Clearly you thought you'd never get across the junction due to cars on the side road nipping in when room appeared in the queue of traffic at the traffic lights in the distance.
However, I later realized that the car ahead of me had moved forward and claimed priority.
That is not what the video shows. It starts showing a car just completing a left turn out of the side road and moving to join the queue at the traffic lights down the street, then another one doing the same. At this point, you then move into the box, presumably to stop a third car from blocking you, but the second car stops so you have no space to exit the box, and have to stop within it. To be frank, it doesn't look as if you have a strong case, but I did find a successful appeal here on the London Tribunals Statutory Register.
2220276854
Adjudicator - John Hamilton
I decided this appeal having heard evidence from the appellant.
I can only allow an appeal if the authority has acted unlawfully by failing to comply with road traffic law or failing to follow its own procedures.The authority relies on CCTV footage shows the appellant's vehicle halfway across a box junction when firstly a vehicle waiting in a road to her left cuts in front of her vehicle and then a vehicle emerging from a road on her right cuts in front of her vehicle. These vehicles occupy the space on the other side of the junction that the appellant's vehicle clearly intended to use.The appellant told me that she had waited until there was space on the other side of the junction that would enable her vehicle to exit the junction before entering the junction. She then proceeded slowly across the junction at which point the two vehicles on either side of her vehicle took the opportunity to ignore the 'giveaway lines' they were waiting behind and cut in front of a vehicle preventing it from exiting the junction.I found the appellant account clear consistent and plausible. It was consistent with the CCTV evidence and I accept it in its entirety. In particular I accept her vehicle did not enter the box junction until there was a clear exit on the other side and that the vehicles that cut in front of her vehicle did not enter the box junction until after her vehicle had done so and was crossing the junction. Furthermore, it is quite clear to me that the drivers of the vehicles that enter the junction from the appellant's left and right failed to observe give way lines and were therefore guilty of the criminal offences of failing to obey a traffic sign and careless and/or inconsiderate driving.The relevant law is contained in Regulation 11 of the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 which provides that "a person must not cause a vehicle to enter the box junction so that the vehicle has to stop within the box junction due to the presence of oncoming vehicles or other stationary vehicles beyond the box junction".In this case I do not find that the appellant's vehicle was not caused to stop by oncoming vehicles or other stationary vehicles beyond the box junction but by the inconsiderate and unlawful driving by the drivers whose vehicles cut in front of her vehicle. I am therefore not satisfied the authority has shown a contravention has occurred and I allow this appeal.
However, everything turns on what the video shows as it is the sole evidence of the alleged contravention. So read this and compare with your own circumstances. Others may comment
In addition, the PCN may contain errors of content so it is essential we see it.
We have had a thread on this forum for this location some months ago, but I can't remember when, or how it turned out. It does look as though the adjudicators realise the problems at this location with the council almost creating a deliberate trap when you look at the video.
Edited as I made a mistake; I only found one successful appeal
