Illegal to drop passengers on a dual-carriageway?!

[Cliftonite]

Stopping on a busy road to let passengers out can certainly be unwise (understatement?!) but the circumstances are a little bizarre here:

https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/24018316.a27-tesla...

https://www.sussex.police.uk/news/sussex/news/cour...

Why did the driver not stop in the nearby bus stop bay? (May well be unlawful if yellow line applied but a safer option). She surely would have seen it? Perhaps it was occupied by a bus at the time?!
Why was the motorcyclist "forced to stop"? (As stated in Argus news story).
Is the road a Clearway?
Is there any specific law regarding stopping on (or alongside, e.g. verges) dual carriageways? Even NSL ones?

Seems we are not getting the full story here! Does anyone have any further information?

[Cylon2007]

From the picture at the top of the story it appears she stopped in the live lane, so bang to rights I would say.

[Seasonal Hero]

Play stupid games…

[HantsRat]

Yes it's a clearway = No stopping

Edited by HantsRat on Sunday 31st December 12:09

[NikBartlett]

It doesn't say how she was caught, one assumes it was by camera rather than a patrol. You have to wonder if she tried the "emergency breakdown, got it going again" defence in court without realising somebody counted the passengers out and didn't see them get back in again

[HantsRat]

NikBartlett said:

It doesn't say how she was caught, one assumes it was by camera rather than a patrol.

Picture literally shows a marked Police bike next to the Tesla.

[bitchstewie]

Isn't this one of those where it's probably very easy to overthink what is probably just an appallingly bad bit of driving?

[pipe'n'slippers]

This was at Falmer, where Brighton & Hove Albion play, and the news report refers to Brighton & Hove Albion match days. There are always lots of Police around to stop people being dropped off and picked up from the A27 before and after matches.

[Pica-Pica]

HantsRat said:

Yes it's a clearway = No stopping

Edited by HantsRat on Sunday 31st December 12:09

Even without those signs it is ‘driving without due care/consideration, etc.’

Edited by Pica-Pica on Sunday 31st December 15:12

[NikBartlett]

HantsRat said:

NikBartlett said:

It doesn't say how she was caught, one assumes it was by camera rather than a patrol.

Picture literally shows a marked Police bike next to the Tesla.

Unlucky as well as stupid then

[sixor8]

pipe'n'slippers said:

This was at Falmer, where Brighton & Hove Albion play, and the news report refers to Brighton & Hove Albion match days. There are always lots of Police around to stop people being dropped off and picked up from the A27 before and after matches.

The article states it wasn't a match day. However, one article states that it occurred on 8th May, and the other that it is was on Dec 8th, which was the date of the court appearance. The greenery would suggest May 8th. If there was no match, the traffic wouldn't have been bad enough to need this sort of epic idiocy.

Edited by sixor8 on Sunday 31st December 13:22

[bad company]

I wonder why the news reporter felt the need to say it was a ‘Tesla Driver’?

I don’t see the relevance of what the car was.

[Panamax]

HantsRat said:

Yes it's a clearway = No stopping

This. That whole section of A27 is signed as a Clearway for many miles and the small sign at the bus bay is just a reminder.

[Drumroll]

Cliftonite said:

Stopping on a busy road to let passengers out can certainly be unwise (understatement?!) but the circumstances are a little bizarre here:

https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/24018316.a27-tesla...

https://www.sussex.police.uk/news/sussex/news/cour...

Why did the driver not stop in the nearby bus stop bay? (May well be unlawful if yellow line applied but a safer option). She surely would have seen it? Perhaps it was occupied by a bus at the time?!
Why was the motorcyclist "forced to stop"? (As stated in Argus news story).
Is the road a Clearway?
Is there any specific law regarding stopping on (or alongside, e.g. verges) dual carriageways? Even NSL ones?

Seems we are not getting the full story here! Does anyone have any further information?

Why do you need more information?

Perhaps if you read the highway code you would get your answers.

[Chrisgr31]

sixor8 said:

The article states it wasn't a match day. However, one article states that it occurred on 8th May, and the other that it is was on Dec 8th, which was the date of the court appearance. The greenery would suggest May 8th. If there was no match, the traffic wouldn't have been bad enough to need this sort of epic idiocy.

Edited by sixor8 on Sunday 31st December 13:22

8th May Brighton played Everton I believe.

[Derek Smith]

That road is packed on match days. Two roads merge and one turns off. For those joining, you have to get up to speed to merge, although match days are often slower. For those turning off, it is sometimes an inconvenient swerve from the outside lane, across the middle and into the turn off lane as it comes as a surprise.

Just what you need to liven up your drive, and to get your heart beating, is for someone to stop in front of you. The motorcyclist probably, I would think, could not move into the middle lane because of all the traffic. This despite car drivers' well known desire to not inconvenience motorcyclists.

Five points and the fine seem about right to me.

[donkmeister]

It's surprising how many people don't know what the "No Stopping" roundel means (judging by the number of people I see stopping and even parking where the rules are in force).

Perhaps yet another publicity campaign required after "keep left unless overtaking", "don't do drugs and drive... Ps marijuana is a drug, moron" and "your lack of off-street parking is YOUR problem, don't make it everybody else's".

[Nibbles_bits]

Cliftonite said:

Stopping on a busy road to let passengers out can certainly be unwise (understatement?!) but the circumstances are a little bizarre here:

https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/24018316.a27-tesla...

https://www.sussex.police.uk/news/sussex/news/cour...

Why did the driver not stop in the nearby bus stop bay? (May well be unlawful if yellow line applied but a safer option). She surely would have seen it? Perhaps it was occupied by a bus at the time?!
Why was the motorcyclist "forced to stop"? (As stated in Argus news story).
Is the road a Clearway?
Is there any specific law regarding stopping on (or alongside, e.g. verges) dual carriageways? Even NSL ones?

Seems we are not getting the full story here! Does anyone have any further information?

They couldn't stop in the bus stop, because they aren't driving a bus.

That Police Officer is posted there to stop people dropping off in the bus stop......and in a live lane

[Panamax]

donkmeister said:

It's surprising how many people don't know what the "No Stopping" roundel means.
Perhaps yet another publicity campaign required.

Or alternatively come up with a more intuitive road sign which actually says what it means.

[Cliftonite]

Drumroll said:

Why do you need more information?

Perhaps if you read the highway code you would get your answers.

Thanks for your valuable input.

I am aware of the content of the Highway Code, even back to the original 1931 edition (horse-drawn carriage whip signals, anyone?) but there is no mention anywhere therein of the A27, football fixture dates etc.

I am grateful for the contributors who read and understood my requests and who provided valuable information and insight into this specific incident, its location and the significance at that time of the nearby sporting arena.