A camera at a roundabout described by councillors as “one of the most dangerous places for cycling in the UK” has generated £600,000 in fines since September 2024.
The Plain in Oxford sees around 12,000 bike journeys per day during university term time, making it one of the busiest cycle roundabouts in the UK.
Oxfordshire County Council installed an automatic number plate recognition device to catch drivers making illegal left turns from Cowley Road onto Iffley Road. Whilst cyclists are allowed to take this sharp bend, drivers are not.
A Freedom of Information request submitted by the Oxford Mail has revealed that since the installation of the camera, Oxfordshire County Council has received £627,920 in fines. Councillors say that the turning makes it “one of the most dangerous spots for cycling in the UK”, but claim that drivers argue that the roundabout is “confusing” and still regularly make the turn.
Green city councillor, Emily Kerr, said: “The ‘no left turn’ at The Plain has been in place for many years, and there are three separate signs informing drivers. “It is concerning how many drivers appear to be unaware of this legal restriction, as demonstrated by the high levels of fines.
“The Plain is one of the most dangerous spots for cycling in the UK, and previously this illegal left turn was one of the most dangerous parts of the roundabout, as can be seen from the crash data. I hope that drivers will learn from being fined that undertaking this dangerous manoeuvre is not worth it, and that the next time they travel that route, they will drive legally.
“I hope that the fines fall over time as this will mean that drivers are adhering to the laws of the road and that our roads are becoming safer.”
These safety measures were put in place following the death of Ling Felce, a 35-year-old University of Oxford postdoctoral scientist, on March 1st 2022. She was killed following a collision involving an HGV being driven at the junction.
The driver, Robert Whiting, was jailed for eight years for causing her death while driving unqualified, uninsured, and under the influence of drugs.
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Green ward councillor Alex Powell added that the high number of fines suggests there is “more work to do in encouraging conscientious, considerate and safe” driving within Oxford.
“Recent years have seen a number of accidents, including the tragic death of Dr Ling Felce in 2022. These collisions underlay how important it is that drivers obey the rules of the road, especially at a roundabout like The Plain.”
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Local Xhevahir Gjoci, 43, told SWNS, “It’s quite easy to turn left; if there’s more of an obstruction, it wouldn’t be that easy.
“The sign is quite small, and people don’t realise it – it’s a good way for the council to make more money. We are more protected than they are, but it’s common sense that cyclists need to take safety more seriously.”
However, Rocio De Mora, highlighted how dangerous the roundabout feels. The Oxford student said: “When you come down and see the cars coming your way, it’s a bit dangerous.
“It’s a bit scary just to cross because many times they won’t allow you to go. It’s pretty scary for a cyclist. It’s so busy. If you are going into work at 8 am, it’s horrible because there’s so much traffic, so many people, and so many buses that are big and scary. Drivers should be fined as they are. If people start doing illegal things, then it’s worse because it gets more dangerous for people who are trying to do their own thing.”
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David Henwood, leader of the Independent Oxford Alliance Group, added: “The new road layout is inconsistent with normal road layouts for roundabouts and junctions.
“This alone confuses many road users. The scheme is producing fines accumulating to £627,000, so a review is needed. If the scheme has improved road safety, then of course it is welcomed, the question that remains is whether the penalty system is needed?”
The decision to install the camera was made in October 2023, in an attempt to increase road safety. The decision was made by Andrew Gant, the cabinet member for transport management. He said: “This is a very busy roundabout, and the banned left turn is a road safety hazard, which increases the risks for all road users. There was a good deal of support for the installation of a camera to deter this.”
Drivers who take the banned left turn will receive a £70 penalty charge notice, which is discounted to £35 if paid within 21 days.
24 thoughts on “Camera issues £600k in fines for illegal turning on one of the “most dangerous spots for cycling in UK””
It would also make it difficult to turn in to it in the way you’re supposed to, from circulating round the roundabout, though. Besides, the whole point is that it’s already a sharp turn that makes that turn difficult – that’s why you’re not supposed to do it.
This is pretty epically confused. The fact that it’s generated so many fines indicates that many people are still making the turn, so if anything it suggests that more stringent measures might be needed. And how exactly would the scheme continue to achieve whatever safety improvement it has if you remove the penalty that is the basis of that improvement?
Exactly. Shades of the “Restricting the generation of surplus funds from traffic contraventions” DfT enquiry (headed by Mark Harper MP at the time – remember him? )
That all sounded to be part to the “I’m more pro- motorist than you” fight in the run up to the previous UK parliamentary elections.
No doubt those currently seeking votes to the “right” would (in a soon-to- be deleted Tweet) propose removing the fines, perhaps the signs, and maybe the roundabout itself? (“Roundabout” sounds indirect, inefficient … maybe even woke?) That is clearly in the spirit of slashing regulation and binning expensive stuff…
They’d be conflicted, though, because in this case the roundabout is an historic churchyard with a nearby grade II listed fountain. One of the challenges of coming up with an appropriate solution is an inability to get agreement on any changes to those. One suspects that the same voters would be exactly those who are most vocal about that.
It seems in an earlier iteration there was some hard infra that made the prohibited turn even tighter – see streetview from 2008: https://maps.app.goo.gl/6dSgtFxxphmKVY9q9
I suspect it was removed because people kept driving into it while making the prohibited turn…
This does indeed seem to validate the reason for having the fines in the first place – and as you say is evidence that a harsher approach is needed.
If drivers didn’t do what they’re not allowed to do there would be zero fines.
“The driver, Robert Whiting, was jailed for eight years for causing her death while driving unqualified, uninsured, and under the influence of drugs.”
No amount of “safe infrastructure” will allow for that.
Such a lenient sentence for those actions, potentially out early for “good behaviour” means there is zero deterrent for him or others.
I thought for a while there should be a change in reporting standards around jail sentences given that we all know that “jailed for eight years” doesn’t actually mean that.
“The driver, Robert Whiting, was sentenced to a maximum of eight years imprisonment (minimum three years three months) for causing her death…”
Minimum _for now_ – until the prisons fill up to crisis point again.
hmmm I have never been in an active prison, let alone incarcerated in one… but i do know some people who have seen that side of life and they all indicated even 3 months is fcking hard time. I think many underestimate that 3 years in prison is not a holiday by any stretch of the imagination.
Indeed. Well, actually, perhaps it might help? What we’ve got here seems to be some kind of large urban motor vehicle intersection. Probably shouldn’t be in town at all… and indeed if it was “separated car infra” the damage would be limited to those others in motor vehicles, who have some protection.
See “Grade separation” for roundabouts if this location is somehow not amenable to “send the vehicles elsewhere”.
Caveat: I’m not familiar with this one and the space and desire line constraints. OTOH – the particulars of motor vehicular access are a *choice*…
Not familiar with the area, but having looked on Streetview, I do have some sympathy with drivers who are confused by the signage and the junction itself. I don’t think I’ve ever come across the “No Left Turn” sign used in this way. It does come across as pretty ambiguous.
The signs on approach (e.g. https://maps.app.goo.gl/nrZXTofBJQttJAYk6 ) have the No Left Turn sign and then a diagram of the roundabout. However, I would say it is far from obvious that the meaning is that you cannot turn directly onto Iffley Road and instead must go all the way around the roundabout first.
There’s also the argument that the “No Left Turn” sign shows a 90° turn, which doesn’t match the actual turn onto Iffley Road, and you might think it is implying you can’t turn onto Cowley Place (the 2nd exit, which is a ~90° turn from Cowley Road). One could be forgiven the thinking it is implying that if you want to access Cowley Place, you should instead turn onto Iffley Road.
In addition, I would normally view the roundabout as a carriageway in it’s own right, so you’re not turning left from Cowley Road onto Iffley Road; you’re turning left from Cowley Road onto the roundabout itself, and then turning left again to exit the roundabout. Viewed in that way, “No Left Turn” makes no sense – you have no choice but to turn left onto the roundabout.
My final comment is that this is clearly a half-baked solution to the UK’s classic half-baked cycling infrastructure, that just gives up the moment things get tricky – in this case spitting cyclists out from the protected cycle lane into the general circulation at the roundabout. Would be much better to design out the conflict with proper infrastructure.
The linked story has a nice overhead shot of the junction, which I’ve stolen and added an arrow showing the turn in question and the route you’re supposed to take.
Also, here’s the signage.
First one – set back on the side of a building:
.
I can’t find this sign in the official DfT book. The examples it does give seem to be much clearer in their intent.
Like OYB I was taught to treat the roundabout as a road – you turn left onto it & you exit from it with a left turn. So the no left turn makes no sense, it should be no, second left, turn.
I can’t ever recall seeing this type of restriction elsewhere to compare the signage.
Second one – attached to pole alongside parking restrictions etc.
And finally – rather lost amongst a host of other signs.
Have to agree with OYB that it could be signed better.
[Also noticeable that in that view there’s a van cutting across the cycle lane on the entrance to Cowley Road, so it’s not just the turn in question that’s the problem.]
I was curious so I checked. Google Maps does know about the restriction.
Tight turns? Voorangsplein!
Sure, there are *some* kind of space requirements for those. But if it’s *dangerous* it could have been some innocent passenger in a car that got hurt! That’s serious!
And for motor vehicle infra knocking down buildings – even historic ones – is a well-established fix!
Voorrangsplein(en?) (I missed a “r”) illustrated in a couple of articles – first here:
https://therantyhighwayman.blogspot.com/2021/02/voorrangsplein-part-1.html
I’d have thought most drivers get confused when they arrive at the roundabout and see a no turn left sign. Isn’t that what you are supposed to do at a roundabout – turn left? Clearly signage is not going to save lives here, that part of the roundabout needs a redesign.
Other options are allowed.
“The new road layout is inconsistent with normal road layouts for roundabouts and junctions.”
Welcome to the world of cycling infrastructure often hard to work out for cyclists…drivers reaction is just ignore and get on with forcing vulnerable users out of the way.
The “No Left Turn” is easy to see…just no reinforcement with “No Entry” Fix it by removing the 360deg round the roundabout for drivers? And add No Entry signs. Looks like an ill thought out concession is being abused. One driver ignores the signage and the next one follows because it’s unfair that the driver in front gets away with it..see it all the time on ped crossings, temp lights, turning across oncoming traffic etc
Not entirely clear what you’re suggesting.
Do you mean completely close the section of the roundabout between those two arms of the roundabout (and presumably make the rest of it two-way? If so, I could have some sympathy with that, but it would be strongly objected to on the grounds of ‘think of the congestion!!!’
Or are you saying that people coming from Cowley Road should uniquely be banned from exiting to Iffley Road, even if they’ve circulated the roundabout to get there? That would just seem unenforceable and counter-productive (many of the people currently doing it as intended would think that they may as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb and make the shorter turn).