I was driving Westbound on the M4 in lane 1 and been planning on using the approaching Reading services to take a tacho break and use the toilets, I had been working at this point for around 5 to 5 and half hours. The road was very sparse of other vehicles.
Up ahead I could see a red x on the gantry above lane 1 (this gantry is located 400 yards from the services). upon seeing the red x I moved to lane 2 in good time and went under the gantry. looking even further ahead I could see there was no hazard as far as the eye could see (around a quarter of a mile at this point) so decided to use the services after all, so with around 200 yards to go I drove straight across lane 1 and into the separate slip road for Reading services (after making sure it was safe of course), I was in lane 1 for a matter of seconds before entering said slip road (the letter from the police says “time into red 0.01 seconds” whatever that means).
I have been issued with £100 fine and 3 points. It would seem that I can only appeal if I say I want to take the matter to court.
So should I ■■■■ it up buttercup or take it to court? I look forward to hearing your opinions on the matter. Thanks in advance.
When I was still working nights it wasn’t unusual on the M40 around the NEC area to the M40 split for a red X and a 20mph speed limit to be displayed above 3 lanes.This would be between 2200 and 0300. Some of us were good boys and plodded along an empty motorway at 20 mph,others carried on as normal.There was never any reason for the gantries to be lit up in such a fashion.I just assumed someone had switched them on for the evening rush hour then gone home and forgot about them.
twostrike:
I was driving Westbound on the M4 in lane 1 and been planning on using the approaching Reading services to take a tacho break and use the toilets, I had been working at this point for around 5 to 5 and half hours. The road was very sparse of other vehicles.
Up ahead I could see a red x on the gantry above lane 1 (this gantry is located 400 yards from the services). upon seeing the red x I moved to lane 2 in good time and went under the gantry. looking even further ahead I could see there was no hazard as far as the eye could see (around a quarter of a mile at this point) so decided to use the services after all, so with around 200 yards to go I drove straight across lane 1 and into the separate slip road for Reading services (after making sure it was safe of course), I was in lane 1 for a matter of seconds before entering said slip road (the letter from the police says “time into red 0.01 seconds” whatever that means).
I have been issued with £100 fine and 3 points. It would seem that I can only appeal if I say I want to take the matter to court.
So should I ■■■■ it up buttercup or take it to court? I look forward to hearing your opinions on the matter. Thanks in advance.
Your perfectly entitled to cross the lane to exit the motorway as long as that exit is open , by your statement you went under the Gantry in lane two so unsure how it clocked you 200 yards later in lane one, you did not drive in lane one according to your version of events just crossed it to exit, I would personally on your version take it to court , if your version isnt totally factual and you did drive for in lane one for any period of time rather than just crossing it, take the fine and points
drover:
Really harsh but i suspect if you take it to court you will end up even worse off.
they say if you choose to take the court action please include a brief description go your defence. Its tempting to think they might read my defence at that point and drop the offence… but if they don’t then its off to court i go
I often see lorries / cars move back into red x Lane after they’ve passed the obstruction , I’ve often wondered what happens there , they’ve obviously passed the obstruction but are still driving in a closed lane , who says there’s not 2 obstructions .
twostrike:
I was driving Westbound on the M4 in lane 1 and been planning on using the approaching Reading services to take a tacho break and use the toilets, I had been working at this point for around 5 to 5 and half hours. The road was very sparse of other vehicles.
Up ahead I could see a red x on the gantry above lane 1 (this gantry is located 400 yards from the services). upon seeing the red x I moved to lane 2 in good time and went under the gantry. looking even further ahead I could see there was no hazard as far as the eye could see (around a quarter of a mile at this point) so decided to use the services after all, so with around 200 yards to go I drove straight across lane 1 and into the separate slip road for Reading services (after making sure it was safe of course), I was in lane 1 for a matter of seconds before entering said slip road (the letter from the police says “time into red 0.01 seconds” whatever that means).
I have been issued with £100 fine and 3 points. It would seem that I can only appeal if I say I want to take the matter to court.
So should I ■■■■ it up buttercup or take it to court? I look forward to hearing your opinions on the matter. Thanks in advance.
Your perfectly entitled to cross the lane to exit the motorway as long as that exit is open , by your statement you went under the Gantry in lane two so unsure how it clocked you 200 yards later in lane one, you did not drive in lane one according to your version of events just crossed it to exit, I would personally on your version take it to court , if your version isnt totally factual and you did drive for in lane one for any period of time rather than just crossing it, take the fine and points
Thank you for your advice. Where could i find this in writing that I am entitled to cross the lane? It may of been 300 not 200 (remember that the gantry itself is only 400 yards from the services, so it all happened within a short amount of time at 45mph)
dozy:
I often see lorries / cars move back into red x Lane after they’ve passed the obstruction , I’ve often wondered what happens there , they’ve obviously passed the obstruction but are still driving in a closed lane , who says there’s not 2 obstructions .
dozy:
I often see lorries / cars move back into red x Lane after they’ve passed the obstruction , I’ve often wondered what happens there , they’ve obviously passed the obstruction but are still driving in a closed lane , who says there’s not 2 obstructions .
So it looks like exiting a motorway under a Red X is not allowed.
So I would say ■■■■ it up I’m afraid.
Sent from my CPH2173 using Tapatalk
Thank you for your reply. I am aware of the rule, I was a driving instructor for 9 years before becoming a HGV driver. As I say I had been working for 5 to 5 and half hours so was due/needed a break and needed the toilet. I looked ahead, and for as far as the eye could see (some quarter of a mile there was no hazard, no cones, no one in the road, nothing) so I drove through lane one and into the separate slip road, it took seconds to get through lane 1.
Earlier today on the motorway I was driving in lane 1 doing 56 mph, there was workmen standing on the hard shoulder and some cutting the grass/bushes etc at the edge of the hard shoulder. lane 1 was not closed by an x, no cones , nothing. I drove past them at 56mph in lane 1. What i did today was infinitely more dangerous than what I am being charged for but yet was perfectly legal and okay apparently.
Gidders:
There was never any reason for the gantries to be lit up in such a fashion.I just assumed someone had switched them on for the evening rush hour then gone home and forgot about them.
They put them up to set out the roadworks but then don’t phone up the Highways Agency control to get them lifted once the cones are out. Same when they’re lifting the roadworks.
Worst one was the other night on M1 northbound where they put the red Xs up just before J12 for a lane closure they were putting out at J13. 6 miles of closed lanes for no reason at all.
Gidders:
There was never any reason for the gantries to be lit up in such a fashion.I just assumed someone had switched them on for the evening rush hour then gone home and forgot about them.
They put them up to set out the roadworks but then don’t phone up the Highways Agency control to get them lifted once the cones are out. Same when they’re lifting the roadworks.
Worst one was the other night on M1 northbound where they put the red Xs up just before J12 for a lane closure they were putting out at J13. 6 miles of closed lanes for no reason at all.
and because of something like this i will now have to have 3 points on my licence for four years, thus making my car insurance more expensive and making me less desirable to new employers, whilst also making me extra anxious whilst driving as ill always be worried about getting another 3 points and becoming almost unemployable
Nicked from a poster on pistonheads who says he emailed Highways England. And got the following response.
Just to update you all, I have had the following response from Highways England :
Hi Nigel, the red X signal closes a lane from that point until a further sign indicates otherwise. Where a red X has been used to close the left-hand side lane before an exit sliproad and no other sign before the slip-road, it would be illegal to enter the closed lane and then exit the motorway. Enforcement will only take place where there are cameras and/or the offence is observed. If the scenario above happens, we would recommend drivers continue to the next junction and exit the motorway there OR use the next junction to come back to where they were and exit from the other side to pick up their original route. This may add time to your journey, but depending on traffic volumes and distance to the next junction, this could just be a few minutes. We are reviewing how and when we use the red X around slip-roads to see how we can avoid disrupting journeys wherever possible. Hope this helps
So there you go, if they close lane one, they also close any sliproads at the same time !
Gidders:
When I was still working nights it wasn’t unusual on the M40 around the NEC area to the M40 split for a red X and a 20mph speed limit to be displayed above 3 lanes.This would be between 2200 and 0300. Some of us were good boys and plodded along an empty motorway at 20 mph,others carried on as normal.There was never any reason for the gantries to be lit up in such a fashion.I just assumed someone had switched them on for the evening rush hour then gone home and forgot about them.
Have they extended the M40 now ?
I thought it was the M42 went past NEC
Leaving aside the op’s woes in this particular case I can’t express enough the warm glow it gives me to hear first hand that they are actually prosecuting this. Many a time I’ve wished ill on people who’ve sailed past in a lane with a red X over it.
