Chaos at yellow box junctions

When I took my driving test, I remember having to explain clearly and precisely the purpose of the yellow box at junctions. After getting this difficult question right I passed my test. I assume that most people had to answer this question.

I work in a hospital in Belfast where to get off the Hospital premises you come to a T junction, with a big massive yellow box junction right in the middle. Now you would think that seeing as this is the only access road into and out of this hospital you wouldn't get people thinking "oh ill just stop in the middle, by the time the lights change I will have moved on". But no. Every day by half four the queue to try and get out of the hospital has backed up to the security hut.

A box junction You can see the traffic lights but you know that they are going to change at least 7 times before you get anywhere near them. You finally get to the lights and of course someone has blocked the way because they are now stuck in the flipping yellow box. Now sitting in my car using words that are only used when I've got the car to myself and the offending person in the other car is afraid to look in my direction because they know that hand gestures are going to be forthcoming. Don't these people realise that it is them that makes rush hour traffic that bit worse, especially for other people trying to get out at junctions. Don't get me wrong, there is no way in the world that I am one of life's greatest drivers but even I know the basic concept of the yellow box junction and what it means.

Sorry for this moan, but practically every day I find myself stuck in my car, inventing new descriptive words for the latest idiot who thought "Yep, I'll beat these traffic lights - no bother.."

By: Trinity

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What I hate are drivers that block pedestrian crossings during the rush hour. They know they're not going to make so end up sat on the crossing, with other cars behind them. The poor pedestrians have to squeeze between the cars, risk burning their legs on exhaust pipe and are terrified the drivers are going to reverse instead of going forward....or just roll back and hit them. Just nuts.

-10

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Paula pedestrian - 29-Jan-10 18:20

this junction needs changing to a roundabout as no one can enter a mini roundabout until there exit route is clear ,the hostipal should inform the county council

-6

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john walker - 14-Jan-10 14:00

I have a small car and am not at all jealous of big car drivers as smaller cars have their advantage too.

On numerous occasions at yellow junction boxes there isn't enough space for me to get to the other side but the numerous times big car drivers have used the box as a space to cheat the queue and barge in front when they trail into the box is beyond human error.

Either they have no regard for the law, think they are above the law, think they have priority over all other motorists or they have some attitude problem associated with their false ego.

It is known that the stupid rich with all the luxuries are the least productive and provide the least value for money when you compare what good you get out of them for what they cost society.

But they like many idiots try to take advantage of law-abiding citizens because they cannot do things properly as shown in their driving.

One day they will be forced to sacrifice for some other driver and get a taste of their own medicine of poison within society that they are.

-6

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Shorty - 30-Jun-09 19:38

Boxed In, these "scams" are set up exactly for people like you, who drive without any forward planning! You would do better to spend your money on an advanced driving course, and avoid payment of these self imposed fines!
As long as people drive like you, probably in a rush most of the time they will continue to milk the cash cow!
Your actions are selfish and cause some of the unecessary delays, that the rest of us have to suffer.

-6

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NSI. - 13-Apr-09 00:05

Interestingly, the picture shows an ILLEGAL box junction!!! That means it is not enforceable. How do I know this? Because I am a victim of box junction scam. What is that? When the box junctions are installed to generate revenue rather than improve traffic flow. EJ

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EJ - 8-Apr-09 18:27

I am afraid all the intelligent traffic lights are tuned to maximise the revenues for local authorities in fines and monies derivable from other contraventions on the streets and roads of London.

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Traffic Mammon - 8-Dec-08 22:33

Surely there are some intelligent traffic lights out there that can sense when roads become congested to change their phasing to keep traffic flowing? It's like having a set of lights at a junction on green with no traffic coming through yet a massive queue building up on the main road at the red light. Similarly with yellow boxes, the sensors in the road could turn the lights red and let the traffic in front of the box move off before letting more cars through.

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Rocket Surgery - 8-Dec-08 18:39

It would be nice to see the police enforce the yellow box. Any day the Euston Road in London would nett them a fortune!

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Bazzer - 27-Jun-08 11:09

You can sit in the yellow box if you're waiting to turn right (assuming the exit road is clear). Not a lot of people know that.

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zog - 24-Mar-08 15:29

Thank you "Boxed In". You have just confirmed my own comments posted 29-Jan-2008,:please see below. It's another form of tax revenue and nothing to do with sorting out gridlocked roads or the like.

-1

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LogicalReasons - 16-Mar-08 17:37

Driving into a Yellow Box junction is like a game of musical chairs. Suddenly all exits are taken and you're left without the chair, and are out. But just remember this game costs a lot of money if you lose. I am presently allowing £450 per annum for parking fines, bus lane contraventions and other scams of the authorities. This vastly more than I pay in car insurance.

-11

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Boxed In - 5-Mar-08 06:35

A perfectly valid gripe, but the root of the problem is the traffic control system, based on the fatal flaw of priority. Priority makes roads dangerous. It produces unbroken traffic streams and a "need" for lights. Without priority, and without lights, we would do what comes naturally - filter in turn, and your exit wouldn't be blocked. www.mcassini.com

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Martin Cassini - 27-Feb-08 19:42

Excuse me but I never ever intentionally block a yellow box junction. There are however instances when it still happens for example in slow moving, heavily congested traffic. Acting in good faith, you see there is space for you behind the vehicle in front where the back of your vehicle will stop just outside the box junction restriction area. So you proceed to drive forward BUT in that very instance, the idiot from the other lane decides to suddenly face forward and barge into the space without any warning or appropriate use of signals. As a result you can no longer go backwards as the space you were originally in, is now probably taken up by the vehicle that was behind you. You cannot go forward now as the other reckless, selfish and arrogant driver has just pushed in without any due care or attention so what other option do you have other than now wait like a wet lettuce in the yellow box junction! The next driver comes along and says "Hey look at that idiot parked up inside the box junction, blocking everyone!" not realising the entire circumstances as to how this came about! Just in case you find yourself in this situation in future.

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LogicalReasons - 29-Jan-08 16:47

Trinity, I fully agree with you, I would love to see a few of our 'safety officers' watching these box junctions with their 'safety camera's'(not revenue camera's as some of you non believers would suggest) I am sure they would soon reach their daily quota's (not that they exist). A simlar situation was happening near me during road works and the selfishness of these drivers caused massive jams, of course untill our 'safety officers' realised there was a killing to be made and a few hundred tickets later some form of normality resumed.

-6

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Tom - 26-Jan-08 18:33

lack of control at Box junctions, shows the same regard as those cyclists, riding on the pavements, wrong way in a one way street, shooting red lights and generally having an arrogant holier than thou attitude to other road users.
Keep persevering the box junction will ease when they start getting fixed penalties.

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Car Driver and proud Rock on N - 26-Jan-08 16:10

Trinity, eh? well there's an orthodox name, especially if you are a heretical Unitarian like that which is so fashionable nowadays since it was discovered Shakespeare was a closet Catholic and Newton nothing more than a alchemical quack. I am afraid you you must be considered the "heretic". Driving to work? why are you not taking the bus or walking to work? It's little cars like yours which are the real big cause of the morning congestion. You and your sort are choking the daylights out of us with your fumes. Your sort is causing us all nothing but frustration and anger. Mind your rude hand signals or I might bump you on purpose, mistaking your gestures as ones of wanting to turn right. You really might be going to hospital and not coming out.

In your simple mind don't you realise what yellow boxes were put there really for? They're not there to solve traffic problems like the one you have described. They're there as a cash cow for the local authority to make few bucks from, from the fines they will soon be issuing, as soon as cameras get cheap enough to place near these traps.

-1

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The Other Party - 26-Jan-08 06:52

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