Motorists have been warned they risk £70 penalties from next week under newly introduced traffic rules targeting hazardous driving behaviour.
Lancashire County Council revealed it will bring in tougher enforcement for traffic offences from Monday, February 2, utilising fresh powers to crack down on moving traffic violations.
The initiative aims to boost road safety while simultaneously easing congestion and improving journey times throughout the region.
Officials hope the new penalties on dangerous manoeuvres will discourage drivers from taking risks that put themselves and others in harm’s way.
Under the new measures, drivers will be fined for making illegal left turns, right turns and U-turns where signage forbids such movements.
Travelling in the wrong direction along one-way streets will also result in action being taken against offending drivers.
Yellow box junctions present another area of concern, with motorists who enter these marked zones before their exit is clear also facing penalties.
The council has secured authority to enforce against a range of infractions at the designated locations, with Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras now being deployed to catch offenders.
Drivers must not make prohibited right turns on Hyndburn Road (at the entrance to McDonald’s) in Accrington
|
LANCASHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
Two locations in Preston are among those targeted by the new measures. Charnley Street, which operates as a one-way road, and the junction where Ringway meets Bow Lane.
In Accrington, enforcement will focus on the entrance to McDonald‘s on Hyndburn Road, where motorists will be forbidden from making right turns.
Drivers attempting to access the fast food restaurant must instead continue to the nearby roundabout and double back to reach the entrance properly. The fourth site for cameras sits in Lancaster at the Aldi supermarket exit on Morecambe Road, where turning right is prohibited.
These four locations represent the initial phase of the council’s enforcement programme, though authorities retain the ability to expand the scheme to additional sites without requiring fresh approval from the Department for Transport.
Drivers must not turn right onto Morecambe Road when leaving the exit from Aldi in Lancaster
|
LANCASHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
The council said it believes tackling these specific infractions will help prevent accidents and keep traffic moving more smoothly across the affected areas.
In the first six months, first-time offenders will receive warning notices rather than immediate fines, giving them an opportunity to change their habits.
However, should the same vehicle be detected committing a second violation during this introductory period, the driver will be issued a Penalty Charge Notice.
The standard fine stands at £70, although this sum can be reduced to £35 if paid within the first 21 days. Once the six-month educational phase concludes, PCNs will be issued immediately for any offence, regardless of whether it is the driver’s first transgression.
Under the new measures, drivers will be fined for making U-turns when instructed not to do so
|
LANCASHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
Councillor Warren Goldsworthy, cabinet member for Highways and Transport at Lancashire County Council, explained the rationale behind the initiative.
He said: “The aim of this scheme is to improve road safety by deterring drivers from making these dangerous manoeuvres.
“Using new powers which target moving traffic offences, we will be stopping drivers from making illegal U-turns, going the wrong way up one-way streets and making prohibited manoeuvres.“
“People should already know the rules of the road, but this will help to educate anyone who isn’t aware. After that, they will receive a fine.”
