Common ‘yellow box’ driving mistake that could result in £130 fine

Yellow box junctions can be confusing to both new and experienced drivers which could result in hefty fines being issued

Motorists could be at risk of a £130 fine for not following strict rules on when and where they can stop in traffic.

Many roads across the country feature a wide variety of road markings which help dictate the behaviour of drivers.

However, not following the rules of these road markings can lead to fines and even legal trouble in some cases.

One road marking that appears to spark a wide array of confusion is yellow box junctions.

These yellow square road markings with a criss-cross pattern are intended to tell vehicle owners that they are not allowed to stop within that area – although there are a few exceptions to this.

Failing to follow the road marking can result in a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of up to £130 in London or up to £70 in other areas, according to RAC.

Motorists generally receive this fine when their vehicle has stopped in the yellow box junction and thus caused congestion on a busy intersection.

However, in many cases you may be able to avoid the full fine as long as you pay a reduced 50% rate within the first 14 days.

Exceptions to yellow box junction rules

While your vehicle is generally not allowed to be stationary in a yellow box junction, there is one particular exception to this.

Rule 174 of the Highway Code states that motorists are not allowed to enter the box until the exit road or lane is clear.

It adds: “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.”

Appealing a yellow box fine

If you receive a fine from your local authority for allegedly breaking yellow box junction rules, you may be able to log a formal appeal.

There are a wide variety of reasons that an appeal could succeed, with some people using a range of reasons to help dodge the fine.

For example, one claimant said that when they entered the yellow box in lane two, her exit was clear.

However, after entering the junction a vehicle from lane one moved into her lane, thus preventing her from exiting the junction.

In this case, the claimants account was supported by CCTV and her appeal was approved.

In a similar case, one claimant said that when they entered the box there was sufficient space to exit if he vehicles in front continued to move, however, the claimant was cut off by a vehicle in the offside lane, thus occupying the exit and forcing the claimant to remain stationary in the yellow box junction – this case’s appeal was also approved.

Further examples of appeals that are both approved and denied can be found on Yellow Box Guru here.