New M25 driving law will see drivers fined for stopping in traffic

The fines will be issued through new CCTV cameras and once operational will see drivers who stop in a yellow box junction fined between £70 to £130, although halved if paid within 21 days.

During the first six months, drivers will first receive a warning notice instead, but will only be fined during this period if they are found to have blocked the yellow box junction again.

Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailingmotoring@gbnews.uk

Councillor Victoria Holloway explained that the new powers mean that the council can take “positive action to prevent vehicles from blocking junctions on Junction 31 and can help keep traffic moving in the borough”.

She said: "We have introduced this to stop drivers from creating gridlock by blocking box junctions, not to issue fines.

“That is why for the first six months first-time offenders will receive a warning instead of a fine.”

She added that given how congestion on the M25 can spill into local roads, it can create gridlock across the borough, affecting residents and businesses and increasing pollution levels.

Holloway detailed: "We want to make sure our roads are clearer, cleaner and safer. We do not want to see the kind of gridlock we have had to endure on our local roads in the past because of traffic issues on the M25."

Under Highway Code Rule 174, drivers must only enter yellow boxes if they can see their exit is clear.

However, according to RAC data, it found that 98 junctions were larger than necessary, with the average box being 50 per cent bigger than it needed to be to help reduce traffic congestion.

More than half of the junctions are not under traffic light control and could therefore easily be converted to “keep clear” markings instead.

Rod Dennis, spokesperson for the RAC, explained that with more and more councils starting to enforce yellow box junctions, it is vital that they are designed to aid traffic flow and that they don’t exist simply to raise revenue from drivers.

He stated: “Unfortunately, any box that is bigger than needed – whether that’s due to an oversight on the council’s part or because it was painted on the road many years ago and hasn’t been reviewed.

“As a result, drivers risk being fined unnecessarily when their actions haven’t contributed to congestion.”

Ensuring yellow boxes are the correct size means only those who breach traffic rules obtain a fine rather than a blanket statement for anyone in the zones, Dennis added.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• Driving law changes you may have missed in July - EU speed limiters, car tax rules and more
• Petrol and diesel cars to be sold 'up to and beyond 2030' as major brands make electric vehicle decision
• Electric car drivers can use 'groundbreaking' charger that is 'five to 10 times' cheaper than public devices

Enforcement will be done through cameras with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology.

Additional signs at the roundabout will be put in place to warn drivers that these cameras are in operation.