - stopping on a box junction - daveyjp
You meed the video before you can formulate a defence. Visit pepipoo for lots of similar tales.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link