Motorists across Lancashire have been warned they risk being slapped with £70 traffic fines from today after new traffic enforcement powers come into force to tackle dangerous driving behaviour.
Lancashire County Council has confirmed it will begin enforcing a range of moving traffic offences using newly granted powers that allow local authorities to issue penalties for offences previously dealt with by police.
The changes are designed to improve road safety, reduce the risk of accidents and ease congestion by stopping drivers from carrying out manoeuvres that disrupt traffic flow.
Under the new measures, drivers will be fined for actions including making illegal left turns, right turns, or U-turns, travelling the wrong way along one-way streets, entering yellow box junctions when the exit is not clear, and driving in areas where motor vehicles are prohibited.
Under the new powers, enforcement will initially focus on four locations across the county identified as problem areas due to repeated rule-breaking and safety concerns.
Two of the locations are in Preston, including Charnley Street, which is a one-way road, and the junction where Ringway meets Bow Lane. Drivers who travel in the wrong direction or ignore restrictions at these sites risk being penalised, the council warned.
In Accrington, the new rules will focus on Hyndburn Road, where drivers are banned from making a right turn into the fast-food restaurant.
Motorists attempting to access the site will now be required to continue to the nearby roundabout and approach the entrance correctly from the permitted direction or risk a fine.
The new cameras have been installed to crack down on dangerous driving
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PAThe fourth location is in Lancaster, at the exit of Aldi on Morecambe Road, where drivers are prohibited from turning right when leaving the car park.
To enforce the new rules, the council will use Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras, which can identify vehicles that commit offences without the need for on-site officers.
However, during the first six months of the scheme, the council said it would take an “educational approach”, with drivers facing a warning, rather than a fine.
If the same vehicle is recorded committing a second offence within the six-month period, the driver will be issued with a Penalty Charge Notice.
Drivers must not make prohibited right turns on Hyndburn Road (at the entrance to McDonald’s) in Accrington | LANCASHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
The standard fine will be £70, although motorists will be able to reduce the amount to £35 if payment is made within 21 days.
But the council reiterated that once the initial warning period ends, drivers will be fined immediately for a first offence, with no further grace period.
Councillor Warren Goldsworthy, cabinet member for Highways and Transport at Lancashire County Council, said the scheme aims to deter drivers from putting themselves and others at risk.
He said: “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.”
Drivers must not turn right onto Morecambe Road when leaving the exit from Aldi in Lancaster | LANCASHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
He added that the warning period would help educate those who may not realise they are committing potentially dangerous manoeuvres.
The council has also confirmed it will be able to add further locations to the enforcement scheme in the future without needing additional approval from the Department for Transport.
Any new site introduced by the council later on will also come with its own six-month warning period, Mr Goldsworthy explained.