Over one millions yellow box junction fines - councils reveal
That's nearly one every two minutes
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More than one million yellow box junction penalties have been issued by councils across England and Wales since 2023, with nearly £58 million in penalty payments also reported, according to our new research.
We submitted Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to 217 local authorities across the UK revealed that 37 councils issued a combined 1,047,472 penalty charge notices (PCNs) between 2023 and 2026, equivalent to around one every two minutes.
347,614 penalties were reported across 2025 alone, equivalent to more than 950 every day, or around one every 90 seconds. The latest available figures also show that a further 231,458 penalties have been issued in 2026, up to July.
So, it's important to be vigilant if you're driving your second hand car around yellow box junctioned areas.
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The councils issuing the most yellow box junction penalties
The 10 councils issuing the most penalties accounted for 736,307 notices between 2023 and 2026, representing 70% of the total.
Redbridge Borough Council in east London topped the list with 213,122 penalties, accounting for around one in five of all notices recorded in the research.
Manchester City Council followed with 109,450, while Cardiff Council recorded 72,547.
Top 10 councils issuing the most yellow box junction penalties between 2023 and 2026:
Redbridge Borough Council - 213,122
Manchester City Council - 109,450
Cardiff Council - 72,547
Bexley Borough Council - 66,264
Bromley Borough Council - 62,140
Lewisham Borough Council - 61,232
Kingston upon Thames Borough Council - 44,660
Hillingdon Borough Council - 36,108
Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council - 35,701
Medway Council - 35,083
Redbridge also received the most in yellow box junction penalty payments, with more than £13.4 million reported since 2023.
Bexley reported more than £4.8 million in payments, while Bromley recorded more than £4.6 million.
Outstanding balances also ran into hundreds of thousands of pounds in some areas, with Lewisham reporting more than £1.1 million still outstanding across the years covered by the research.
Bexley recorded £703,360 in outstanding balances, while Merton reported £592,345.
The roads and junctions recording thousands of penalties
The latest figures reveal that some yellow box junctions have already recorded tens of thousands of penalties in 2026.
Regent Road / Water Street in Manchester topped the list with 25,130 penalties issued between January and July alone.
New Quay Street / Water Street, also in Manchester, followed with 19,275 penalties, while the A5063 / White City Circle junction in Trafford recorded 18,962.
Top 10 roads and junction locations issuing the most yellow box junction penalties in 2026 so far:
Regent Road / Water Street, Manchester - 25,130
New Quay Street / Water Street, Manchester - 19,275
A5063 / White City Circle, Trafford - 18,962
Watson Street / Bridgewater Street, Manchester - 7,734
Ilford Lane, Redbridge, London - 4,126
High Street, Strood, Medway - 4,042
A4138 Pontarddulais Road, Hendy, Carmarthenshire - 3,447
Ring Road / Beeston Interchange, Leeds - 3,421
Deansgate / Great Bridgewater Street / Liverpool Road, Manchester - 3,416
Amersham Hill, Buckinghamshire - 3,403
Looking back at 2025, the A5063 / White City Circle junction in Trafford topped the list with 14,102 penalties, equivalent to almost 39 every day. However, it has already surpassed that total in 2026, with 18,962 penalties issued by the end of July.
In 2024, Kirkmanshulme Lane / Mount Road in Manchester recorded the highest number of penalties, with 17,378 issued across the year. Goodmayes Road in Redbridge followed with 9,774, while Great Ancoats Street / Oldham Road / Oldham Street in Manchester recorded 8,600.
Goodmayes Road also topped the list in 2023, with 12,082 penalties. Redbridge Lane East followed with 7,364, while Barley Lane recorded 6,409, meaning all three of the highest figures reported that year came from roads in the same London borough.
Some motorists have also raised concerns about how difficult these busy junctions can be to navigate.
One Reddit user described the yellow boxes at White City in Trafford as particularly difficult to navigate during peak hours, suggesting motorists could struggle to get across without stopping.
In the same thread, another motorist described the road markings at Kirkmanshulme Lane / Mount Road in Manchester as "severely faded", having received what they said was their first penalty in 15 years.
More recently, another driver described the Deansgate / Great Bridgewater Street junction in Manchester as "a proper mess of a junction" in April 2026, after sharing their experience of navigating the yellow box in busy traffic.
Whether you drive a used BMW or used Audi, these junctions can be a pain.
Some councils see penalties more than triple in a year
In Hackney, yellow box junction penalties rose from just 314 in 2024 to 8,567 in 2025, an increase of more than 2,600%.
Buckinghamshire Council also recorded a sharp rise, issuing 16,120 penalties in 2025 compared with 3,618 in 2024, an increase of 346%. Meanwhile, Liverpool recorded a 126% increase, with notices climbing from 3,376 to 7,622.
Some individual junctions also saw particularly sharp rises.
In Surrey, Dennis Road Roundabout was responsible for 9,101 penalties in 2025, almost six times the 1,557 issued at the same location in 2024, representing a 485% increase.
Meanwhile, St Johns Street in Northampton recorded a 59% increase in penalties, rising from 6,019 to 9,592, while Packhorse Road in Buckinghamshire saw an 82% rise, from 3,597 to 6,533.
Thousands of yellow box junction penalties successfully challenged
More than 100,000 challenges against yellow box junction penalties have been received by councils since 2023, with over 18,000 accepted, according to the figures provided.
Redbridge Council received 27,615 challenges, known as formal representations, during the period, with 6,954 accepted.
Bexley received 29,688 challenges, accepting 3,554, while Cardiff Council reported 8,328 representations received and 3,582 accepted.
Motorists who believe they have received a penalty incorrectly can challenge it by making formal representations to the council that issued it.
Drivers generally have 28 days to submit a challenge and should provide supporting evidence, such as photographs or available camera footage.
If the council rejects their challenge, they can appeal to an independent tribunal.
Understanding yellow box junctions
Under Rule 174 of the Highway Code, drivers must not enter a yellow box junction unless their exit is clear. The exception to this is if they are turning right and waiting for oncoming traffic, or there are other vehicles in front of them also turning right.
Motorists who break the rules risk a penalty charge notice (PCN), with the cost depending on where the offence takes place.
In London, the penalty is £160, reduced to £80 if paid within 14 days. Elsewhere in England, councils can issue penalties of £60 or £70, reduced to £30 or £35 if paid within 21 days.
In Wales, Cardiff Council charges £70 for moving traffic offences, reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days.
Commenting on the findings, Ben Welham, our motoring expert, said: "Yellow box junctions help to keep traffic moving, but they can be difficult to navigate, particularly in busy towns and cities where traffic is constantly stopping and starting.
"With some junctions issuing thousands of penalties every year, it's understandable why drivers might feel frustrated. While the rules are there for a reason, it's important that road markings are clear and enforcement is fair.
"To avoid a penalty, drivers should make sure their exit is clear before entering a yellow box, even if the traffic lights are green. But, if they believe a penalty has been issued incorrectly, they shouldn't feel they have to simply accept it. Our figures show that challenging the decision can often lead to a positive outcome."
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