Hello

I'm a new driver and have had about four months experience of the roads since passing my test. I usually have my fiance in the passenger seat but he works in Germany for a few days each month.

I received a letter through the post from Hammersmith and Fulham regarding me stopping at the Butterwick/Talgarth box junction, which looks to be the case from the images they included. My understanding fromt he road and traffic signs in the theory test I took earlier in the year (backed up in the 2012 DSA theory book - pages 178 Q8.5 and 289, Q11.123) is that I can enter a junction marked with yellow lines if my exit road or lane is clear. Has this rule been changed since the book was written ?

The images sent show only part of the box section and my car, and not the exit. I have asked to view the moving footage at their offices, and they confirm a slot on Tuesday, meaning a half day off work. The authority says that I cannot have a copy to show others. As I have to go and see this on my own, its a little daunting as I am not entirely sure what I should be writing down or saying to them, or what to do if it shows the DSA answers are still valid.

My fiance has suggested that the movieshould have enough detail, including a view of the exit otherwise the authority shoud not be able toissue a penalty.

If the movie does show there was a clear exit out of the box, what should I do next as I will only have my observation (and the pictures sent last month) to raise a complaint ?

The yellow box is on the Hammersmith one way system and my driving instructor - now retired- has said there were different rules which may have an impact as to whether I could enter or not, but they are not in the DSA book. Is this box part of a junction or part of a roundabout ?

If your exit was clear, why had you stopped in the box?

This generally only occurs when waiting to execute a right hand turn at a YBJ light system, and although your exit is clear you are prevented from reaching it by oncoming traffic. Was this the case for you?

That's neat, I got an email saying somebody had replied.

The exit was clear as I entered the box (Talgarth, going West), however a van, (conveniently whilst outside the box) slowed down to enter the stream of traffic from the left, and finding no entry point, simply stopped and waited for one to appear. The car immediately behind it did the same as naturally, it couldn't move forward.

Both vehicles completely halted my patht o exit out of the junction at the first turning on the left (Putney). The stills show a delay of three seconds where my car does not move.

Does that make sense ?

If somebody has an plan of the junction I can probably photshop it to make it clearer.

Has anyone here been to one of these video appointments ?

Do I meet with somebody able to talk me through anything I might ask ?

How many seconds/minutes is there on them and will it show the cars complete movement from start to finish across the junction ?

Can't advise on the experience of attending a video review, but I think your defence will be that you entered the box with a clear exit and it then got blocked.

If you can get stills or a statement to confirm this you should be OK.

Take a notepad, pen and a digital camera with you. Date and sign any note you make and don't be shy of asking the operator to rewind and slow-mo the video.

You will want to say something like the following:

At 10:30:35 I approached the box. My exit was clear at that time, so I entered it.

At 10:30:37, a van entered the box from my left and blocked my exit.

At 10:33:37, I was still blocked. I deny the claim that I entered the box without having a clear exit.

The above may not be the facts, but that is how they need to appear. With supporting evidence.

Thanks.

Now I need to find a digital camera

Unfortunately the van did not enter the box, but stayed outside waiting for a gap in the traffic.

Looking further into the images this morning, there are so many cars already on the stretch of road going out towards Chiswick. Most of them look stationary as well in the two frames, due to the merging of vehicles from both left and right.

I can't picture this scenario in my head so am struggling to understand the who/why/how/where and when that led to you getting stuck in the box

It would be without seeing the images, the box on this junction does not go right to the kerb, there is a lane that is clear - presumably for vehicles that may be forced to stop in a queue if the Putney exit is fouled up. This is where the van was. I was already in the box, moving slowly to exit left, the van was attempting to enter the box and stopped dead.

Is this it? You would have been in the left-hand lane and the van would have been in the lane where the silver car is?

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=talgarth+road&hl=en&ll=51.491391,-0.220209&spn=0.002378,0.013937&hnear=Talgarth+Rd,+London+W14+9DJ,+United+Kingdom&gl=uk&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=51.491478,-0.22218&panoid=aUu_Hl9Jf6JAk5z3JHHZDA&cbp=12,175.37,,0,10.61

Almost. The van was a long way further down the road (20metres ?) , along with the car behind it.

The width of the road at the point where the van is allows two lanes exiting off to Putney, I was not in the nearside lane as there were other cars to my left.