• Part seven in my helpful hints for a better life.

1. Idling whilst stationary: Not everyone knows that leaving a car idling can land the driver with a fixed penalty notice for up to £40. Local authorities tend to take individual approaches to enforcement of this rule, and are encouraged not to be overzealous – but taken to extremes this can even mean a fine for leaving a car stationary to warm up on a cold day. This rule does NOT apply when sitting still in traffic.

2. Driving around obstructions: Sometimes obstructions in the road may cause a driver to have to mount a kerb or go into a bus or cycle lane – triggering a fixed penalty that couldn’t have feasibly been avoided but still requires an appeal.

3. Failing to give pedestrians right of way: Pedestrians having right of way on all British roads is a hotly-debated theory – something clear from the hundreds of lively (and heated) forum threads on the subject.

In actual fact, The Highway Code makes a point to all road users that “the rules in The Highway Code do not give you the right of way in any circumstance,” and instead refers to who has priority in certain circumstances.

However, rule 170 of The Highway code does state the following:

“Watch out for pedestrians crossing a road into which you are turning. If they have started to cross they have priority.”

 

While, strictly speaking, the Highway Code is an advisory rather than a legal document, this explains why drivers can sometimes find themselves with a Fixed Penalty Notice if they fail to stop and let a pedestrian finish crossing a road.

4. Not obeying traffic signals and signs: Obviously drivers should always try to follow the rules of the road, but as with the case of driving around obstructions, circumstances can sometimes make this impossible. Often drivers are left with impossible dilemmas – such as moving away beyond a now-red light or continuing to obstruct a crossing.

5. Single yellow lines: Sometimes the rules around parking on single yellow lines almost seem designed to catch people out and generate revenue. The thing that trips many drivers up is assuming that parking on these lines is OK at the weekend or on bank holidays. In fact, these Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs) are subject to local rules that will determine the exact restrictions, and it’s down to drivers to carefully check the information signs to make sure they don’t end up with a fixed penalty.

Appealing FPNs

Anyone who disagrees with a Fixed Penalty Notice has the right to appeal. Such notices are issued and dealt with by local councils, who also handle appeals individually. As such, people wishing to appeal will need to follow the guidelines set by the council where the alleged offence took place.