Yellow box junction — exit was clear at moment of entry
The legal test: don't ENTER the box if exit is NOT clear. If exit was clear at moment of entry but a vehicle ahead unexpectedly stopped (cyclist crossed, lights changed, accident ahead), the contravention is not made out. Contravention is about the entry decision, not duration inside. Tranche-3 note: many 2024 councils outside London misapply this and issue PCNs where the exit WAS clear at entry — cite this expressly if your council only began moving-traffic enforcement in 2024.
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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