Yellow box traps becoming increasingly problematic for HGV drivers

You don’t need to be an experienced fleet manager to know that HGV drivers often cover exceptionally long distances in relatively short amounts of time, sometimes crossing the length of the country in the space of a few days or less. That can often put them at the mercy of multiple confusing road layouts – and even with the best of intentions, confusion can frequently lead to fines.

Here's one recent good example – hundreds of thousands of motorists (including HGV drivers) are being hit with fines from poorly designed and oversized yellow boxes. A study commissioned by the RAC found that out of 100 yellow box junctions analysed, 98 were found to be bigger than they need to be – thereby opening drivers up to a greater risk of fines without a corresponding increase in safety.

What are yellow box junctions?

Yellow box junctions are road markings consisting of a yellow grid, typically found at intersections or junctions with traffic lights in countries all over the world. Their main job is to indicate an area that drivers must not enter unless their exit road or lane is clear. That helps keep intersections clear and keeps the way free of obstructions for every vehicle that has right of way across the junction at that moment.

Not only does that help prevent the annoyance of congestion, but the danger of it too, as it reduces the risk of a driver approaching at speed to find their way blocked by another car that isn’t able to move out of their way. Partially because of this safety risk, yellow box junctions are enforced with fines for violations – and it’s these fines that are now causing some drivers unnecessary problems.

So what’s going on?

The RAC study involved contracting a chartered engineer (the same one responsible for the design and approval of yellow boxes for Transport for London) to examine 100 junctions across London and Cardiff. Together, these were collectively responsible for over 374,000 fines in 2019.

He found that 98 were bigger than they needed to be – and by quite a big margin, too. The average one was a staggering 50% bigger than it needed to be to serve its primary purpose. The study also found that more than half were not under traffic light control, which means they could be converted into ‘keep clear’ boxes that would effectively do the same job, without the risk of nailing drivers with fines.

Part of the reason why so many people are getting hit with them is because even a car bumper overhanging them can be enough to trigger the fine, which can be up to £160 in some cases. Plus, in many cases drivers aren’t able to avoid stopping in them at least partially – especially when driving HGVs, where maintaining full visibility is even harder than a regular vehicle.

What’s being done about it?

Frankly, at a government level, not much at the moment. Handing out fines is the responsibility of local authorities rather than the central government, and has been for quite a while now. Since the publication of the research, the RAC has been calling on the government to give fresh clarity to local councils and authorities, so that yellow box junctions can do their jobs properly without unfairly penalising drivers.

However, the national government is currently in the midst of a general election, which means that the progress on new initiatives and legislation is moving slowly, at best. That means the best HGV drivers can do for the moment is to be extra vigilant of yellow box junctions, especially when driving in built up cities like London and Manchester.

Thankfully the fines themselves aren’t hugely crippling – the £160 figure is the maximum one for red routes in London. Most fines level out to about £70 or £80 when paid promptly, so unlikely to cause serious operational issues. However, it’s certainly an irritating amount, and if it happens often enough, those numbers can start to add up.

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Our TankSafe Optimum is an antisiphon device which we’ve specifically designed to provide 100% protection, so you can have peace of mind against fuel spills, overfilling, and skimming. You can find out more on its dedicated page on our website, or find out answers to some of the most common questions over on our FAQs page. If you’ve still got queries, our experts will be happy to resolve them - fee free to give us a quick call on 01253 400 401, and we’ll be happy to help however we can!