Fined for "entering yellow box"

Hi there,
Today, saw a letter in the post for me and it was addressed from Redbridge Council. For those who are familiar with the area, it was at the junction of Barley Lane and Chadwell Heath Lane - I was trying to turn right into Barley Lane, so I could get onto the Eastern Ave (A12) Eastbound; anyone familiar with this junction knows the traffic light sequencing is pathetic, and I got most of my car across into the lane, the rear end of it ended up in the box, just margionally so. Now I know full well you're not sposed to stop in these boxes, so it wasn't me thinking I could, I simply thought I had enough time and a chance to get over fully into the lane. I'm a new driver, so my judgement has yet to fully mature. I remember at the time, and I can see in the iamge they sent me, that I am not blocking any cars at all, none of them actually stopped, they could pass freely. Is it just futile attempting to appeal? I'm told the contravention was "noted by an enforcement officer who was observing images from a roadside camera".

I've resigned to paying the fine, even though it doesn't really seem fair. I can understand it if I actually blocked the entire road, and prevented any traffic coming but that wasn't the case.

I reviewed the footage, and it just backs up my case even further, if the car had moved forward a bit in front I probably could have got out of the box.

Do I have grounds for an appeal?

The footage is here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfB3vVJ ... e=youtu.be

Literally only my rear wheels are in th ebox, traffic can pass freely, and if the car in front had manourved a bit I could have got into the other lane or more of my car out the box. Some misjudgement maybe on my part, but I'm a new driver. Once again, common sense has gone out of the window with these power-crazed idiots

Reply 1

IWMTom

20

Original post by Anonymous

Hi there,
Today, saw a letter in the post for me and it was addressed from Redbridge Council. For those who are familiar with the area, it was at the junction of Barley Lane and Chadwell Heath Lane - I was trying to turn right into Barley Lane, so I could get onto the Eastern Ave (A12) Eastbound; anyone familiar with this junction knows the traffic light sequencing is pathetic, and I got most of my car across into the lane, the rear end of it ended up in the box, just margionally so. Now I know full well you're not sposed to stop in these boxes, so it wasn't me thinking I could, I simply thought I had enough time and a chance to get over fully into the lane. I'm a new driver, so my judgement has yet to fully mature. I remember at the time, and I can see in the iamge they sent me, that I am not blocking any cars at all, none of them actually stopped, they could pass freely. Is it just futile attempting to appeal? I'm told the contravention was "noted by an enforcement officer who was observing images from a roadside camera".

I've resigned to paying the fine, even though it doesn't really seem fair. I can understand it if I actually blocked the entire road, and prevented any traffic coming but that wasn't the case.

I reviewed the footage, and it just backs up my case even further, if the car had moved forward a bit in front I probably could have got out of the box.

Do I have grounds for an appeal?

The footage is here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfB3vVJ ... e=youtu.be

Literally only my rear wheels are in th ebox, traffic can pass freely, and if the car in front had manourved a bit I could have got into the other lane or more of my car out the box. Some misjudgement maybe on my part, but I'm a new driver. Once again, common sense has gone out of the window with these power-crazed idiots

Your link is broken.

Reply 2

Admit-One

Universities Forum Helper

21

Yeah the link is broken but I think I've found the junction on streetview. There a yellow hashed box, although I couldn't see a camera in the 2020 pic, only an ominous empty post where one might be installed.

To be honest, I think appealing is likely to be fruitless. If the offence is stopping in the box, (not impeding traffic), then even if you were one wheel in then I suspect they will not budge. Maybe only if something dramatic and unpredictable happened in front of you.

Obviously you can try, but it might take you over the deadline for any prompt payment reduced fee.

Reply 3

RedGiant

22

Original post by Anonymous

Hi there,
Today, saw a letter in the post for me and it was addressed from Redbridge Council. For those who are familiar with the area, it was at the junction of Barley Lane and Chadwell Heath Lane - I was trying to turn right into Barley Lane, so I could get onto the Eastern Ave (A12) Eastbound; anyone familiar with this junction knows the traffic light sequencing is pathetic, and I got most of my car across into the lane, the rear end of it ended up in the box, just margionally so. Now I know full well you're not sposed to stop in these boxes, so it wasn't me thinking I could, I simply thought I had enough time and a chance to get over fully into the lane. I'm a new driver, so my judgement has yet to fully mature. I remember at the time, and I can see in the iamge they sent me, that I am not blocking any cars at all, none of them actually stopped, they could pass freely. Is it just futile attempting to appeal? I'm told the contravention was "noted by an enforcement officer who was observing images from a roadside camera".

I've resigned to paying the fine, even though it doesn't really seem fair. I can understand it if I actually blocked the entire road, and prevented any traffic coming but that wasn't the case.

I reviewed the footage, and it just backs up my case even further, if the car had moved forward a bit in front I probably could have got out of the box.

Do I have grounds for an appeal?

The footage is here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfB3vVJ ... e=youtu.be

Literally only my rear wheels are in th ebox, traffic can pass freely, and if the car in front had manourved a bit I could have got into the other lane or more of my car out the box. Some misjudgement maybe on my part, but I'm a new driver. Once again, common sense has gone out of the window with these power-crazed idiots

Post on this forum (http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showforum=30), the experts there will give their opinion.

Edit: I see you already posted (http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=139848)

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 4

Surnia

20

So you couldn't work out whether you had the space to pull up properly on the far side of the box and are blaming another driver for that? Just pay the fine and learn from it.

Reply 5

Zarek

21

You can have a go at appealing and tell this story. More than likely the answer will be you’ve broken the rules so pay up.

Reply 6

TheMcSame

19

Original post by Admit-One

Yeah the link is broken but I think I've found the junction on streetview. There a yellow hashed box, although I couldn't see a camera in the 2020 pic, only an ominous empty post where one might be installed.

To be honest, I think appealing is likely to be fruitless. If the offence is stopping in the box, (not impeding traffic), then even if you were one wheel in then I suspect they will not budge. Maybe only if something dramatic and unpredictable happened in front of you.

Obviously you can try, but it might take you over the deadline for any prompt payment reduced fee.

On the flip side though, isn't traffic waiting to turn exempt from yellow box rules? If the box doesn't cover the waiting area I'm not entirely sure how that one could play out. Even if the area isn't part of the box, surely one could very much argue the toss over it because they're turning right and thus, in that moment in time, exempt from the yellow box rule, even if there is a waiting area outside of the box.

That's how you've got to play it with laws and rules. Take a mile and give them an inch. Take the liberty yourself where it benefits you, but go by the book exactly against the enforcers. Unless there's actually something that addresses this scenario, there's likely an arguable case here purely because being prevented from turning right is a valid excuse for stopping in a box junction.