BMW3 - No motor vehicles sign - johnmazda

Last week I was a bit confused about the set up on St John's road in Clapham Junction. I saw the no motor vehicles sign on the left so I figured I was fine to turn right, which I did. And then followed the road down until I turned left at the junction some 10m ahead. I only realised after that I should not have continued down that road! I'm panicking now, what's the penalty here??

The no motor vehicles sign had the red outer circle and white interior with the black and motorbike symbol.

BMW3 - No motor vehicles sign - Bromptonaut

A quick look at Streetview suggests the whole of the road is no motor vehicles with exceptions for buses and some service/delivery vehicles.

Which road did you turn into it from?

BMW3 - No motor vehicles sign - johnmazda

I can't upload a picture here sadly but anyway if you look on Google maps, I should have taken Barnard road coming from comyn road but instead I went right and then straight ahead until the lights. There is a sign at the top of Bernard road which you can see is titled towards the road and so as a result I missed it! And thought it would be fine.

As I said I don't mind the fine if it comes to that. Just can't have the points.

BMW3 - No motor vehicles sign - Adampr

You won't get points for that. You may get a fine, but you're allowed down there for loading so it's possible (but not likely) that you won't. I have done a couple of silly things in London by mistake and not had a fine.

BMW3 - No motor vehicles sign - Bromptonaut

Presumably this junction:

goo.gl/maps/F5upEhdAkJ4i7Dp68

The signage could be better.

As already stated this stuff doesn't carry points. However in Greater London it's enforced by either the Council or TfL and mostly using cameras. Fines go through the post to the offending vehicle's keeper with a discount for prompt payment. You can ask the Council to look at it again and, if they stick to their guns, you can take it to an independent Tribunal.

There's an elephant trap though. If your car isn't registered to your home address and nobody returns the 'dead letter' the first you know is when the Bailiffs turn up. There are ways out but they involve a lot of beaurocratic heavy lifting and and are a massive ballache.

BMW3 - No motor vehicles sign - johnmazda

Presumably this junction:

goo.gl/maps/F5upEhdAkJ4i7Dp68

The signage could be better.

As already stated this stuff doesn't carry points. However in Greater London it's enforced by either the Council or TfL and mostly using cameras. Fines go through the post to the offending vehicle's keeper with a discount for prompt payment. You can ask the Council to look at it again and, if they stick to their guns, you can take it to an independent Tribunal.

There's an elephant trap though. If your car isn't registered to your home address and nobody returns the 'dead letter' the first you know is when the Bailiffs turn up. There are ways out but they involve a lot of beaurocratic heavy lifting and and are a massive ballache.

Thanks for the reply. Yes that's where I was, however I was emerging out of the other road, comyn road and Barnard road is the one I should have taken. So right out of comyn road and then immediate left onto Barnard road. But I was confused as the signs were obvious to my left but not obvious to my right. Infact there was one to the right but I missed it.

So I'll pay the fine. Frustrating as I was only there for like 2 mins if that and barely travelled in the area for 10m. But I accept that I was bound to do something like this as a new driver.

Regarding the letter, this worries me slightly. I only bought this car a month ago and got my registration through the other week. But I believe the moment you buy the car it is already registered to your home address? There was one time in the first week I had the car where I think I went in a bus lane but never received anything through the post. But then what address would they use to send the letter!?

Edited by johnmazda on 10/04/2023 at 09:53

BMW3 - No motor vehicles sign - johnmazda

Sooo... I got a Penalty charge notice in the post for this exact offense of failing to comply with the sign of no vehicles but it wasn't this road in Clapham!! It was a competely different one somewhere near Streatham, I drove through two days before! I don't even remember driving through here. But in any case they have me on the cctv so that's that.

And the one on Clapham will turn up I reckon in the next day or two so that's two fines for the same contravention in three days! £130 if paid early which I'll obviously do.

What an i**** I am ?????? I feel awful. I am confident driver but as I'm a new driver, still less than a month on the road, I guess this is inevitable for me to make mistakes like this.

I feel awful and I want to blame my in car sat nav. but I should really pay more attention. I just missed them both. I should just use Google maps from now on.

BMW3 - No motor vehicles sign - Middleman

I should just use Google maps from now on.

Why do you need Google Maps? Just look out of the window!

You need to be careful. Two offences which attract points (e.g. speeding or jumping a red light) could see you with six points and your licence revoked (meaning you have to take your test again).

Edited by Middleman on 12/04/2023 at 20:18

BMW3 - No motor vehicles sign - johnmazda

I know but I have a feeling that the Sat nav could have led me down this road. Anyway, it's still my fault.

Oh yes, I'm not talking about the serious offences. If anything since I've started, I've been going slow and will never even go beyond the stop line at the light. Occasionally go through an Amber because there is no time to stop but never Red.

I think it's just these kind of contraventions that will catch me out. For example this particular one is a wide normal road, the signs are still there but this was one of those low traffic neighbourhood roads.

BMW3 - No motor vehicles sign - Adampr

It's best never to use in-car sat navs. They go out of date very quickly and, even when they're up to date, some can be a little quirky.

BMW3 - No motor vehicles sign - Adampr

At least you know your registration is all OK....

BMW3 - No motor vehicles sign - johnmazda

At least you know your registration is all OK....

Yes thanks, good to know.

BMW3 - No motor vehicles sign - alan1302

Sooo... I got a Penalty charge notice in the post for this exact offense of failing to comply with the sign of no vehicles but it wasn't this road in Clapham!! It was a competely different one somewhere near Streatham, I drove through two days before! I don't even remember driving through here. But in any case they have me on the cctv so that's that.

And the one on Clapham will turn up I reckon in the next day or two so that's two fines for the same contravention in three days! £130 if paid early which I'll obviously do.

What an i**** I am ?????? I feel awful. I am confident driver but as I'm a new driver, still less than a month on the road, I guess this is inevitable for me to make mistakes like this.

I feel awful and I want to blame my in car sat nav. but I should really pay more attention. I just missed them both. I should just use Google maps from now on.

Google maps may have taken you down them the same though - if they have hours that you can and can't use the road you need to ignore sat nav/Google Maps and check the signage...the road in the link above is a bit of an odd one though...think a few people would be caught out with those.