Legality of the Traffic Stop

[eltax91]

Hi, i work in Leicester City centre and my boss has just been stopped and told he has been reported for Driving the Wrong Way up a one way street. Now, my question is, viewing the diagram below, is this really reason to stop someone? The Red Arrows show the direction of One Way Streets and the Blue Arrows show the direction my boss drove. The distance of 5m is a generous estimate, this junction is ALMOST straight on. It's directly outside our office and lots of people follow the same route as it cuts out at least half of the in-town one-way system. I suppose, technically speaking you head the "wrong way" for about 3 metres. Is the copper being pedantic? Or am i being unreasonable in thinking this is a bit unfair?

[becca_viola]

Fair cop from where I'm sitting. VERY unsafe to drive the wrong way up a one-way street at all, ever, even for 'just' 3m or whatever it was. Not OK except in dire emergency.

[Ean218]

Definitely a bad thing. If caught no point whingeing, there is absolutely no excuse for driving the wrong way up a one way street. Just take the punishment like a man.

If your boss feels aggrieved that others do it, why doesn't he set up a camera on his windowsill to record the others so the police can do something about them too...

[Dwight VanDriver]

Signing....?

dvd

[Conian]

I know a junction just like it, and I have done the same thing, but only when it's utterly clear to do so with no oncoming car no matter what the distace.

It's wrong but if ya get caught then it's a fair cop innit.

[esselte]

Dwight VanDriver said:

Signing....?

dvd

Yep,is there a sign at the end of the first road telling drivers "no right turn"


or "turn left ahead"

[TTwiggy]

Advise him to claim he was 'seeking to limit his carbon footprint'...

[rude-boy]

Looks a fair cop to me as well. The Drive to my old house in Worcester was 8m from the nearest turn into my road but would have been going against the traffic. As it was i had to add 1/2 mile to every journey home due to the 1 way system. Them's the brakes.

[eltax91]

esselte said:

Dwight VanDriver said:

Signing....?

dvd

Yep,is there a sign at the end of the first road telling drivers "no right turn"


or "turn left ahead"

This is an interesting point, all the signs appear correct. Except at the point where my boss "turned" right, there are NO signs indicating no entry. When you approach the end of the first road on the route, there is a one-way sign pointing LEFT.

He seems to think it's a fari cop, although unfair that he got stopped and no-one else, anyone know the sanctions for this if he pleads guilty straight off?

[Cooperman]

Just a thought, but what are the rules about reversing up a one-way street? Could you turn left, stop, reverse about 5 meters, then turn right into the other one-way street? How illegal would that be?

[Dwight VanDriver]

You don't think they are going to allow that do you Peter?

Reg 106 Con and Use regs 1986

No person shall drive, or cause or permit to be driven, amotor vehicle backwards on a road further than may be requisite for the safety or reasonable convienance of the occupants of the vehicle or other traffic, unless it is a road roller or is engaged in the construction, maintenace, or repair of the road.

Booooingggggg...

If the sign is the one shown above (Diagram 609) it is a sign to which Section 36 RTA 88 applies so the offence is failing to conform to a traffic sign - Max fine £1000, discretionary disqualification and not forgetting 3 POINTS.

dvd

Edited by Dwight VanDriver on Friday 24th August 16:07

[esselte]

Dwight VanDriver said:

You don't think they are going to allow that do you Peter?

Reg 106 Con and Use regs 1986

No person shall drive, or cause or permit to be driven, amotor vehicle backwards on a road further than may be requisite for the safety or reasonable convienance of the occupants of the vehicle or other traffic, unless it is a road roller or is engaged in the construction, maintenace, or repair of the road.

Booooingggggg...

dvd

Surely it would come under " reasonable convenience"?....

[John57]

Cooperman said:

Just a thought, but what are the rules about reversing up a one-way street? Could you turn left, stop, reverse about 5 meters, then turn right into the other one-way street? How illegal would that be?

Driving the wrong way along a one way street is just that - driving .... it doesn't matter which way you drive - the offence is doing it