Driving wrong way down the motorway (apparently) - 26th Jan 2007 5:55pm
I dont want to be an idiot about this as technically the police were probably right as I'm not an almanac on Road Laws but what are my choices?
I was driving down to Bristol and I think it was the M5 was gridlocked jct 7-9 or whatever it's really irrelevant. I turned the corner on the motorway and I was parralel to the on and off ramps for junction 7 and right ahead of me I saw MILES of cars backed up to hell, bumper to bumper. The road dipped and it stretched for miles and I could actually see the jam for as far as I could see. What I also saw were people moving into the slow lane and turning 180 degrees and going up the on-ramp onto the roundabout and taking another route. It wasn't one or two people it was a steady stream of 40-50 cars.
I must stress no traffic could come down as it was blocked off at the slip road due to the jam, I'm not pathetic enough to weave in and out of oncoming traffic to avoid a few hours wait. As there were no cars coming down and faced with a potential 1-2 hour crawl over three junctions I turned around onto the hard shoulder and joined the queue to leave the M-way albeit on the wonrg side of the road - opposite direction.
When I got to the top I saw the police speaking to every car that reached him and thought 'he must be directing people on their way' I wound my window down and he said 'you'll be getting a ticket for driving the wrong way along the motorway MATE' (and this pisses me off, like I'm his mate who just lost a fier to him in a bet, I'm not your fckin mate okay) 'is that ok?' (well no it isn't ok but what can I do). Fine I said and sped off not very happy.
What I need to know that I dont is can I contest it on two counts -
1. Is it strictly the motorway? and with the road closed was I technically going the wrong way along it etc. I just got the feeling he had had a bad day and was giving out max. penalties to whoever he didnt like the look/tone of. He could have said don't do it again etc.
2. I'm obviously not from the Bristol area, would it be worth my while pleading some sort of non-local defence. Say the police were directing us up the slipway to reduce the jam? Or is that too far fetched.
I just dread to think what the points/fine will be and the ripple effect on insurance for years to come.
I was driving down to Bristol and I think it was the M5 was gridlocked jct 7-9 or whatever it's really irrelevant. I turned the corner on the motorway and I was parralel to the on and off ramps for junction 7 and right ahead of me I saw MILES of cars backed up to hell, bumper to bumper. The road dipped and it stretched for miles and I could actually see the jam for as far as I could see. What I also saw were people moving into the slow lane and turning 180 degrees and going up the on-ramp onto the roundabout and taking another route. It wasn't one or two people it was a steady stream of 40-50 cars.
I must stress no traffic could come down as it was blocked off at the slip road due to the jam, I'm not pathetic enough to weave in and out of oncoming traffic to avoid a few hours wait. As there were no cars coming down and faced with a potential 1-2 hour crawl over three junctions I turned around onto the hard shoulder and joined the queue to leave the M-way albeit on the wonrg side of the road - opposite direction.
When I got to the top I saw the police speaking to every car that reached him and thought 'he must be directing people on their way' I wound my window down and he said 'you'll be getting a ticket for driving the wrong way along the motorway MATE' (and this pisses me off, like I'm his mate who just lost a fier to him in a bet, I'm not your fckin mate okay) 'is that ok?' (well no it isn't ok but what can I do). Fine I said and sped off not very happy.
What I need to know that I dont is can I contest it on two counts -
1. Is it strictly the motorway? and with the road closed was I technically going the wrong way along it etc. I just got the feeling he had had a bad day and was giving out max. penalties to whoever he didnt like the look/tone of. He could have said don't do it again etc.
2. I'm obviously not from the Bristol area, would it be worth my while pleading some sort of non-local defence. Say the police were directing us up the slipway to reduce the jam? Or is that too far fetched.
I just dread to think what the points/fine will be and the ripple effect on insurance for years to come.