Ashley - Firstly, the "Space" count was 83 (Yes, I really did count them!) Secondly, you mentioned lorry drivers being reluctant to move to lane two to allow traffic merging from a slip road. The biggest problem is that when you do move over to allow a car to join from a slip road, they often sit alongside you, matching your speed (I wish I knew why, but it often happens). You can be sat on the limiter, so can't speed up to overtake and move back, so you have to slow down and try and slot in behind them. This causes more issues with cars behind in lane one having to accommodate you. Unfortunately this often means that the easiest and safest option is to maintain your speed and position in lane one and make the car driver adjust their speed to fit in.
An honorary mention I'm chuffed.😊 but you did a fair job. One of the biggest problems with some drivers is how long they leave it to make a decision to change lane to overtake the vehicle they are catching.
One of the biggest issues with todays drivers. They leave no space. Always fill any small gap. Tailgate, don’t driver in a staggered formation, etc. And If you leave a ‘healthy gap’ on the motorway, they’ll just cut in front of you.
Yet if drivers do any of these things to them. They get triggered. Personally I use adaptive cruise a lot and so it really doesn't bother me now. I do miss the cut in protection on my last car and it was 99% right. At 1st I was why you slowing, then car just moves onto my lane. Now I have to work it all out myself again. Which is ok but some of these driving systems are great for reducing stress, as the car reacts so I don't have to. You do need to be ready to take control or override though.
Initially I thought the lorry Ashley was letting go was providing a block to the stranded vehicle. Seen that done many times by lorry drivers as the attitude is “If a driver isn’t going to look for stopped traffic it is better they hit my trailer 30 feet back than the stranded vehicle potentially causing bigger issues
@@smilerbob Stranded vehicle was in 2nd lane and the lorry wanted to go to the 1st 😊. No one expected that the driver will stop and offer the help. Good point about the lorries protecting the stranded vehicles though
@@smilerbob Definitely with a wagon. In a car, stopping to help out is usually best done 'downstream' of the obstruction to lessen the risk to your own vehicle, however, especially if there are casualties, or the scene needs to be protected, definitely place your vehicle as a shield and point it so that when a gormless clown eventually hits it, they don't send it barrelling into the scene.
This should be mandatory viewing for all drivers. Much rather show this to students than the hazard perception test. I can see how being space-oriented just immediately sets the right attitude, awareness, and motivation for actions on the road. I count myself as an above average driver but I notice I still target fixate at times. Coaching myself to really frame all my perception as space-seeking should do a good trick to that I think. Thanks for the content.
As a class 1 all the way down to motorcycle and cycle driver/ rider I can say you are doing a sterling job, sir. I watch your videos with great interest as there is always something in them for me to consider. 👌🏼 10:27
Absolute genius. Focus on space. Don't target fix on hazards. Think of them in terms of potentially impinging on space and plan accordingly. Such a simple concept but so profound. Love it. Keeping that safety bubble intact!
Yes Ashley! This is one of my biggest pet peeves. My instructor 10+ years ago was all about traffic flow and space. Such an important thing and is always on my mind!! Great to see this talked about more!
40 years ago " anticipation is 50% of driving". Looking far ahead, leave space for the what if's. Assertive to show intention not to confuse. Now a HGV driver add another level of " they've no comprehension of the space I need". ( roundabouts being the worst example ) .
I'll get back to snow ... I'll get back to snow ... I'll get back to snow. Legend has it that by the time Ash had finally finished going off at tangents it had actually started to snow.🤣
Well timed video, I (a learner) got a telling off for changing to the right lane in between 2 cars (for a right turn on a roundabout) when i could have just held back to create space between all 3 of us - all in a days learning. Thanks very much Ashley.
Space is a nightmare on the slip roads from J18-12 on the M60. At peak times there’s always a queue to get on the motorway, with flow being impacted by people in lane one driving bumper to bumper, and closing gaps instead of driving at a reduced speed to allow zipper-like flow. I only passed a year ago, but your videos have massively helped with continuous learning 👏
Thanks Ashley, excellent addition to this series. We see this approach demonstrated and how calming it is, with all the "me against the world" of most dashcam clips taken out by a simple shift of focus. That leaves, no pun intended, a space, which practising drivers can fill with whatever we want. Ashley gets more wound up by a train of thought leading him to the one we don't mention 13:30, who's probably 200 miles away in London, than by the skip lorry driver nearly creating an incident in front of him. Ogmios fills that space by taking as much pleasure in people-watching from his driving seat as some would from a pavement cafe table.
My grandfather always said,,,,”I’d rather be late in this world than be early in the next one” , plan your journey and leave with time spare just in case of delays ,,,, less stress than always rushing about everywhere at stupid speeds,,,,plus just let them go,,, catch up at the lights/ traffic queue, also when moving always leave a gap of at least 2 seconds, only a fool breaks the 2 second rule, and when stopped in traffic “tyres on road” eg no closer so you can see the vehicle aheads tyres on the road, in the 70s and 80s when I learnt to drive we were taught the art of driving not just how to drive,,,,also given the Roadcraft manual,,,
These ' drive with the expert' videos are brilliant Ashley. Seeing issues first hand and how you deal with them gives a fantastic learning opportunity. Thanks for posting, much appreciated.
Totally agree about space and speed. One is safer with more space. Having had a near miss many years ago I no longer overtake a vehicle if they are passing another vehicle. What happened was there was a third vehicle moving slower hidden by the other two, the vehicle in the inside lane moved out, and the vehicle overtaking them moved partly into my lane the outside lane. At one point we were 4 vehicles across the width of the motorway. Yesterday was a classic M25 wall of metal. However, approaching the M25/A127 junction, I had already moved into the inside lane 2 miles from that junction, knowing a queue could form there. It was a queue, 40 minutes to go one mile. Partly what was happening was that drivers were coming down the 2nd land and trying to cut in, normally, at this junction it would not be a problem as the exit is 2 lanes wide. But what had happened was that a van and a small truck had hit each other, halfway down the slip road sitting in the middle. It was only possible to safely pass them by going off the road. Added to this at the end is a roundabout controlled by traffic lights. Sorry for the long description. What I saw and really scared me was, that vehicles had gone down the 2nd land and were unable to leave at the junction, they stopped. At one point a container lorry; fortunately without a container, came down the 2nd land and just missed the stopped vehicles by violently swerving into the 3rd/4th lane. Luckily for everyone at that point, both lanes were clear.
Fitting into gaps… if you look at something you subconsciously fixate on it. So the act at looking at something can cause you to hit it. Therefore you need to look at the gaps that you want to fit into so that is where you natural aim for. Slalom skiers train themself to look at the gaps between the poles and onto the route that they want their skis to follow, because if they look at the poles they end up hitting them and crashing out of the race. [it’s the same for cycles and motorbike riders, if you look at the drain covers and pot holes in the road you will hit them, so train yourself to look at the gaps in between where you want your wheels to go]
I read that as “Driving Like An Instructor in space” Thought we needed to build a moon base first before we can start driving there 😉 Speaking of space things, did you all get to see the Northern Lights last night? Spectacular display and a possibility of the same again tonight
As a former driving instructor I find your videos very informative and interesting. This was the best one yet and covered a topic not often discussed. Also having once had a job as a parcels delivery man ( not for long !) I definitely understand the way time constraints cause poor driving
One of my oft-remembered quotations is from DM Davin: "'I was... wary of other people's drama and frugal of the exactions it makes on one's energy." Or, as I often say, don't waste brain bandwidth on other people's poor driving; we need our mental energies to keep our own driving on par. Yet, it's so easy to get distracted by others' mistakes that have no effect on us.
It's hard not to get frustrated when trying to drive to a high standard. The thing I need to work on is not to get upset when people get into my safe following distance by cutting in or being glued to my rear bumper (to coerce me to pull over) even though there's no way to go any faster due to cars in front of me.
Interesting point at 6:20 about giving extra space to have best flow Reminds me of a sliproad I use once a week where the road is 30mph due to residential properties but then goes NSL with least than 200 yards acceleration space. I will slow to around 26mph and drop a gear just before the NSL and accelerate so I am at 30mph at the sign. However, I am already accelerating at that point so it gives me an extra fraction of a second to reach the speed needed to merge into a suitable space safely
I've never been more aware of space and room in front and behind me while I drive, I've never been one to tailgate but it's made me even more aware of my space and problems issues ahead of time
1:25 not only that, but when you watch the hazard perception clips the car/driver you are following always stops in terrible places, too close behind parked cars etc. i guess the videos have been made in that way to give the learner as much time as possible to click without giving the answer away (because if the car starts to slow down at a reasonable time, that will prompt the learner to click)
I use adaptive cruise a lot. Wouldn't have a car without it now. My last car also had cut-in protection which was 99% right and amazing. I do miss that system, but I pretty good at judging speeds after many years of driving. Space is your, exit plan. So having it always gives you an option to keep flow for yourself and others. As for hazard perception test. I once did it as part of driving instructor course, i was going to do. Failed it as i see the hazards earlier, like many advanced drivers do and that gives you the opportunity to create space. Obviously i clicked to early. Yet on questions i got 100 out of 100. Sadly company went into administration and due to my health suddenly declining at that time and having to stop working. Decided it wasn't going to be an option moving forwards.
Ashley, I've learned so much on this channel over the years. So thank you. I was just wondering, would you consider making one episode showing compilation of situations where hesitation or over thinking may result in dangerous outcome? I just wonder if beginners can easily get overwhelmed with everything they need to do in every situation which ironically results in them making a mistake? Just a thought, maybe it doesn't make sense... :-)
A good point, not to have target fixation on hazards, but to have a fixation on space whether inner or outer. You should have been involved with making up the rules for DVSA.
Thanks for another great video. I'm going to show this to a work colleague he gave me a lift once and frightened the life out of me. I was then asked to settle a debate between him and his wife as to which lane you should approach a roundabout if taking 2nd exit of fork roundabout when 2 lanes approach, they were both wrong. He also bemoans the radio adverts about not lane hogging how he is not pulling into the left lane etc. I can only hope some of your advice sticks!
Great video. An effective way to help view space like this is to first imagine the landscape in front of you as nothing but empty tarmac in every direction to the horizon, and then imagine that all the obstacles, buildings, kerbs, other road users etc, are “added” on top. It works because our brains and visual system are “prediction machines” and are evolved to notice the unexpected. By imagining a blank tarmac landscape, we “prime” this anomaly spotting function, so everything other than blank tarmac stands out more clearly in our minds…both its existence, and how it affects our plan. It sounds odd, but it’s a genuine perception hack that really does make it easier to rapidly notice and plan for everything that occurs. Try it and see!
Great video mate, as a young, new-ish driver, I find these videos very informative, as I practice these methods so I can improve my driving in a smooth and most importantly safe manner. I have friends who are erratic drivers and I think for them it’s to show off a little to passengers, in my opinion it’s cooler to drive a car in such an advanced way being the safest you can than just “ragging it about”. Ramble over.
13:00 this is an example of people not using their indicators to tell people what they want to do. The van could have indicated and then Ashley would have moved over and probably not need to lift off to slow down. However people are worried about doing it because they don't want to spook the person in the lane next to them .
I like these types of videos Ash, really nice demo drive with running commentary - takes me back to my training for my IAM test. *Space-Time* is your friend! 😎👍
At 3:02 look how close that white thing came to striking the red car (I genuinely can't identify all the look-alike cars these days). It cleaned the bumper even if it didn't damage it.
That van at 12:00 is a bloody middle lane driver. He never got back to the inside... And I really agree with you holding back to get back in: I am always trying to avoid getting into the dead spot of someone else's mirror.
1:04. This is absolutely horrendous. If they were my staff working in the street we would be facing serious fines and criminal prosecution from the highways agency. But these are council workers so they are immune from any fines or punishments.. …….. No warning road signage what so ever. No road cones to direct traffic around their works. No barriers around their work zone. [so the public can walk, cycle or drive right into the staff and equipment working in the road] The barriers around the open pit in the right hand Footway blocks the footpath. There are no signs and directions for pedestrians to safety cross the road to get past. The van on the right is blocking the footpath and causing a blind spot for pedestrians and traffic at the junction. The van is parked facing the wrong way so the staff have to stand in the road to access the side door The van is parked right at the pinch point in the worst possible position [so you have staff stepping out of the van into the area where traffic has no other place to go] [any pedestrians walking past will automatically step out into the road unsighted in the worse possible place where traffic is going through I suspect that these are 2 different companies doing different works. The van might be the telephone or fibre network working in the pit. They have made a half arsed attempt to put barriers around the open pit in the Footway then made it worse by parking the van in an awful position. And then the council workers have turned up who don’t give a Sh*% and started digging the road up in the same location without any safety precisions whatsoever. And turned a bad situation into an absolute nightmare. The van on the right is bad, but the what the guys in the road are doing is criminal.
I really like where you place the rear view camera on the video, really make it feel natural to look at, just like checking my rear view mirror. Great advice as always.👍
After being on race tracks for track days and sim racing, I felt my road positioning and awareness of surroundings improved. This has contributed to my assessment and application of space on public roads, and so much more! I'm not saying everyone should do this, but I am curious as to what others think about what I've stated above? Great video, as always, Ashley. As a driving instructor myself, you have made me realise I probably say a bit too much of what's going on in my head out loud! 😆
Good topic and good video. Though at 12:50 the bunching behind the lorry and the fact the van does immediately come into lane 2 after you pass, wouldn't it have been better for you to move to lane 3 to let the van out, it also helps out the cars behind the van. (There's 29 seconds until the car in lane 3 catches you at 13:37 from when you pass then van, so you wouldn't have interfered with them).
Good call, I probably would have gone to lane 3 as they are within about 2 seconds of the lorry and closing with lane 3 empty. If I was the van I would have started indicating sooner if I wanted to ask for space though.
I try and think of a bubble around my vehicle, usually a car or a sprinter style van. Ideally I want to be in The middle of that bubble, but things can move that bubble around me. So if someone tailgates, it pushes the bubble forward meaning I have to give it more space in front. If I’m too close to the one in front, I have to ease off to get centred again, if something is to the side of me the bubble moves and I have to make sure there is space to the other side. If things become soo tight that the bubble can only be squeezed then I know I have to adjust speed to reduce risk in my bubble. It doesn’t cover every situation but it helps me manage the space around me, be more observant and manage risks when space isn’t an option.
Another good point is to get it into drivers' heads/mindset that these roads are made for sharing, not for anyone to claim ownership over a particular territory of space.
We need to get that mentality into those that want to use the space outside their house for parking. People can get very territorial over that piece of tarmac Even shared driveways can cause friction in some people
@@thomaselliot2257 Not at all Thomas, I have never heard Ashley get territorial about the space outside his house It was a reference to a new social media trend going around where residents are leaving sarcastic notes on peoples windscreens about parking on streets where they don’t live
There’s never any space outside mine anyway but we are losing 2 cars soon as one of my sons and his girlfriend are moving out. Recently I’ve had some work done on the house and my neighbours are absolutely lovely helping us accommodate our vehicles
Sorry I was just joking, Bob and Ashley, thinking about someone chastising you, Ashley , n the comments on "I take my bike on the train" about obstructing the pavement outside your drive. 😊
Watching all your videos, I was onto the red lorry needing that space before you said or appeared to react 😉. In your defence, you are driving and narrating too. That's a fair bit of driver workload! It's why I like to get out really early and get back in really late where I'm not impeding the progress of other vehicles. I also like to think that, by assisting the flow of commercial vehicles, it helps reduce the price increases of goods 🙂
Research has shown that insufficient space appears to be the causes traffic. It seems paradoxical as individually it might seem that covering distance is the priority as you're closer to your destination but that is only true if you never slow down but the reality is that there will almost always be merge points where traffic needs to slow down, these hit your journey time (and average speed) the most so these are the parts where time can be saved. Obviously it requires all road users to work together for flow for best effect which is why it is so critical to help each other out and to have a more positive and understanding mindset towards all other road users
You can demonstrate this very easily by watching a group of nose-to-tail drivers (easy to see on any multi-lane road), who are constantly (over)reacting to the vehicle in front and ultimately having to slow down far more than necessary. This in turn starts affecting traffic flow; whereas if you leave plenty of room, you rarely have to do more than ease off the accelerator. No matter how obviously unproductive it is, they all still do it.
Great session on managing your zone of relative safety. Would be interested to hear your thoughts on the Two Second Rule. Roadcraft talks about extending the following position depending on the size of the vehicle you are following. When I did IAM last year, my observer suggested that for dry conditions use two seconds for cars, three if following a van or a large 4x4, and four seconds for a truck or bus. In this way, you can extend your view arond the sides, into junctions etc.
Space is so important. But the rule of thumb I have on a dual carriageway and/or motorway is if you can't see them in their wing mirror, they can't see you
I was just talking to someone about this online and how hazard perception is pointless as its all about the hazard and not what you do with the space to make safe be it brake accelerate or adjust position
Not how people drive all 2 inches from every car, but when I'm cycling in large groups at events and everyone is jostling for space and there is 100 riders constantly changing around you and everywhere there is a hazard. There is no way concentrate on every hazard. I concentrate on the space that I cam use with an awareness of who can come into my space. The same principles can be applied to driving
Good video with great points I find that some drivers can be upset by others not using the space alongside a lorry when a dual carriageway is busy. Waiting for a lorry to overtake another lorry so things are slow but will clear yet they want others to be alongside a lorry in the danger zone…no thanks And then only a few days ago we could see traffic heading along an entry slip road so I moved over and created space for everyone (including the straight to lane 2 drivers) but the car in front got surprised that the lorry already in lane 1 wanted to move over. No forward planning or space anticipation at all
Interesting you made a judgement on the lorry driver changing lanes before you realised the real reason why. But credit to you for keeping that space and keeping your distance so you had time to assess the situation.
You said the two second rule or gap starts when the back of the vehicle in front goes into the shadow of the bridge. But then counting to two you started from 1 and finished at 2. That's only 1 second. If you finish at 2 then you should start at 0
I recommend going into your Viofo camera settings and selecting flip-horizontal for yor rear-facing camera. It will look much more natural when you have a multicam video like this. Especially when cars overtake you.
I find that if you're using the rear-facing clip as a full-screen video, then it makes sense for it to be 'normal'. But if you're using a clip in a rear-view mirror look, like in this video,I think it's more natural horizontally flipped. You're aware of the option though 😁😁
good timing. Been seeing the highways agency ads recently with the muppet in a car ‘learning’ things. Like not to sit in the middle lane. Latest one is ‘TIL to give 2 seconds space’ and he just has a stupid grin on his face like oh good I learned something - bloody idiot shouldn’t have passed in the first place. Not a good campaign.
All of their campaigns are awful at the moment It started with “Go Left” to the tune of Go West, then we had the grin of shame that does nothing to promote safety and we also have the “I can cook but you can’t so let me cross the road” for pedestrian priority What is wrong with a good ol’ fashioned PSA that gets the point across without the cheesy gimmicks/ storylines that dilute the message being portrayed? However, we have been saying they should be publicising the rule changes more and making drivers more aware. I wonder if we need to be careful what we wish for? 🤷🏻♂️ (Saturday rant over…for now 😁)
Would be really interesting to see your speed on screen in these kind of videos. I find problems can be caused on motorways especially by drivers stubbornly refusing to adjust their speed appropriately.
Everyone needs to know where the nearest hazardous BMW is 😂 As for the Hazard perception test in my opinion it encourages tunnel vision a lot of hazards can appear from any where in a 360 degree around your car.. As for Space wasn't the Northern lights last night brilliant.. 😊
Ashley. Dont understand why you would recommend driving in a staggard formation on a busy motorway when the outer lanes are for overtaking. All lanes are moving at the exact same speed. That applies to dual carraigeways also.
14:55 - Typical situation in the UK: people are hesitating instead of overtaking. Typical 5 o' clock driver: he lingers behind you in an ouside lane at 5 o'clock but won't pass. And typically when you approach a slower vehicle, you indicate (that you like to pull out...and him to pass!) he'd either speed up (and finally pass!) or even fall back, flash his lights and want you to pull out- instead of completing his maneouvre. I see these 5 o' clock guys almost daily in the middle lane.
In the old tv adverts, you would have been labelled “an ambler gambler”, you should always anticipate that lights may change, if you had slowed for the lights beforehand you “may” have had time to stop. It’s too late if you have an accident. I’m a retired professional driver and I can tell you that bad drivers are not restricted to day to day drivers it is all class of drivers. It’s like wacky races on our roads, people drive aggressively not safely, they have to get through first regardless of who has priority. It used to be that you would give way to a vehicle travelling uphill, not now. You see police, driving instructors & especially taxi drivers who should be banned, we should be an example of safe driving to others. The Welsh government introduce new traffic laws but they are not in-forced so most drivers ignore them. Driving whilst using a phone (yes including the Police), unroadworthy vehicles (yes that includes the Police) not using indicators (driving instructors included), erratic driving (everybody). Let’s not mention cyclist, motorised bicycles and no insurance, (no bike licence as in the EU and not qualified to use the road), not wearing helmets, tailgating, undertaking, not pulling into lane 1 on a motorway or dual carriageway, my personnel favourite horse & carts, all speeding beyond the speed limit (now 20mph in Wales). The Police didn’t enforce the 30mph limit so they have no chance of the 20 mph limit. It’s down to safe instruction (your not all good instructors), well thought out and a relevant highway code, highway enforcement, continuation driving instruction, maintenance of vehicles, better signage (not obscured by trees and cleaned), monitoring of vehicle taxation & insurance. It’s so bad that I do not drive anymore, something that I’ve loved in the passed, I’m a class1 lorry driver, and I’ve driven all over the world, taken multiple driving tests due to upgrading, change of vehicle type, and learnt the Highway Code for other countries so that I am safe on the road, for myself and other road users. Be patient, observe the rule of the road and remain tolerant and respectful to others. End of rant from an ex frustrated driver.
Coming from a rural location, my forays into motorways and busy urban roads have only ever been occasional and never comfortable. To celebrate turning 65 I have retired from all that malarkey. No better way to leave space for others to squabble over.
@@JustmeandB I'm in my 70's, motorways are very useful and no problem, even smart ones, in lane 1 just make sure you can stop within the distance you can see, if taligated in lane 1, when safe move right to lane 2, then again when safe get the tailgater thru on the left.
I'm 69 and I've been driving for over 40 years. Love it most of the time, although I'm not over-keen on long distances these days, the most I care to do in a day is 200-250 miles or so, then I like to stop for the night somewhere and carry on the next day. If I have to be somewhere at silly o'clock in the morning (fortunately a very rare occasion these days) then I'll drive down the night before and stay in a nice warm hotel room.
Don’t see many old little Citroens anymore. A lot of people can’t seem to modulate their speed using just the gas pedal….and this isn’t something that only happens on motorways. But I notice some of the hybrid & electric car drivers are getting very good at it due to the way those cars work. The broadcaster in question…by many people’s estimation will always be superior because 🚴 not a car.
That first corner i wouldn't have stuck to the right of the lane having seen the car approaching. In case they wanted to turn left they would have had a tight turn
Hi Ashley, @2:14 the amber light shows and nobody is behind you. The law states you should stop if it's safe to do so. Has a new driver I have found myself going through a few set of amber lights and even done so in front of a police car on the otherside of the road. They did nothing, but I have also heard of people being pulled over for doing this. How would an examiner mark a test in these situations?
The feel of this video is night and day from one from last year. I commented last year that you almost had verbal diarrhoea with your ability to describe the situation around you. This was so much more chilled and I fully believe it's due to the theme of the video. FYI this is how I aim to drive.
I find people just fill the space in front. Which is why they don’t slow down even when lights are red. Why they follow to closely and why people middle lane hog. They just look at the car in front and latch on
Just a bit further down the road after the end of the vid, would you have taken the left lane to go straight on at the old Banks Rd fire station or the middle lane? I obviously take the left lane if I'm on the bike but always tend to take the middle lane in the car. Traffic merges from the left to make it two lanes again about 50 yards after the lights. Just curious.
Hi Ashley, curious why do you fit your dashcam on drivers side of the rear mirror when that puts the camera lens further from the centre that if you fitted unit on the unit left of the rear mirror.
@@ashley_neal Hey you lot, cut out the swearing..! Morning, indeed.. mornings only exist to stop the middle of the night and the afternoon from bumping into one another 😋
Maybe the hazard perception should be more of a word thing and ask you how you should solve certain scenarios, I don’t know how or what it would be like billy the hazard perception at this point in time is so easy to pass, and it really is basic should show a rear view and wing mirrors with things happening too
Instructive as ever. Thank you. But I think the quality of the bottom camera video let you down. Maybe it's TH-cam being nasty but I've a gigabit connection and even at 4k the quality was poor with compression artefacts.
Billyporter1389 asks: "Why drive in a staggered formation? Outside lanes are for overtaking and not for keeping back from those to your left. Leave bikers to ride a staggered formation. They do it correctly by doing it in the same lane." just tried to type a comment, and tried posting it several times. Either his comment was removed or mine gets removed for some reason or another. Anyways, mr Porter, you have not been paying attention to anything mr Neal has shown in his videos. First: When driving next to someone, if they get a tire blow out, they will take you with them off the road. Second: Not everybody does a shoulder check. If you had been in staggered formation, they could have seen you in the mirror. If you are next to them, they may have missed you. Third...... or is this enough you think? Check mr Neals videos as to why you want to drive in staggered formation. And if you still do not understand, my suggestion is that you leave the driving bit to people who understand how to drive safely, because you clearly don't seem to understand how to drive safely if you ask such a question.
Question for you. If lane 1 is doing 50mph and you in lane 2 also known as the OVERTAKING lane, are driving in a staggered formation, what speed are you driving at? Do you need to phone a friend? If there's nothing in your lane, overtake and stop acting the fool by lane hogging. And it's you should check Ashley's video when he's driving on a 55mph dual carriageway with nothing in front and he mentions the auto pilot car doesn't drive in a staggered formation as he would do.
We were not talking about lane hogging sir. We were talking about driving in staggered formation. Sure, agreed, there are lanes for overtaking. But sometimes traffic is just too heavy to overtake. Would you keep driving next to a truck if the traffic infront of you makes it impossible for you to overtake? Have an other look at the videos mr Neal has posted on his channel. Not particularly this video. And would you mind answering my questions? Mr Neal is not talking about the motorway in most of his videos where he speaks about staggered driving. Btw, in this video we have an example of a 3 lane motorway. Max speed? I don't know, i am not from England. Lets say 55? So what speed are you allowed to drive at in the fast lanes? And in the slow lane? Do you need to call a friend, or 50 50? If you are only allowed to drive at 55 mph..... and the person in front of you is driving 55 mph, should you overtake? Should you all stay in the same lane so that the end result means 1 lane completely empty? Or should you use the asphalt? If you are only allowed to go 55 mph and the lane hogger in the middle lane is doing 55 mph, what do you do? @@billyporter2428
anyway, i prefer safety over speed. If someone is driving 50 mph and the max is 55, then there is almost no point in overtaking. The distances we travel in the Netherlands, or in Great Britain are such that it almost does not win you any time by overtaking. Sunday is the day people seem to be more careful on the road. And as a result, nobody wants to overtake. Everybody stays in the right lane on a dual carriage way. End result: Empty left lane. That is not a very safe way of traveling. @@billyporter2428
@@ashley_neal shame, good luck to him for next time! I have my first attempt beginning of June...well first attempt this time around - I allowed my badge to lapse in 2010.
Ashley - Firstly, the "Space" count was 83 (Yes, I really did count them!)
Secondly, you mentioned lorry drivers being reluctant to move to lane two to allow traffic merging from a slip road. The biggest problem is that when you do move over to allow a car to join from a slip road, they often sit alongside you, matching your speed (I wish I knew why, but it often happens). You can be sat on the limiter, so can't speed up to overtake and move back, so you have to slow down and try and slot in behind them. This causes more issues with cars behind in lane one having to accommodate you. Unfortunately this often means that the easiest and safest option is to maintain your speed and position in lane one and make the car driver adjust their speed to fit in.
An honorary mention I'm chuffed.😊 but you did a fair job.
One of the biggest problems with some drivers is how long they leave it to make a decision to change lane to overtake the vehicle they are catching.
You need to get that F1 slipstream in before overtaking…😁
One of the biggest issues with todays drivers. They leave no space. Always fill any small gap. Tailgate, don’t driver in a staggered formation, etc. And If you leave a ‘healthy gap’ on the motorway, they’ll just cut in front of you.
You should go on holiday to Qatar or Pakistan.
@@KILLER.KNIGHTjust go to Bradford, all road rules and etiquette go out the window
Yet if drivers do any of these things to them. They get triggered. Personally I use adaptive cruise a lot and so it really doesn't bother me now. I do miss the cut in protection on my last car and it was 99% right. At 1st I was why you slowing, then car just moves onto my lane.
Now I have to work it all out myself again. Which is ok but some of these driving systems are great for reducing stress, as the car reacts so I don't have to. You do need to be ready to take control or override though.
Leave a gap you know people are going to cut in. Let them cut in and you correct there poor driving, be a problems solved
@@philiplee658 Works in Pakistan so long as you check mirrors..
22:11 well done that citroen driver for stopping to help out.
true but he should also switch hazard lights on
Initially I thought the lorry Ashley was letting go was providing a block to the stranded vehicle.
Seen that done many times by lorry drivers as the attitude is “If a driver isn’t going to look for stopped traffic it is better they hit my trailer 30 feet back than the stranded vehicle potentially causing bigger issues
@@smilerbob Stranded vehicle was in 2nd lane and the lorry wanted to go to the 1st 😊. No one expected that the driver will stop and offer the help. Good point about the lorries protecting the stranded vehicles though
@@smilerbob Definitely with a wagon. In a car, stopping to help out is usually best done 'downstream' of the obstruction to lessen the risk to your own vehicle, however, especially if there are casualties, or the scene needs to be protected, definitely place your vehicle as a shield and point it so that when a gormless clown eventually hits it, they don't send it barrelling into the scene.
This should be mandatory viewing for all drivers. Much rather show this to students than the hazard perception test. I can see how being space-oriented just immediately sets the right attitude, awareness, and motivation for actions on the road.
I count myself as an above average driver but I notice I still target fixate at times. Coaching myself to really frame all my perception as space-seeking should do a good trick to that I think. Thanks for the content.
Don't look at the rock when descending or you will hit the rock.
Exactly. Well put.
As a class 1 all the way down to motorcycle and cycle driver/ rider I can say you are doing a sterling job, sir. I watch your videos with great interest as there is always something in them for me to consider. 👌🏼 10:27
Absolute genius. Focus on space. Don't target fix on hazards. Think of them in terms of potentially impinging on space and plan accordingly.
Such a simple concept but so profound. Love it.
Keeping that safety bubble intact!
Yes Ashley! This is one of my biggest pet peeves. My instructor 10+ years ago was all about traffic flow and space. Such an important thing and is always on my mind!! Great to see this talked about more!
40 years ago " anticipation is 50% of driving". Looking far ahead, leave space for the what if's. Assertive to show intention not to confuse. Now a HGV driver add another level of " they've no comprehension of the space I need". ( roundabouts being the worst example ) .
Always a good morning when get new Ashley Neal content :D
Very helpful and enjoyable listening to an experienced driver explaining their thoughts whilst driving.
I'll get back to snow ... I'll get back to snow ... I'll get back to snow. Legend has it that by the time Ash had finally finished going off at tangents it had actually started to snow.🤣
I was expecting the video to then transition to a snow day.
Well timed video, I (a learner) got a telling off for changing to the right lane in between 2 cars (for a right turn on a roundabout) when i could have just held back to create space between all 3 of us - all in a days learning. Thanks very much Ashley.
Space is a nightmare on the slip roads from J18-12 on the M60. At peak times there’s always a queue to get on the motorway, with flow being impacted by people in lane one driving bumper to bumper, and closing gaps instead of driving at a reduced speed to allow zipper-like flow. I only passed a year ago, but your videos have massively helped with continuous learning 👏
Thanks Ashley, excellent addition to this series. We see this approach demonstrated and how calming it is, with all the "me against the world" of most dashcam clips taken out by a simple shift of focus. That leaves, no pun intended, a space, which practising drivers can fill with whatever we want. Ashley gets more wound up by a train of thought leading him to the one we don't mention 13:30, who's probably 200 miles away in London, than by the skip lorry driver nearly creating an incident in front of him. Ogmios fills that space by taking as much pleasure in people-watching from his driving seat as some would from a pavement cafe table.
My grandfather always said,,,,”I’d rather be late in this world than be early in the next one” , plan your journey and leave with time spare just in case of delays ,,,, less stress than always rushing about everywhere at stupid speeds,,,,plus just let them go,,, catch up at the lights/ traffic queue, also when moving always leave a gap of at least 2 seconds, only a fool breaks the 2 second rule, and when stopped in traffic “tyres on road” eg no closer so you can see the vehicle aheads tyres on the road, in the 70s and 80s when I learnt to drive we were taught the art of driving not just how to drive,,,,also given the Roadcraft manual,,,
These ' drive with the expert' videos are brilliant Ashley. Seeing issues first hand and how you deal with them gives a fantastic learning opportunity. Thanks for posting, much appreciated.
Totally agree about space and speed. One is safer with more space. Having had a near miss many years ago I no longer overtake a vehicle if they are passing another vehicle. What happened was there was a third vehicle moving slower hidden by the other two, the vehicle in the inside lane moved out, and the vehicle overtaking them moved partly into my lane the outside lane. At one point we were 4 vehicles across the width of the motorway.
Yesterday was a classic M25 wall of metal. However, approaching the M25/A127 junction, I had already moved into the inside lane 2 miles from that junction, knowing a queue could form there. It was a queue, 40 minutes to go one mile. Partly what was happening was that drivers were coming down the 2nd land and trying to cut in, normally, at this junction it would not be a problem as the exit is 2 lanes wide. But what had happened was that a van and a small truck had hit each other, halfway down the slip road sitting in the middle. It was only possible to safely pass them by going off the road. Added to this at the end is a roundabout controlled by traffic lights. Sorry for the long description. What I saw and really scared me was, that vehicles had gone down the 2nd land and were unable to leave at the junction, they stopped. At one point a container lorry; fortunately without a container, came down the 2nd land and just missed the stopped vehicles by violently swerving into the 3rd/4th lane. Luckily for everyone at that point, both lanes were clear.
Excellent, Ashley. I believe that this is the best one I have seen you do.
Fitting into gaps… if you look at something you subconsciously fixate on it. So the act at looking at something can cause you to hit it.
Therefore you need to look at the gaps that you want to fit into so that is where you natural aim for.
Slalom skiers train themself to look at the gaps between the poles and onto the route that they want their skis to follow, because if they look at the poles they end up hitting them and crashing out of the race.
[it’s the same for cycles and motorbike riders, if you look at the drain covers and pot holes in the road you will hit them, so train yourself to look at the gaps in between where you want your wheels to go]
I read that as “Driving Like An Instructor in space”
Thought we needed to build a moon base first before we can start driving there 😉
Speaking of space things, did you all get to see the Northern Lights last night? Spectacular display and a possibility of the same again tonight
As a former driving instructor I find your videos very informative and interesting. This was the best one yet and covered a topic not often discussed. Also having once had a job as a parcels delivery man ( not for long !) I definitely understand the way time constraints cause poor driving
One of my oft-remembered quotations is from DM Davin: "'I was... wary of other people's drama and frugal of the exactions it makes on one's energy." Or, as I often say, don't waste brain bandwidth on other people's poor driving; we need our mental energies to keep our own driving on par. Yet, it's so easy to get distracted by others' mistakes that have no effect on us.
It's hard not to get frustrated when trying to drive to a high standard.
The thing I need to work on is not to get upset when people get into my safe following distance by cutting in or being glued to my rear bumper (to coerce me to pull over) even though there's no way to go any faster due to cars in front of me.
Interesting point at 6:20 about giving extra space to have best flow
Reminds me of a sliproad I use once a week where the road is 30mph due to residential properties but then goes NSL with least than 200 yards acceleration space. I will slow to around 26mph and drop a gear just before the NSL and accelerate so I am at 30mph at the sign. However, I am already accelerating at that point so it gives me an extra fraction of a second to reach the speed needed to merge into a suitable space safely
This video was amazing! Very good information and examples. liked and saved! Nice one Ashley.
I've never been more aware of space and room in front and behind me while I drive, I've never been one to tailgate but it's made me even more aware of my space and problems issues ahead of time
1:25 not only that, but when you watch the hazard perception clips the car/driver you are following always stops in terrible places, too close behind parked cars etc. i guess the videos have been made in that way to give the learner as much time as possible to click without giving the answer away (because if the car starts to slow down at a reasonable time, that will prompt the learner to click)
I use adaptive cruise a lot. Wouldn't have a car without it now. My last car also had cut-in protection which was 99% right and amazing. I do miss that system, but I pretty good at judging speeds after many years of driving. Space is your, exit plan. So having it always gives you an option to keep flow for yourself and others.
As for hazard perception test. I once did it as part of driving instructor course, i was going to do. Failed it as i see the hazards earlier, like many advanced drivers do and that gives you the opportunity to create space. Obviously i clicked to early. Yet on questions i got 100 out of 100. Sadly company went into administration and due to my health suddenly declining at that time and having to stop working. Decided it wasn't going to be an option moving forwards.
Ashley, I've learned so much on this channel over the years. So thank you. I was just wondering, would you consider making one episode showing compilation of situations where hesitation or over thinking may result in dangerous outcome? I just wonder if beginners can easily get overwhelmed with everything they need to do in every situation which ironically results in them making a mistake? Just a thought, maybe it doesn't make sense... :-)
A good point, not to have target fixation on hazards, but to have a fixation on space whether inner or outer. You should have been involved with making up the rules for DVSA.
Always learn valuable skills from Ashley . Great content Sir
Thanks for another great video. I'm going to show this to a work colleague he gave me a lift once and frightened the life out of me. I was then asked to settle a debate between him and his wife as to which lane you should approach a roundabout if taking 2nd exit of fork roundabout when 2 lanes approach, they were both wrong. He also bemoans the radio adverts about not lane hogging how he is not pulling into the left lane etc. I can only hope some of your advice sticks!
Great video. An effective way to help view space like this is to first imagine the landscape in front of you as nothing but empty tarmac in every direction to the horizon, and then imagine that all the obstacles, buildings, kerbs, other road users etc, are “added” on top.
It works because our brains and visual system are “prediction machines” and are evolved to notice the unexpected. By imagining a blank tarmac landscape, we “prime” this anomaly spotting function, so everything other than blank tarmac stands out more clearly in our minds…both its existence, and how it affects our plan.
It sounds odd, but it’s a genuine perception hack that really does make it easier to rapidly notice and plan for everything that occurs.
Try it and see!
Great video mate, as a young, new-ish driver, I find these videos very informative, as I practice these methods so I can improve my driving in a smooth and most importantly safe manner. I have friends who are erratic drivers and I think for them it’s to show off a little to passengers, in my opinion it’s cooler to drive a car in such an advanced way being the safest you can than just “ragging it about”. Ramble over.
Great video Ashley, like you say of course you have to be aware of potential hazards but if you think about space you can sort out anything.
Amazing the number of bus shelters in one piece !!!
13:00 this is an example of people not using their indicators to tell people what they want to do. The van could have indicated and then Ashley would have moved over and probably not need to lift off to slow down. However people are worried about doing it because they don't want to spook the person in the lane next to them .
I like these types of videos Ash, really nice demo drive with running commentary - takes me back to my training for my IAM test. *Space-Time* is your friend! 😎👍
2:12 With ample room to stop for the yellow, was the green light not working? The light up front was green.
At 3:02 look how close that white thing came to striking the red car (I genuinely can't identify all the look-alike cars these days). It cleaned the bumper even if it didn't damage it.
As someone who spent a lot of time driving around London I can honestly say that the alarm didn’t go off so there was plenty of room 🤣
Always good knowledge with your videos Ashley i'm taking it all in
That van at 12:00 is a bloody middle lane driver. He never got back to the inside...
And I really agree with you holding back to get back in: I am always trying to avoid getting into the dead spot of someone else's mirror.
1:04. This is absolutely horrendous. If they were my staff working in the street we would be facing serious fines and criminal prosecution from the highways agency.
But these are council workers so they are immune from any fines or punishments..
……..
No warning road signage what so ever.
No road cones to direct traffic around their works.
No barriers around their work zone.
[so the public can walk, cycle or drive right into the staff and equipment working in the road]
The barriers around the open pit in the right hand Footway blocks the footpath.
There are no signs and directions for pedestrians to safety cross the road to get past.
The van on the right is blocking the footpath and causing a blind spot for pedestrians and traffic at the junction.
The van is parked facing the wrong way so the staff have to stand in the road to access the side door
The van is parked right at the pinch point in the worst possible position
[so you have staff stepping out of the van into the area where traffic has no other place to go]
[any pedestrians walking past will automatically step out into the road unsighted in the worse possible place where traffic is going through
I suspect that these are 2 different companies doing different works.
The van might be the telephone or fibre network working in the pit.
They have made a half arsed attempt to put barriers around the open pit in the Footway then made it worse by parking the van in an awful position.
And then the council workers have turned up who don’t give a Sh*% and started digging the road up in the same location without any safety precisions whatsoever.
And turned a bad situation into an absolute nightmare.
The van on the right is bad, but the what the guys in the road are doing is criminal.
I really like where you place the rear view camera on the video, really make it feel natural to look at, just like checking my rear view mirror. Great advice as always.👍
After being on race tracks for track days and sim racing, I felt my road positioning and awareness of surroundings improved.
This has contributed to my assessment and application of space on public roads, and so much more!
I'm not saying everyone should do this, but I am curious as to what others think about what I've stated above?
Great video, as always, Ashley. As a driving instructor myself, you have made me realise I probably say a bit too much of what's going on in my head out loud! 😆
Good topic and good video. Though at 12:50 the bunching behind the lorry and the fact the van does immediately come into lane 2 after you pass, wouldn't it have been better for you to move to lane 3 to let the van out, it also helps out the cars behind the van. (There's 29 seconds until the car in lane 3 catches you at 13:37 from when you pass then van, so you wouldn't have interfered with them).
Good call, I probably would have gone to lane 3 as they are within about 2 seconds of the lorry and closing with lane 3 empty. If I was the van I would have started indicating sooner if I wanted to ask for space though.
I try and think of a bubble around my vehicle, usually a car or a sprinter style van. Ideally I want to be in The middle of that bubble, but things can move that bubble around me. So if someone tailgates, it pushes the bubble forward meaning I have to give it more space in front. If I’m too close to the one in front, I have to ease off to get centred again, if something is to the side of me the bubble moves and I have to make sure there is space to the other side. If things become soo tight that the bubble can only be squeezed then I know I have to adjust speed to reduce risk in my bubble. It doesn’t cover every situation but it helps me manage the space around me, be more observant and manage risks when space isn’t an option.
Another good point is to get it into drivers' heads/mindset that these roads are made for sharing, not for anyone to claim ownership over a particular territory of space.
We need to get that mentality into those that want to use the space outside their house for parking. People can get very territorial over that piece of tarmac
Even shared driveways can cause friction in some people
@@smilerbob hope that's not a dig at Ashley 😊
@@thomaselliot2257 Not at all Thomas, I have never heard Ashley get territorial about the space outside his house
It was a reference to a new social media trend going around where residents are leaving sarcastic notes on peoples windscreens about parking on streets where they don’t live
There’s never any space outside mine anyway but we are losing 2 cars soon as one of my sons and his girlfriend are moving out. Recently I’ve had some work done on the house and my neighbours are absolutely lovely helping us accommodate our vehicles
Sorry I was just joking, Bob and Ashley, thinking about someone chastising you, Ashley , n the comments on "I take my bike on the train" about obstructing the pavement outside your drive. 😊
Watching all your videos, I was onto the red lorry needing that space before you said or appeared to react 😉. In your defence, you are driving and narrating too. That's a fair bit of driver workload! It's why I like to get out really early and get back in really late where I'm not impeding the progress of other vehicles. I also like to think that, by assisting the flow of commercial vehicles, it helps reduce the price increases of goods 🙂
Research has shown that insufficient space appears to be the causes traffic. It seems paradoxical as individually it might seem that covering distance is the priority as you're closer to your destination but that is only true if you never slow down but the reality is that there will almost always be merge points where traffic needs to slow down, these hit your journey time (and average speed) the most so these are the parts where time can be saved. Obviously it requires all road users to work together for flow for best effect which is why it is so critical to help each other out and to have a more positive and understanding mindset towards all other road users
You can demonstrate this very easily by watching a group of nose-to-tail drivers (easy to see on any multi-lane road), who are constantly (over)reacting to the vehicle in front and ultimately having to slow down far more than necessary. This in turn starts affecting traffic flow; whereas if you leave plenty of room, you rarely have to do more than ease off the accelerator. No matter how obviously unproductive it is, they all still do it.
Great session on managing your zone of relative safety. Would be interested to hear your thoughts on the Two Second Rule. Roadcraft talks about extending the following position depending on the size of the vehicle you are following. When I did IAM last year, my observer suggested that for dry conditions use two seconds for cars, three if following a van or a large 4x4, and four seconds for a truck or bus. In this way, you can extend your view arond the sides, into junctions etc.
Awesome content… people need to watch this 👍🏼
Awesome mate 👊🏻 … space makes you safe , as I have told you before I have c+e and life long motorcyclist… space makes you safe ❤️
10:40 John's way :) It's common sense way. If you observant and courteous enough it becomes the second nature in long run
Space is so important. But the rule of thumb I have on a dual carriageway and/or motorway is if you can't see them in their wing mirror, they can't see you
I was just talking to someone about this online and how hazard perception is pointless as its all about the hazard and not what you do with the space to make safe be it brake accelerate or adjust position
im so glad ashley finally gets to drive in outer space
Always got my learners early in to think about space rather than fixed on hazards.
Not how people drive all 2 inches from every car, but when I'm cycling in large groups at events and everyone is jostling for space and there is 100 riders constantly changing around you and everywhere there is a hazard. There is no way concentrate on every hazard. I concentrate on the space that I cam use with an awareness of who can come into my space. The same principles can be applied to driving
Good video with great points
I find that some drivers can be upset by others not using the space alongside a lorry when a dual carriageway is busy. Waiting for a lorry to overtake another lorry so things are slow but will clear yet they want others to be alongside a lorry in the danger zone…no thanks
And then only a few days ago we could see traffic heading along an entry slip road so I moved over and created space for everyone (including the straight to lane 2 drivers) but the car in front got surprised that the lorry already in lane 1 wanted to move over. No forward planning or space anticipation at all
13:38 When the lanes are full you often get driver doing late lane changes after gantries like here. It's obvious really.
Interesting you made a judgement on the lorry driver changing lanes before you realised the real reason why. But credit to you for keeping that space and keeping your distance so you had time to assess the situation.
After all, it was drummed into me from an early age that Space was "The Final Frontier"! (Thanks Star Trek!)
You said the two second rule or gap starts when the back of the vehicle in front goes into the shadow of the bridge. But then counting to two you started from 1 and finished at 2. That's only 1 second. If you finish at 2 then you should start at 0
No.
1 banana (1sec) - 2 banana (1sec)
the second click is where the third banana would start so two full seconds from the first click. 19:22-19:24
Internal Combustion Engines don't work very well in Space - there's no atmosphere 😁
Excellent commentary as per what I expect from Ash 👍
I recommend going into your Viofo camera settings and selecting flip-horizontal for yor rear-facing camera. It will look much more natural when you have a multicam video like this. Especially when cars overtake you.
Some people like it as you say, some don't.👍
I find that if you're using the rear-facing clip as a full-screen video, then it makes sense for it to be 'normal'. But if you're using a clip in a rear-view mirror look, like in this video,I think it's more natural horizontally flipped. You're aware of the option though 😁😁
@@ashley_neal I don't like it, I prefer the rear camera to be the right way around. It's not meant to act as a rear view mirror.
On the road, space is my friend!
this is why there's bloody roadworks everywhere all over the country - it's Ashley paying them so he can make demonsration vids !!!
good timing. Been seeing the highways agency ads recently with the muppet in a car ‘learning’ things. Like not to sit in the middle lane. Latest one is ‘TIL to give 2 seconds space’ and he just has a stupid grin on his face like oh good I learned something - bloody idiot shouldn’t have passed in the first place. Not a good campaign.
All of their campaigns are awful at the moment
It started with “Go Left” to the tune of Go West, then we had the grin of shame that does nothing to promote safety and we also have the “I can cook but you can’t so let me cross the road” for pedestrian priority
What is wrong with a good ol’ fashioned PSA that gets the point across without the cheesy gimmicks/ storylines that dilute the message being portrayed?
However, we have been saying they should be publicising the rule changes more and making drivers more aware. I wonder if we need to be careful what we wish for? 🤷🏻♂️
(Saturday rant over…for now 😁)
Would be really interesting to see your speed on screen in these kind of videos. I find problems can be caused on motorways especially by drivers stubbornly refusing to adjust their speed appropriately.
thank you, really helpful video
Everyone needs to know where the nearest hazardous BMW is 😂 As for the Hazard perception test in my opinion it encourages tunnel vision a lot of hazards can appear from any where in a 360 degree around your car.. As for Space wasn't the Northern lights last night brilliant.. 😊
You misspelled Golf GTI/R and white van ;-)
Have you ever mentioned the different gap meaning in the hazard perception lines?
Ashley. Dont understand why you would recommend driving in a staggard formation on a busy motorway when the outer lanes are for overtaking. All lanes are moving at the exact same speed. That applies to dual carraigeways also.
I swear to God this channel has made me such a better driver...
14:55 - Typical situation in the UK: people are hesitating instead of overtaking.
Typical 5 o' clock driver: he lingers behind you in an ouside lane at 5 o'clock but won't pass.
And typically when you approach a slower vehicle, you indicate (that you like to pull out...and him to pass!) he'd either speed up (and finally pass!) or even fall back, flash his lights and want you to pull out- instead of completing his maneouvre.
I see these 5 o' clock guys almost daily in the middle lane.
In the old tv adverts, you would have been labelled “an ambler gambler”, you should always anticipate that lights may change, if you had slowed for the lights beforehand you “may” have had time to stop. It’s too late if you have an accident. I’m a retired professional driver and I can tell you that bad drivers are not restricted to day to day drivers it is all class of drivers. It’s like wacky races on our roads, people drive aggressively not safely, they have to get through first regardless of who has priority. It used to be that you would give way to a vehicle travelling uphill, not now. You see police, driving instructors & especially taxi drivers who should be banned, we should be an example of safe driving to others. The Welsh government introduce new traffic laws but they are not in-forced so most drivers ignore them. Driving whilst using a phone (yes including the Police), unroadworthy vehicles (yes that includes the Police) not using indicators (driving instructors included), erratic driving (everybody). Let’s not mention cyclist, motorised bicycles and no insurance, (no bike licence as in the EU and not qualified to use the road), not wearing helmets, tailgating, undertaking, not pulling into lane 1 on a motorway or dual carriageway, my personnel favourite horse & carts, all speeding beyond the speed limit (now 20mph in Wales). The Police didn’t enforce the 30mph limit so they have no chance of the 20 mph limit. It’s down to safe instruction (your not all good instructors), well thought out and a relevant highway code, highway enforcement, continuation driving instruction, maintenance of vehicles, better signage (not obscured by trees and cleaned), monitoring of vehicle taxation & insurance. It’s so bad that I do not drive anymore, something that I’ve loved in the passed, I’m a class1 lorry driver, and I’ve driven all over the world, taken multiple driving tests due to upgrading, change of vehicle type, and learnt the Highway Code for other countries so that I am safe on the road, for myself and other road users. Be patient, observe the rule of the road and remain tolerant and respectful to others. End of rant from an ex frustrated driver.
Somewhat off topic, what are the red/pink things at the back of the steering wheel (visible at 00:32)?
Red Stitching
Coming from a rural location, my forays into motorways and busy urban roads have only ever been occasional and never comfortable. To celebrate turning 65 I have retired from all that malarkey. No better way to leave space for others to squabble over.
Likewise being of over 60s age try not to use motorways at all especially when it is a smart motorway,
@@JustmeandB I'm in my 70's, motorways are very useful and no problem, even smart ones, in lane 1 just make sure you can stop within the distance you can see, if taligated in lane 1, when safe move right to lane 2, then again when safe get the tailgater thru on the left.
I'm 69 and I've been driving for over 40 years. Love it most of the time, although I'm not over-keen on long distances these days, the most I care to do in a day is 200-250 miles or so, then I like to stop for the night somewhere and carry on the next day. If I have to be somewhere at silly o'clock in the morning (fortunately a very rare occasion these days) then I'll drive down the night before and stay in a nice warm hotel room.
Don’t see many old little Citroens anymore.
A lot of people can’t seem to modulate their speed using just the gas pedal….and this isn’t something that only happens on motorways. But I notice some of the hybrid & electric car drivers are getting very good at it due to the way those cars work.
The broadcaster in question…by many people’s estimation will always be superior because 🚴 not a car.
My two golden rules. Don't drive close, don't drive fast.
That first corner i wouldn't have stuck to the right of the lane having seen the car approaching. In case they wanted to turn left they would have had a tight turn
A big problem for me as a new driver is when I do leave sufficient space in front of me, I get idiots overtaking me on the left. So dangerous.
Hi Ashley,
@2:14 the amber light shows and nobody is behind you. The law states you should stop if it's safe to do so.
Has a new driver I have found myself going through a few set of amber lights and even done so in front of a police car on the otherside of the road. They did nothing, but I have also heard of people being pulled over for doing this.
How would an examiner mark a test in these situations?
If you can't stop before the line, don't.
@@ashley_neal thanks Ashley 👍
The feel of this video is night and day from one from last year. I commented last year that you almost had verbal diarrhoea with your ability to describe the situation around you. This was so much more chilled and I fully believe it's due to the theme of the video.
FYI this is how I aim to drive.
I find people just fill the space in front. Which is why they don’t slow down even when lights are red. Why they follow to closely and why people middle lane hog. They just look at the car in front and latch on
Just a bit further down the road after the end of the vid, would you have taken the left lane to go straight on at the old Banks Rd fire station or the middle lane? I obviously take the left lane if I'm on the bike but always tend to take the middle lane in the car. Traffic merges from the left to make it two lanes again about 50 yards after the lights. Just curious.
Hi Ashley, curious why do you fit your dashcam on drivers side of the rear mirror when that puts the camera lens further from the centre that if you fitted unit on the unit left of the rear mirror.
Morning Ashley, it might not be morning when you read this comment but it's morning for me!
Morning!
@@ashley_neal Hey you lot, cut out the swearing..! Morning, indeed.. mornings only exist to stop the middle of the night and the afternoon from bumping into one another 😋
Maybe the hazard perception should be more of a word thing and ask you how you should solve certain scenarios, I don’t know how or what it would be like billy the hazard perception at this point in time is so easy to pass, and it really is basic should show a rear view and wing mirrors with things happening too
Instructive as ever. Thank you. But I think the quality of the bottom camera video let you down. Maybe it's TH-cam being nasty but I've a gigabit connection and even at 4k the quality was poor with compression artefacts.
The rear view camera?
@@ashley_neal The front view camera.
Must be TH-cam as the rear camera is actually half the resolution 👍
very hard to watch this with CC on, as it covers half of the picture
Vine: a plant; an invasive species.
Always amuses me that 🤣
This technique should be taught more in driving lessons because not always instructors go through like this
Billyporter1389 asks: "Why drive in a staggered formation? Outside lanes are for overtaking and not for keeping back from those to your left. Leave bikers to ride a staggered formation. They do it correctly by doing it in the same lane."
just tried to type a comment, and tried posting it several times. Either his comment was removed or mine gets removed for some reason or another.
Anyways, mr Porter, you have not been paying attention to anything mr Neal has shown in his videos.
First: When driving next to someone, if they get a tire blow out, they will take you with them off the road.
Second: Not everybody does a shoulder check. If you had been in staggered formation, they could have seen you in the mirror.
If you are next to them, they may have missed you.
Third...... or is this enough you think?
Check mr Neals videos as to why you want to drive in staggered formation.
And if you still do not understand, my suggestion is that you leave the driving bit to people who understand how to drive safely, because you clearly don't seem to understand how to drive safely if you ask such a question.
Question for you. If lane 1 is doing 50mph and you in lane 2 also known as the OVERTAKING lane, are driving in a staggered formation, what speed are you driving at? Do you need to phone a friend?
If there's nothing in your lane, overtake and stop acting the fool by lane hogging.
And it's you should check Ashley's video when he's driving on a 55mph dual carriageway with nothing in front and he mentions the auto pilot car doesn't drive in a staggered formation as he would do.
We were not talking about lane hogging sir.
We were talking about driving in staggered formation.
Sure, agreed, there are lanes for overtaking.
But sometimes traffic is just too heavy to overtake.
Would you keep driving next to a truck if the traffic infront of you makes it impossible for you to overtake?
Have an other look at the videos mr Neal has posted on his channel. Not particularly this video.
And would you mind answering my questions?
Mr Neal is not talking about the motorway in most of his videos where he speaks about staggered driving.
Btw, in this video we have an example of a 3 lane motorway.
Max speed? I don't know, i am not from England.
Lets say 55?
So what speed are you allowed to drive at in the fast lanes?
And in the slow lane?
Do you need to call a friend, or 50 50?
If you are only allowed to drive at 55 mph..... and the person in front of you is driving 55 mph, should you overtake?
Should you all stay in the same lane so that the end result means 1 lane completely empty?
Or should you use the asphalt?
If you are only allowed to go 55 mph and the lane hogger in the middle lane is doing 55 mph, what do you do?
@@billyporter2428
anyway, i prefer safety over speed.
If someone is driving 50 mph and the max is 55, then there is almost no point in overtaking.
The distances we travel in the Netherlands, or in Great Britain are such that it almost does not win you any time by overtaking.
Sunday is the day people seem to be more careful on the road.
And as a result, nobody wants to overtake.
Everybody stays in the right lane on a dual carriage way. End result: Empty left lane.
That is not a very safe way of traveling.
@@billyporter2428
Space is Deep according to Hawkwind 😀
21:03 i thought the bus ran the li- oh. Oh...
So, back to the important stuff! Did your instructor pass?
Nope! Identified the main problem, but didn't go for it enough. Only the first attempt though!
@@ashley_neal shame, good luck to him for next time! I have my first attempt beginning of June...well first attempt this time around - I allowed my badge to lapse in 2010.
Good luck! If you need anything just ask!!
@@ashley_neal I will do thanks. I have subscribed to your ADI part 3 videos.
You said space 82 times in this video!
Why is this video not called "How to drive like a Spaceman?" part 2 "Dealing with Space Invaders"