Drivers hit by yellow box fines worth almost £1m in year
The RAC, which obtained the statistics through Freedom of Information (FoI) requests, said the 'enormously high number' of penalty charge notices (PCNs) should 'send alarm bells ringing in council offices'.
Yellow boxes are used in an attempt to ensure traffic flows smoothly through busy junctions.
Motorists should not enter them unless their exit is clear or they are waiting to turn right.
London and Cardiff were the only parts of the UK where drivers could be fined for yellow box offences until the Government introduced new legislation in May 2022, which enables all councils across England to apply for enforcement powers.
Data provided by English councils in response to FoI requests by the RAC showed 36 yellow boxes outside London and Cardiff were enforced last year.
This led to a total of 32,748 PCNs issued, with drivers paying £998,640.
PCNs are generally £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days.
The RAC analysis found Manchester City Council issued the most PCNs, with 13,130 in relation to six junctions.
This brought in £446,706 which was nearly half of all yellow box-related revenue outside London and Cardiff.
Kent's Medway Council raised the second highest amount at £145,162 after handing out 4,433 PCNs for the five yellow boxes it enforced.
It was followed by Buckinghamshire Council, which received £139,798 for 3,618 fines.
But the single junction that generated the largest revenue was at Dennis Roundabout in Guildford, Surrey, which cost drivers £81,445 as 4,250 PCNs were issued.
At the other end of the scale, Gloucestershire County Council issued just 30 yellow box PCNs, raising £945, while Leeds City Council handed out 50 fines, resulting in £605 being paid.
Only a fraction of yellow box fines are appealed against by drivers, with the highest proportion appealed being 18% in the Manchester City Council area.
RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said a yellow box which generates a small number of fines indicates it is 'working as it should', which must be the ambition for councils rather than using them as a 'revenue-raising opportunity'.
He went on: 'Very few people set out to deliberately flout the rules and get fined.
'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.
'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.'
Chartered engineer Sam Wright was commissioned by the RAC to analyse the 100 boxes across London and Cardiff which were responsible for generating the most fines in 2019.
A report published last year showed he found 98 were larger than necessary for their role in preventing queuing vehicles blocking the path of crossing traffic.
The average box was 50% bigger than needed, according to the research.
Alex Paterson, Medway Council's portfolio holder for community safety, highways and enforcement, said its enforcement of yellow boxes is 'not about catching people out', adding that road markings were updated so 'nobody could reasonably claim not to have seen them'.
Buckinghamshire Council deputy leader Thomas Broom said the area suffers from 'a lot of congestion' and the amount of yellow box fines issued 'directly relates to the number of people who commit these traffic offences'.
A spokesperson for the Local Government Association said: 'All councils follow guidance to ensure motorists are treated fairly.
'There are processes for appeal if anyone believes they have been unfairly fined.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Auto Express
4 hours ago
- Auto Express
It's incredible that no EV has got the full Electric Car Grant amount
As more cars become eligible for the Government's electric car grant, it's interesting that none of them yet qualifies for the higher £3,750 amount, with the total now sitting at 24 vehicles to choose from with a £1,500 contribution. With the latest batch of five including the likes of the Cupra Born, Volkswagen ID.3 and Peugeot 2008, there's now a decent array of cars included in the scheme, from the chic Renault 4 and 5 through to the practical, family-friendly Nissan Ariya – a former Auto Express Car of the Year! – the Vauxhall Frontera and the Renault Scenic. But it is interesting that nothing has yet achieved the full grant, especially as it's not clear from the outside how the calculations are being worked out. Advertisement - Article continues below Many industry commentators predicted the Renault 4 and 5 should be in pole position for the higher amount, but that didn't happen. That may have revealed something about where the batteries are coming from, and not all are yet being produced at the shiny new plant in northern France. When that facility is up to speed, there's a chance the Renault cars eligible for the grant – the 4, 5, Megane and Scenic are the ones that currently get £1,500 – could be moved to the higher level. But that's far from clear, due to the way the system has been set up. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Want to make the switch to an electric car? Our fantastic Buy a Car service has loads of great value new and used electric cars available right now. I've heard some cynical types suggest glibly that the bar for eligibility for the full £3,750 has deliberately been set unachievably high, so the headlines featured a nice big number, but behind the scenes the Government knew full well that few cars, if any, were going to achieve it. I'm sure that wasn't the case, but the lack of clarity isn't helpful. From what I hear, even manufacturers don't know how close they have come to achieving the higher grant level – they can reapply if anything changes, such as battery supply coming from a different country. However, it sounds like there's little transparency as to why a car is only eligible at the lower level, and if it's down to the environmental credentials of where the batteries are built – coal reliance versus nuclear, for example. The big one will be when the UK-built Nissan Leaf goes on sale in the coming weeks; if that car isn't eligible, then I'm guessing nothing will be. At least the grant scheme will last longer if it's ebbing away at £1,500 a car, rather than nearly £4,000. Pessimistic early projections had it running out as soon as next spring if too many cars were eligible for the higher level. It's obvious that won't be happening now! Did you know you can sell your car with Auto Express? Get the highest bid from our network of over 5,500 dealers and we'll do the rest. Click here to try Auto Express Sell My Car now ... Find a car with the experts Forget Netflix, Volkswagen locks horsepower behind paid subscription Forget Netflix, Volkswagen locks horsepower behind paid subscription Owners can now subscribe to boost the power of their car… for a fee Shock new mid-size Range Rover to get EV power and stunning design Shock new mid-size Range Rover to get EV power and stunning design Mid-size SUV will end the four-year wait for a new JLR model and our exclusive images preview how it could look New Jaecoo E5 is a Range Rover lookalike with a very attractive price New Jaecoo E5 is a Range Rover lookalike with a very attractive price Chinese newcomer's first electric SUV is also a rival to the award-winning Kia EV3 and Hyundai Kona Electric
BBC News
9 hours ago
- BBC News
Longer 13-day Manx Grand Prix 'offers flexibility'
An extended schedule for the Manx Grand Prix, heralding the return of the Classic TT, gives organisers greater "flexibility", the clerk of the course has events, set to run concurrently from Sunday until 29 August, will get under way on the 37.2mile (60km) Mountain Course government announced the Classic TT would be re-introduced for 2025 at the end of last year, with the MGP programme expanded from nine to 13 days in an effort to attract more motorsport fans to the Thompson said the weather forecast for the race period was "really good, after a dismal few years" but a longer event meant there was "lots of room to use contingency plans" if needed. The revised schedule will see the racing will be split into two tranches, with the Supertwin, Supersport, Junior and Senior MGP races, on contemporary vehicles, set to take place first, on 23 and 25 will be followed by the Formula 1, Lightweight, Historic Junior, Historic Senior and Classic Senior TT races on 27 and 29 for the MGP is set to start proceedings, followed by sessions for the Classic classes, with Thompson saying "if we do lose sessions for whatever reason" there was "plenty of contingency for qualifying towards the bank holiday weekend, and [on] Tuesday and Thursday during the race schedule". First held alongside the MGP in 2013, the Classic TT brand was scrapped by the government after a review following the coronavirus clerk said he was pleased to see its return, adding race organisers had "listened to feedback" after the August festival was shortened to nine days in Thompson said the revamped schedule would give riders and spectators "plenty of downtime and more chance to explore the island", as well as enjoying the event."Each event complements each other," he explained."You have four races on modern bikes in the MGP, and then, for the Classic, you have iconic machines being ridden by some of the best riders in the world, like Michael Dunlop, Davy Todd, John McGuinness and Conor Cummins."For the pure bike enthusiast, to come to the Isle of Man and see their TT heroes on machines from the past – it's sights and sounds you can't describe," he around the course are due to close at 12:45 BST on Sunday and reopen no later than 18:00 BST. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
Wales Online
12 hours ago
- Wales Online
More than half fail their UK driving theory test - see if you can pass
More than half fail their UK driving theory test - see if you can pass We've made a mini version of the UK theory test for you to try at home Learner drivers in the UK have to revise and prepare for this important test (Image: sturti via Getty Images) Even experienced drivers might have forgotten some of the essential knowledge every motorist should know. Over time, you develop a general understanding of how the roads operate and what keeps everyone safe. However, at some point, most people with a driving licence would have had to take a pre-test before showing their skills behind the wheel. The first official UK Driving Theory Test was launched in July 1997 and has been a compulsory step for those wanting to get their full licence in the UK. A full driving theory test consists of 50 multiple-choice questions, followed by the hazard perception assessment. To pass, candidates must correctly answer at least 43 questions within the 57-minute time limit. Questions typically concentrate on aspects of driving, such as road signs, the Highway Code, certain safety practices, and driving scenarios. Car drivers also need to understand how to safely interact with pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists sharing the road. It was recently revealed that all drivers will soon need to learn how to operate a crucial piece of equipment to pass as well. The Government announced that from autumn 2025, theory tests will include enhanced first aid questions - including CPR and the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Millions take the theory test each year in the UK, but less than half manage to pass (Image: mrdoomits via Getty Images) Article continues below The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is the governmental organisation responsible for overseeing the theory test. Approximately 2.4 million theory exams are carried out each year, with a success rate of 45.7% recorded between July and September 2024, as reported by There is no limit on how many times people may sit the UK driving theory exam. If slots are immediately available, people must allow a minimum of three working days between re-attempts. Each test will cost a £23 fee. Candidates can prepare for the theory examination through textbooks and digital platforms, practising both the multiple-choice and hazard perception components. People in the UK need to pass the theory test before taking the practical driving exam (Image: monkeybusinessimages via Getty Images) We have put together a short test below to see if you would succeed in a theory test taken today. To simplify our version, we have reduced the question count by more than half and eliminated the ticking timer - no pressure. Our quiz has just 20 questions, so to achieve a similar pass rate to the actual exam, you will need 17 correct answers. Every question we have included comes from an official DVSA practice examination for car drivers. Article continues below The online platform confirms that these practice questions are "not used in the real test, but they're based on the same topics as the test". Best of luck! Let us know how you get on in the comments.
