Legally what is a junction? Re: parking
Legally what is a junction? Re: parking
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300bhp/ton

Original Poster:

41,030 posts

212 months

Wednesday 19th October 2011
quotequote all
In the image below, it shows a road, this road is a deadend (off the bottom right off the image), so has no through traffic.

My question is, what actually constitutes a junction. If you where to park where the red cross is, is this actually on a junction? Bearing in mind the bit of road with the red cross on has the same name as the rest of the road and really only consists of a turning zone where local residents normally park (using it as parking bays).


daz3210

5,000 posts

262 months

Wednesday 19th October 2011
quotequote all
What are the darker areas on the road? Are they roadway or pavement?

It looks like you have a 'normal roadway' with a sweeping corner at what does look like a junction from that picture.

Have you any from street level?

14-7

6,233 posts

213 months

Wednesday 19th October 2011
quotequote all
I would say not the best place to park given there is a parking area just behind the cross (top of image) and you are on a corner, all be it a very shallow one.

300bhp/ton

Original Poster:

41,030 posts

212 months

Wednesday 19th October 2011
quotequote all
The darker grey is the road, Google maps is showing the light grey as that's where their map says the road is.


It's not a parking area above the cross, it's a turning zone as it's a deadend.

Here's a street view, the red cross is in the same place, so the road ahead is a deadend with a turning zone. If you went right it's the same road name and loops round to another deadend.


7db

6,058 posts

252 months

Wednesday 19th October 2011
quotequote all
Looks like a junction to me

SR06

749 posts

208 months

Wednesday 19th October 2011
quotequote all
Easy one this...

Para 243
DO NOT stop or park near a school entrance anywhere you would prevent access for Emergency Services
at or near a bus or tram stop or taxi rank on the approach to a level crossing/tramway crossing opposite or within 10 metres (32 feet) of a junction, except in an authorised parking space
near the brow of a hill or hump bridge opposite a traffic island or (if this would cause an obstruction) another parked vehicle where you would force other traffic to enter a tram lane
where the kerb has been lowered to help wheelchair users and powered mobility vehicles in front of an entrance to a property on a bend where you would obstruct cyclists’ use of cycle facilities
except when forced to do so by stationary traffic.


300bhp/ton

Original Poster:

41,030 posts

212 months

Wednesday 19th October 2011
quotequote all
7db said:
Looks like a junction to me
Well that's kinda of what I'm after, a legal definition of "junction".

In this case, the road is only one road, there are not two roads joining and the bit in the top of the picture is a turning zone.

300bhp/ton

Original Poster:

41,030 posts

212 months

Wednesday 19th October 2011
quotequote all
SR06 said:
Easy one this...

Para 243
DO NOT stop or park near a school entrance anywhere you would prevent access for Emergency Services
at or near a bus or tram stop or taxi rank on the approach to a level crossing/tramway crossing opposite or within 10 metres (32 feet) of a junction, except in an authorised parking space
near the brow of a hill or hump bridge opposite a traffic island or (if this would cause an obstruction) another parked vehicle where you would force other traffic to enter a tram lane
where the kerb has been lowered to help wheelchair users and powered mobility vehicles in front of an entrance to a property on a bend where you would obstruct cyclists’ use of cycle facilities
except when forced to do so by stationary traffic.
thanks smile

Deva Link

26,934 posts

267 months

Wednesday 19th October 2011
quotequote all
300bhp/ton said:
7db said:
Looks like a junction to me
Well that's kinda of what I'm after, a legal definition of "junction".

In this case, the road is only one road, there are not two roads joining and the bit in the top of the picture is a turning zone.
I think it's quite an interesting question - can it really be a junction if both the roads have the same name, and there's no Stop or Give Way signs / markings?

OTOH, you couldn't (or at least shouldn't) just drive through it without checking it was clear so perhaps the literal definition of a junction - the joining of two roads - is enough?

marshalla

15,902 posts

223 months

Wednesday 19th October 2011
quotequote all
Deva Link said:
I think it's quite an interesting question - can it really be a junction if both the roads have the same name, and there's no Stop or Give Way signs / markings?
Would it be a junction if the roads were unnamed and unnumbered ?

Deva Link

26,934 posts

267 months

Wednesday 19th October 2011
quotequote all
marshalla said:
Deva Link said:
I think it's quite an interesting question - can it really be a junction if both the roads have the same name, and there's no Stop or Give Way signs / markings?
Would it be a junction if the roads were unnamed and unnumbered ?
...and unmarked.

I already posed that question.

Dwight VanDriver

6,583 posts

266 months

Wednesday 19th October 2011
quotequote all
I have never come across a definition for 'junction' under any road traffic law and which means to me that one should use that which is contained in Oxford English Dictionary.i.e. joining, meeting place.
Regarding the parking then under Road Vehicles Lighting Regs 1989 this is taboo as far as lights are concerned:
(ii)no part of the vehicle is less than 10 m from the junction of any part of the carriageway of any road with the carriageway of the road on which it is parked whether that junction is on the same side of the road as that on which the vehicle is parked or not.
Other traffic law prohibits parking across a dropped kerb, in such posution as likely to cause danger (obscuring sight lines) and unecessary obstruction which may or may not feature a junction.

dvd

saaby93

32,038 posts

200 months

Wednesday 19th October 2011
quotequote all
They're not sharp corners, more like a gradual bend. I've seen cars parked all the way around something like that without any real issues.
( maybe except for annoyed neighbours)
Rather than junctions ( there are no give way markings) think of it as one piece of road with an interesting shape

daz3210

5,000 posts

262 months

Wednesday 19th October 2011
quotequote all
I would say it is in effect a T junction.

Road names make no difference.

jazzyjeff

3,652 posts

281 months

Wednesday 19th October 2011
quotequote all
saaby93 said:
Rather than junctions think of it as one piece of road with an interesting shape
rofl

rs1952

5,247 posts

281 months

Wednesday 19th October 2011
quotequote all
I've looked at your two thumbsnap images and read the description.

It is a junction, but not one which is seeing anything other than local traffic on your estate.

This then begs the question: "What are you asking for?" Presumably for one of two reasons:

1. Would somebody get nicked for parking there?
2. Would you be upsetting anybody by parking there?

The answer to (1) is a resounding "no" unless you live in some inner-city area where the parking wardens patrol like hawks, and it doesn't look like you do from the appearance of the houses and lack of yellow paint. I doubt if Plod have been down there this century or, even if they have, I doubt they'd be interested in minor parking infringements.

The answer to (2) is a resounding "yes" You'll always find some bugger complaining about something or other in every street in the country wink

R0G

5,028 posts

177 months

Thursday 20th October 2011
quotequote all
Although the rules apply to all public roads common sense tends to prevail for residential streets such as those shown especially where there are no white lines.

My close is a good example because it splits in two places which leaves many corners and residents park where they want to but they do leave access for a fire engine


F i F

47,768 posts

273 months

Thursday 20th October 2011
quotequote all
Although there appears to be no legal definition of junction just as DVD says, I always like this drawing within the lighting regs, click on pic to enlarge.



The diagram is titled "Diagram showing where unlit parking is not permitted near a junction" and thus I infer that the junction itself is considered that part of the carriageway limited by the thick dotted lines; i.e. a line drawn perpendicularly across the carriageway at the furthermost point where the kerb ceases to be curved.

That would suggest to me that the position marked in the OP could well be construed to within a junction. The chance of getting nicked are almost zero unless some grumpy old Victor Meldrew raised a complaint.

Deva Link

26,934 posts

267 months

Thursday 20th October 2011
quotequote all
F i F said:
The chance of getting nicked are almost zero unless some grumpy old Victor Meldrew raised a complaint.
For all the time we've lived in our village (>20yrs), someone has parked across the top of the T in your diagram. The village school is in the road leading up the the top part of the T and it makes the junction hazardous ar school start and finish times, particualrly for coaches going to and from school. At night as you approach the car from its side it would be very easy to miss it.
Clearly in all that time no-one has ever taken action against the owner of the car.

carinaman

24,200 posts

194 months

Monday 31st October 2011
quotequote all
What is says in the Highway Code is just advice, there's no law that applies to parking right on top of junctions.

[Laws RVLR reg 24 & CUR reg 82(7)] Are referenced in the Highway Code but they don't per se make parking right on top of a junction an offence.

Or am I mistaken?