How to appeal a yellow box junction ticket

Yellow box junctions can often catch motorists out and result in hefty fines. Most yellow box junctions are found in cities with enforcement cameras automatically processing penalties.

RAC research reveals that 8 in 10 drivers say they struggle to clear yellow box junctions. Nearly half of motorists admit to getting accidentally stuck in them, with 1 in 3 blaming other law-breaking motorists for their contravention.

Drivers in 10 local authority areas newly enforcing yellow box junctions paid fines worth a combined £998,640 last year after apparently falling foul of the rules governing them, new RAC data analysis shows.

Up until May 2022, only councils in London and Cardiff could enforce yellow box junctions and other moving traffic contraventions, such as driving the wrong way up a one-way street. Freedom of Information requests sent to other councils in England that had applied for the powers since this time show that as of the start of this year, 36 separate boxes outside the two capital cities were being enforced – with a total of 32,748 penalty charge notices (PCNs) being issued to drivers stopping in them in 2024 alone. PCNs are generally £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days of the notice being issued.

The RAC’s analysis found wildly varying numbers of PCNs being handed out in different council areas, with one authority bringing in almost half (49%) of all yellow box revenue outside London and Cardiff. Manchester City Council, which is enforcing six yellow boxes, issued 13,130 PCNs for infringements last year – the equivalent of 36 a day – leading to £446,706 in fine revenue.

Second in terms of revenue from yellow box fines was Medway Council in Kent, which issued 4,433 PCNs last year for the five yellow boxes it enforced – the equivalent of 13 a day – raising £145,162. Buckinghamshire County Council came third, issuing 3,618 PCNs from four yellow boxes. This was equivalent to 10 a day, raising £139,798.

These three councils alone issued more than six-in-10 of all yellow box PCNs outside London and Cardiff last year (21,181 PCNs, 65% of the total), accounting for almost three-quarters (73%) of the total fine income (£731,666 of £998,640).

The highest PCN income from a single yellow box, however, was in Surrey where the Dennis Roundabout in Guildford saw 4,250 PCNs issued to drivers over a seven-month period, with drivers paying £81,445 in fines.

Problems with yellow box junctions include poor visibility and being too large, research commissioned by the RAC found.

Drivers must be able to clearly see yellow box junctions and where they end. Drivers of vehicles infringing a yellow box junction by a fractional amount risk being automatically fined.

Motorists risk unfair fines for using most yellow box junctions which councils want enforcement powers over.

The Highway Code states drivers must not enter yellow boxes unless they can get through them without stopping; the only exception is if they are waiting to turn right but are prevented from doing so by oncoming traffic. The RAC has, however, previously uncovered problems with as many as nine-in-10 yellow boxes that councils were seeking to enforce. Issues included drivers not being able to see where boxes end, boxes being larger than they need to be and ones extending beyond T-junctions.

RAC Senior Policy Officer Rod Dennis said:

“Yellow boxes serve an important purpose in keeping traffic flowing at busy junctions. But with councils outside London and Cardiff enforcing them for the first time, it’s now more important than ever they do everything they can to ensure drivers don’t get unfairly caught out. After all, very few people set out to deliberately flout the rules and get fined. 

“The enormously high number of penalty charge notices being raised in just a few council areas suggests things are awry. The large number of penalties being dished out over a small number of locations and in a short space of time should send alarm bells ringing in council offices. 

“As the data shows, not every council now enforcing yellow boxes is generating a huge amount of money from fines. ​ In fact, a small number of fines – and a small number of appeals – indicates a yellow box that’s working as it should. This should be the ambition behind any yellow box that a council is looking to start enforcing, rather than being seen as a revenue-raising opportunity. 

“It’s vital box junctions are used in the correct places and are only as big as absolutely necessary. They must be fairly set up so that drivers don’t find themselves stranded through no fault of their own. Sadly, we are aware of several locations where this isn’t the case. 

“We’ve previously expressed concern that drivers would get fined unnecessarily without the Government updating its box junction design guidance. This must clearly set out the locations where they can be used and, crucially, ensure they are sized correctly so as not to trap drivers unwittingly. With more local authorities likely to enforce yellow boxes in the coming months and years, it’s vitally important this happens.”

One of my followers asked for my advice on how to appeal a yellow box junction ticket after being caught by a camera in London.

This was the photo I was sent to look at.

The question was as follows:

Hi Scott, can you help with something? Robbie has a fine for being in a box junction. Thing is he came from round a corner so could not have foreseen that there were already cars stopped in the junction, so he got stuck.

Are there any rules or special conditions we could apply? His is the Mini.

Many thanks. 

What is a Yellow Box Junction?

A yellow box junction is a traffic control measure designed to prevent gridlock at junctions. They are there to help keep traffic flowing, although they are just treated as easy cash cows for local authorities. 

Yellow Box Junction Rules

You may enter a yellow box junction when your exit is clear and there is enough space on the other side of the junction for your vehicle to clear the box completely without stopping.

You can only enter a yellow box junction when your exit road is clear. If you are prevented from doing so by traffic up ahead, you need to wait until there is space for you to clear the box entirely without stopping.

The basic rule is that you are not allowed to stop in a yellow box junction.

Section 174 of the Highway Code states:

Box junctions. These have criss-cross yellow lines painted on the road (download ‘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.

Council Trap

The contravention is that he stopped in the yellow box because of the presence of stationary vehicles.

This is a typical council trap.

If you look closely at the photo, you can see that temporary roadworks have been put in place that cannot be seen by a motorist’s line of vision before turning in and entering the yellow box junction.

I would be asking for evidence that the Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO) has been adhered to via a Freedom of Information Request to the Council. Has the set criteria been followed to the letter? Not likely.

A reasonable person would not foresee the probability of being caught in a yellow box junction under the circumstances.

After all, Robbie does not have X-ray vision to see around corners for lines of traffic on an adjacent road where one lane has been temporarily closed.

Appeal It

Is this Yellow Box Junction compliant? I believe it is not. There is no way of knowing that you cannot clear the box or avoid it once you see that it is blocked with traffic queuing alongside temporary roadworks. It is impossible and too late to go back and you are left with no choice but to stop in the box.

A successful appeal would hinge on the fact that you could not have anticipated or predicted this.

A driver may exercise a prediction in their judgement as to whether the exit space will be clear. They are not to blame if the exit is thereafter blocked by an unexpected event such as temporary roadworks funnelling another vehicle and cutting into his right of way without warning.

The onus is on you to prove it.

This is a straightforward appeal on the face of it, although Councils are making it increasingly difficult because it is such an easy and lucrative source of income. They obviously do not want a precedent to be set and open the floodgates for retrospective claims to be made.

Evidence

Strong evidence is crucial to support a case at a Tribunal.

You need to cast doubt that the yellow box junction is legally and technically correct.

Civil cases are based on the balance of probabilities, whereas criminal cases have to be proved beyond reasonable doubt.

You need to have sufficient evidence to have at least a 50% chance of succeeding in overturning a decision at a Tribunal.

There are two types of evidence – direct evidence and circumstantial evidence.

Circumstantial evidence is that which a Tribunal will be asked to draw an inference. That is a common-sense conclusion that can be drawn from the evidence and facts presented to them.

The bigger the inference, the weaker the evidence.

Can you get points for stopping in a yellow box junction?

No – you will not receive penalty points on a driving licence as it is considered a minor infringement.

Can you stop on a yellow box junction?

You can stop in a yellow box junction when turning right if you are prevented from turning by oncoming traffic, or by other vehicles waiting to turn right.

How long can you wait in a yellow box junction?

You can wait in a yellow box junction if you want to turn right and are stopped from doing so by oncoming traffic, or by other vehicles waiting to turn right.

How long are you allowed to stop in a box junction?

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.

What happens if you get stuck in a yellow box?

Any motorist caught stopping on the yellow grid illegally can be fined for obstructing traffic. You could be fined up to £70 if you are caught using the box incorrectly. The fine is £130 in London with a 50% discount if paid within 14 days.

Is a Yellow Box infringement a criminal offence?

No – it is classed as a civil offence. You therefore have no right to defend yourself in Court.

What to do before you lodge an appeal

Read the PCN carefully – check every technicality.

Make sure you send an appeal to the correct local authority (sounds obvious but it is a common mistake).

Follow the appeal procedure and lodge it within the time shown.

Provide a comprehensive explanation and be polite and professional throughout.

Attach copies of evidence to support your claim (do not send originals).

Request a copy of the video and save it.

What to look out for before you lodge an appeal

Scrutinise the video evidence. This should include an image of both the entry and exit for the yellow box junction.

If the council video shows you were forced to stop due to an obstacle, you may have a case for the fine to be cancelled. Obstacles can be pedestrians, cyclists or an animal.

Is the car registration correct? If not, you can argue that you clearly did not commit the alleged offence as you are not the registered keeper of this vehicle. You will still need to appeal it.

Is the yellow box junction compliant? Visibility difficulties such as faded road markings and extensions beyond junctions may render the yellow box junction and fine invalid.

Was your visibility restricted by bad weather, poor light and other vehicles?

Has the road name been spelt correctly? For example, a PCN may say that a contravention took place on Avenue Park Road, where in fact it was on Avenue Road. You can argue that no such restrictions existed on the road they have named, therefore the PCN cannot be enforced.

Check the date, time and location. See if it can be proved that your vehicle was at the location shown at the time and date of the alleged contravention. If you can prove that you were not at the location at that specific time or date, it can be said that you did not commit the offence.

Are your details correct on the PCN? If not, you can question it on the basis that it cannot possibly be you that committed the alleged offence.

Council proof

The Council is required to prove that the vehicle had to stop in the junction as a result of a stationary vehicle. Is there plenty of space ahead of the vehicle? A tribunal will rule they are not persuaded that it was required to stop at that point if so. It may give the appearance of having chosen to stop to keep the junction clear and rule in your favour.

You can find out more about how to resolve complaints and motoring disputes in my book.

Have you been caught out on a yellow box junction? If so, how did you deal with it?