Free Traffic Legal Advice

Hi all, basically the same situation as here http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=102692

I have gone back to the location to take my own pictures at night. https://goo.gl/maps/kNJ5EsfuQMk1ztJf8

#1
Their correspondence

Their video


#2
Depicting from a daytime google streets screenshot, my intent to do a U-turn after parking here (infront of the white van)


#3
An up to date picture taken at night, the 'express nails' shop is circled in green, because it seems that is where the first photo is taken of my car.

Thanks, edited and added

So, U-turning as you did, you never actually passed the two signs in your daylight photo.

#2
Depicting from a daytime google streets screenshot, my intent to do a U-turn after parking here (infront of the white van)

The first frame of the video shows that you were much further back than that:



This places you in line with the northern kerb line of Mercia Grove, meaning you would have been more or less here.

Where exactly did you perform this u-turn please?

I have to say, looking carefully at the video, it starts with your car coming round the curve by the junction with the side street, so you must have passed the two signs, and your U-turn was much further away than you thought.

I might have hatched a plan, can you please put all the photos you've got in a google drive or dropbox folder and post a link on here?

I have PM'ed you a link, all you need to do is submit a representation referencing that url. Honestly it doesn't matter too much what you say so feel free to draft something yourself.

If the council doesn't look at the evidence (which is a distinct possibility) the click count of the short URL will be zero, and we can then prove they failed to consider the representations, which will win at the tribunal regardless of anything else.

Feel free to put a draft on here first.

Of course there's no guarantee that they won't open that link, but in the absence of any better ideas it's worth a shot.

I can send this, and attach my own photos referred to as fig 1 and 2?

Dear Sirs

PCN x VRM x

I make these representations on the following grounds:

<<Not sure what to put here, as specifically I will be clicking the 'I wish to challenge my PCN for another reason' option in the appeal form?>>

Fig.1 is Lewisham council's first photographic evidence in their PCN. It is edited it to display a green rectangle to show exactly where the driver was parked stationary as the driver had reason to leave the car, and a red line indicating where the first frame of the Lewisham council's video footage begins. The two red circles indicate the two lamposts displaying the signage specific to this case.

The driver parked here after turning into Lewis Grove from Lee High Road, and the only signage until then was a warning of a Bus, Cycle and Taxi lane 240 yards ahead. The next sign, infront of the parked position in fig.1 and in the google street view image (fig.2) states the lane is now 160 yards ahead, but the lane marking is now solid white (marked in red).

As the solid lane marking ends at the junction with Mercia Grove, and in the driver's perspective the assumed final warning sign of the impeeding restriction is also in clear view, one naturally assumes the safest thing to do is to turn back on oneself toward Lee High Road. At this point, it is impossible to assume that the other lane is also restricted.

During the turn, in which the space in Mercia Grove as well as the broken lane markings are utilised, the signage is only visible once the driver is face on having completed the turn. Using the council's own video footage in the earliest stage of the recording (red line, fig.1) it is clear to see the driver is too close to the signage to have actually had ample time to react to them. This can be simplified by asking why the council's cameras do not begin recording at a reasonable distance from the signage as to effectively rule out this situation from occurring. Images GSV 1,2,3, and 4 can be found here * link * depicting the entire route, and only in the last one does the driver have a chance to view the signs. Please note these are angles taken from Google street view, and were not the exact angles of the driver, who also had to navigate this road at ~1am, with no signs of other traffic as to have obtained any forewarning of any restriction on the adjacent lane.