Exit was clear when you entered the yellow box
The rule says you must not enter a yellow box junction unless your exit road is clear. The key moment is when you drove in — not how long you stayed there. If your exit was clear as you entered, but something unexpected then blocked you (for example, a cyclist pulled out, the traffic lights changed, or a vehicle ahead stopped suddenly), you did not break the rule. If your council only started enforcing yellow box rules in 2024, it is worth raising this point directly, as many of those councils are wrongly issuing penalties in situations where the exit was clear at the moment of entry.
Legal basis
Highway Code rule 174; TSRGD 2016 Schedule 9 Part 3; Traffic Management Act 2004 Part 6; for London: London Local Authorities and Transport for London Act 2003 s.4
How to identify this in your case
Review council CCTV. Look for: was exit clear at moment of entry? Did unexpected event cause obstruction?
Sample appeal wording
Dear Sir/Madam, Re: PCN [NUMBER] — Yellow Box Junction — [LOCATION] — [DATE] I challenge this PCN. The contravention did not occur. The legal test (Highway Code rule 174 and the TRO) prohibits ENTRY when exit is not clear. It is not a 'no stopping in box' rule. At the moment of entry the exit was clearly visible and unobstructed. Within seconds, [a cyclist crossed / vehicle ahead braked unexpectedly / lights ahead turned red / pedestrian stepped out]. This was unforeseeable and outside my control. Council CCTV at [TIME MARK] will show: - T-3 sec: clear exit - T entry: clear exit - T+2: unforeseen event blocks exit Under TPT's published grounds and consistent adjudicator decisions, the contravention is not established. Please cancel. Yours faithfully, [NAME]
Replace [PARKING DATE], [NtK DATE] etc. with your own dates before sending.
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