Offsiding or Pinch an Inch?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ต.ค. 2024
- What is offsiding and is it something you should be using, or should you always stay in your lane?
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#driving #offside #education
I'm reluctant to toot the horn near houses. I may only be there for a few seconds, but if _every_ car toots their horn passing the _same_ houses, the people living there will be slowly driven mad!
I too have a problem with the horn use for the same reasons that you stated.
Agread but then the answer is to sort the road out people do die because of poor road lay out
Thank you for saying this. I myself live right at a junction and many motorists blare the horn out of anger towards other road users. Please just use it in an emergency.
also what is the likelihood of it preventing an accident, if someone was coming around from the other way so fast they hit you the horn wont make any difference at all
The owner of a house on a bend near me insists on parking on the outside of the bend, the bend isn’t sharp but it is blind due to a building that is on the opposite side. This means from one direction you have to cross onto the other side of the road to pass his car, the only safe way to do that is to use the horn to make people aware you are there.
He quite often is stood in his garden shouting at people for using the horn, but if he didn’t park so dangerously nobody would be needing to use their horn.
I don’t like using the horn in this manner. The solution is to drive slowly enough to be able to stop in time. As I’ve mentioned before, I live in a central area of a city where horn use is a curse. It’s an awful noise. If I lived by that bridge I would not be happy. Be alert to other road users, but please consider the local community too.
Of course you are correct about being able to stop, well within about half the distance you can see I would say. The horn is just an additional tool to use to alert another road user of your presence, this said - one should not expect it and not expect a reply, horse riders, pedestrians and cyclists cannot do it. Personally I don't normally do it for fear of spooking a horse rider and also the reason you mention.
Yes, sat at home watching worried me until I realised who sounded, even then, I was not comfortable. I wondered where the real imminent threat was and if the driver had taken full account of its position and form.
That's not your job as a driver, look out for the safety of yourselves and other road users. The local community are inconvenienced because of bad planning and dangerous infrastructure. I'm sure the owner of the house is inconvenienced but a car coming into or through his wall will be worse. Its all well and good saying to slow to a crawl but not only is it rarely practical but by its nature on a blind corner its impossible since you cannot control the other car's position nor speed, slowing excessively will render you a danger to the other cars who may not have seen you and will speed into your rear end or head-on. To clarify slowing enough when possible and practical should be done and in many cases it is, but, especially on county roads, it is not always and being in an RTC because you might startle the neighbours really isn't worth it.
Edit- I feel like my argument isn't adequately explained here and I would remove this but I want criticisms made against it in context. I want to make clear you should slow down with this I agree. You should not rely solely on your horn with this I agree. You should, however, when there isn't a footpath or the road is narrow, thereby meaning the road could have road users not normally present coming towards you, you should use your horn, and its this I wish to express.
Noise polution vs saving lives? Yeah, you should be using the horn.
@@PCDelorian It's not about slowing excessively, your speed should be correct for the circumstances you face, it should not be affected by whether you choose use the horn.
When I did my advanced rider training we were taught that it was ok to offside to maintain a view but not to gain a view - always providing it was safe. Remember the 3 S’s - Safety / Stability/ Sight (view). If safe to do so, we were also taught to offsite also through twisties to aid progress and reduce mechanical stress on the vehicle.
I was also taught it for maintaining stability of the motorbike, essentially keeping more of a stable contact point with the road as the moment arms will be minimised over the contact area.
Essentially straight lining corners when it comes down to it.
Might be what you're referring to re: mechanical stability.
A fun one was descending Kirkstone Pass. Nice twisty road with good visibility, and a substantial gradient- I was doing over 40 mph on my bicycle. There was a nice double bend on that that I straightlined! It's not so often that you get to do that when you don't have an engine - of course the check that you aren't being overtaken becomes even more important.
Another one was a really tight right hand bend on a country lane between Oxford and Cambridge that I could see through, and as I had the mother of all tailwinds that day, I would have had to slow down substantially- but by offsiding, virtually hitting the apex of the bend, I was able to maintain a nice smooth 30 mph.
In a most scenarios you can slow down to improve safety instead - but offsiding can be a perfectly safe option that maintains better progress.
Here's one I've not heard mentioned yet what with all the thunderstorm warnings: when it's been hot and dry for an extended period, the first rainfall can turn the road surface into a skid pan. The build up of unwashed residue from traffic makes driving in the first rainfall potentially very dangerous. We used to get warned about that, but it seems to have been forgotten this year.
Some of us will be reminded about in a day or two, if you believe in the met forecast! But yes, it's often a problem particularly on the approach to certain junctions which tend to pick up a lot of tyre wear and a little oil in dry spells.
I did mention it when the last heatwave looked like breaking (and then didn't really). I always suggest that people treat the roads as potentially extra-slippy until there's been at least a whole day's worth of rain after a long dry spell. The first few hours of rain are the most dangerous as there hasn't been enough rain to wash all the muck off the roads.
@@johnkeepin7527 "if you believe in the MET forecast" - stop listening to right-wing garbage pal.
There were storm warnings most of the way up the M5 today from north Devon to Worcester.
I can guarantee every one on two wheels will be aware of this. 😔
Sadly doesn't stop someone in a car from practically using you as a bumper ornament when you're acutely aware of how slippery the road surface is.
Just like when travelling through the 15mph "skid risk" road "resurfacing"/marble run efforts. Like trying to ride on bloody marbles, but you try doing 15 you'll get rear ended.
I call it 'the racing line'. I've driven this way for as long as I can remember. I got pulled once, the copper said he'd pulled me over because I'd crossed the white line with one wheel. It was a broken white line, 4 am, I wasn't speeding & I could see far enough to know for sure there was nothing coming the other way. I explained that I was driving completely legally, which he then reluctantly confirmed, breathalysed me & let me continue my journey.
Totally agree, I introduced my three children (they're now 39, 41 and 43) to the "racing line" concept, not for speed but a more comfortable ride for the passengers and it improves fuel consumption.
They were just using an excuse to pull you over so that they can breathalyse you.
@@tonyomalley901 I've had many compliments on my driving, mostly in regard to comfort, including when I was a bus driver. I was asked how I make the same journey in the same bus more comfortable than other drivers. One lady told me it was the nicest bus journey she ever had, it was my last day as a bus driver, I was quite chuffed, it was a good way to end that job, it made the day unforgettable for me.
@@cactusbase3088 I’d rather they breathalysed than didn’t. Best to take a drunk driver off the road if they’re caught doing something out of the ordinary.
I have nothing but respect for you Ashley. I enjoy watching your videos, and my driving/patience whilst driving has greatly improved since watching your videos.
However, your use of the horn in this video to me is almost completely unnecessary. I get you are trying to warn other road users of your presence, but if every driver did this then the countryside would be filled with the noise of cars beeping. Not to mention the annoyance this gives to residents living in properties next to these roads. The beeping towards the pedestrians made no difference, your slow approach towards them was excellent and all that was needed to pass by them safely. EV or not, the lack of other sounds in the countryside, the noise from tyre contact on the road would be enough for them to hear you coming. Also beeping approaching a blind crest or turn, I have my doubts the approaching car would even hear you with the windows shut and most likely the radio on. All it takes is your considerate speed on country roads. The idiot speeding from the other direction won’t take much notice of a beeping horn in my opinion.
I think I agree. I know the beep of the horn is supposed to alert others to your presence, but you have to take into account people who aren't using the road and happen to be or live nearby.
"Also beeping approaching a blind crest or turn, I have my doubts the approaching car would even hear you with the windows shut and most likely the radio on."
Exactly my thought as well. Unless the approaching driver has their window down, they probably won't hear it. And even if they do, it will be faint and they might not realize it's for them.
Beeping for the humpback bridge I'm kind of okay with (I still think it won't really help), but beeping when approaching pedestrians is a no-no for me. As you said, they can hear you coming anyway and they know they can expect cars. In this video they also didn't take up much space on the road. There was plenty of room for Ashley to pass, especially at the speed he was going. If pedestrians take up a big part of the road, yeah, maybe beep to let them know you're coming, but Ashley takes it a bit too far in my opinion.
I read somewhere that tooting your horn on blind crests or bends is now a £1000 fine...
I respect how Ashley tolerates these comments and doesn't remove them, unlike how other creators might when faced with criticism. It would also be great if he would respond - I'd be interested in whether these comments have changed his mind at all about his use of the horn in these situations.
Agree, been driving 20 years, would never dream of beeping for walkers on a country road, just drive slowly past them, also walked on a fair few country roads no one has ever beeped, it's just not nessesary.
Having grown up around country roads, I tend to take a very similar approach to you. I will offside around a corner where I have excellent visibility and nobody behind who might want to overtake, or who would be confused by my positioning. I'm not doing it for speed, but taking the slightly straighter line through the corner helps to avoid wasting the momentum I'm carrying and thus improve fuel efficiency. I'd also never consider doing it when there's a junction beyond the corner. Safety and economy of effort in that order.
Same here but why has everything nowadays got to have a label 'Offsiding' or similar, its friggin common sense.
As I live in a fairly rural area, using the safe space on the road is very much a safe way of driving and gives better visibility to see potential concealed hazards such as pedestrians, cyclists and horses.
It’s a practice of using space to give time to react.
Regarding the horn use at blind bends and hump back bridges on very narrow roads. It is obviously to alert another road user to your presence/approach, many modern cars are very well sound insulated, add a radio and many drivers can't even here an approaching emergency vehicle, and the expected response - too cause the other road user to pay attention and adjust their speed accordingly - something that they should be doing anyway. If the road is so narrow that both parties must stop then remember that pedestrians, cyclists and horses cannot issue an audible reply/warning.
Something else to consider - would more widespread and general use of the horn in this way lead to complacency and some drivers not slowing sufficiently.
There is an occasion I will offside deliberately on country roads, and that is for comfort on roads with good visibility. If you can see a long way ahead, there are roads where you can maintain a speed more comfortably by straight-lining a mildly winding road, less stress on car and passengers. Golden rule is visibility, if you know you have a clear road, use it, if you don't, stay put.
So I guess position for:
1) Safety
2) Visibility (given there are times you sacrifice visibility for a safer position)
3) Comfort.
I don't think pace comes into it, you are always seeking to drive within the limits of the road, straight-lining to gain comfort will give you some pace but it's not the goal, and is not always safe.
Typical roads where you can do this are moorland roads, where you may have visibility of miles. You will not necessarily be driving at full pace due to livestock but you don't have to follow every twist and turn and your passenger will appreciate the smoother journey.
You have to account for other road users, and if you are being followed closely, straight-lining may be off-putting to them, especially if you think they may want to attempt a pass, as then they need to be confident you will hold your side of the road and aren't just being a sloppy, lazy driver. Similarly, straight-lining a corner in view of an oncoming car may be quite off-putting as they can't tell if it is thoughtful or lazy driving and what might happen in a couple of corners where you meet.
My instructor told me that never cut a corner unless the only thing that can surprise you is a snake on roller skates. Now, I'm not sure why the snake on skates in particular, but the point is that you should have complete visibility and situational awareness when cutting a corner, as you say.
I used to live in Malta, where they drive on the shady side of the road. I now live in The Philippines where they are supposed to drive on the right, but almost invariably cut the corner to turn left, even across the bows of approaching traffic! I haven't actually seen a collision in eight years, but deaths in RTCs are extremely numerous.
I'm a huge fan of offsiding, but I think the distinction is very important. There's a massive difference between MAINTAINING a line and offside position to maintain safety, view and stability through a series of bends, vs MOVING OFFSIDE to gain vision. Never move into a space you can't see.
For example, at 5:17 it seems (from what I can see) that you have a really nice view through the little S bend and down the road as well through and between the hedges. I'd have no qualms at all about having my offside wheels right up towards that offside verge to completely straighten that piece of road out.
Be careful with that one! Going fully across the camber of the road like you explain can sometimes have an unbalancing effect. Pick your moments 👍
@@hughraynor8670 and if a motorbike or recumbent bike comes round the corner whilst you are on the wrong side of the road they will have to get on the brakes. Vulnerable road users can not presume you have seen them and that you are going to return to the correct side of the road. Do not approach corners on the wrong side of the road unless you can fully see tarmac for at least twice your safe stopping distance.
@@THall-vv7ps Precisely why I say never move into a space you can't see. You only want to offside when you have the vision.
@@ashley_neal It certainly can, but to a much lesser extent than the weight transfer of turning left, right, left again. There's a reason they teach it on the IAM Masters course!
i drive similar to this. On single track roads or narrow rural roads, when approaching corners which are blind, I often crawl round and only drive at the speed where I know I can stop in the event anyting comes the other way. This also applies to blind summits. This is dispite a warning horn, as many other drivers either ignore it, or if they did hear it, they do not sound a warning horn back. Just the other day on a road between Longhounton and the Alnmouth to Alnwick Road, I was approaching a blind summit, slowed to a crawl and sounded the horn on approach. In the other direction, a car came flying over the summit, where I had suddenly to pull to the left onto a verge,, as dispite being able to stop myself, the other car was driving way too quickly. This approach has served me well over the past 16 years of driving.
There is also another juction. Coming off the A1 and taking the Seahouses/Alnwick turn off, turn right towards seahouses and you head into a 30 with a sharp blind left hand bend. Just after this, there is a right hand turning towards Longhounton. As you come around the left hand bend, you can see oncoming vehicles on the main road the other side of the junction which is in a dip, so if its clear, you can continue to turn right without slowing down. However, if there is oncoming traffic, the junction is in a dip, and a few weeks ago before the hedges were trimmed, if wating at the junction, it was near to see oncoming vehicles more than 15 meters away.
Thanks Ashley. As always useful, sensible advice. Offsiding is just another tool in your toolbox to be used when situations allow to maintain safe, efficient progress. I note that some have commented on using it to maintain comfort for passengers . This equates to efficient progress: no harsh braking, accelerating or turning and no spillage from the imaginary basin of water in your passenger's lap. This can only be done with the best sight lines, smooth controls and the correct use of speed.
Toot toot, strewth man, you're Mr Toad. Do that round my lanes in Cornwall, we'll mark you as a city boy who can't drive except on the massively wide roads on this vid. I'm a motorcyclist, a roadster driver and a Defender driver, I've never found the need to Toot Toot on every bend, even if we do have grass growing in the middle. Prudent driving, appropriate speed, road positioning and the belief that everyone wants to kill me tends to make the anti-social noises redundant. Summertime tends to sharpen our instincts for good measure.
I did some police driving courses and refresher training and most of what you are saying I was taught and I’m convinced the awareness you get from the road craft manual which is drilled into you has saved me more than once
Is there a risk coming from the close A-pillar? I think, when the speed and the curvature of a bend are just right, it can hide smaller vehicles, like motorbikes. In that case it is necessary to look around the A-pillar by moving in the seat, like Ashley had shown in the video.
I’m not questioning the reason for doing so, as i also do this but honking before a blind corner right next to a house, hmm … i would hate to live there having cars constantly honking at all times of the day. We’re i live you’d get frowned upon for doing that, worse if the house owners catch you doing it.
@@123MondayTuesday or maybe people could just approach blind corners at more appropriate speeds and caution... you muppet.
I would love for him to explain this one. I have only respect for Ashley. So am challenging in a friendly way. I dont see how it helps, is the road user going to hear? What do they do upon hearing? And in my experience driving within speed to stop if a obstacle emerges has always been preferable and perfect. I do a fair bit of country driving. In a mini thou so it’s easier for me in ways.
@@123MondayTuesday "you muppet"
Please, let's have a conversation without immediately dropping into abuse.
... but this is not just any old horn - it's a Tesla horn - so a little noise is to make up for their missing out on the engine noises going passed. 😉
@@margaretnicol3423 he’s driving a Golf GTI
I do most of my driving in a rural area and can think of no circumstances when I would cut a corner as shown in the video. Corner cutting is habit forming and habits can quickly become bad habits. Hedges a little bit higher than perceived, the pedestrian with dogs not quite under control, the child on a small bicycle too near the centre of the road, the low-riding convertible car - all put mor stress on the driver's reaction time. I wouldn't need to worry about improving tyre adhesion - rural living has taught me that less speed is often quicker. Keeping to the side to allow "straightening" of the bend is good rural practice; as is early preparation for passing parked cars, horses (literally thousands of them in my home area), pedestrians, wide agricultural vehicles, potholed edges - but the other side of the road should only be used when necessary. That sid, I enjoy your videos and they help my awareness of other road users.
This is useful on a bike too, within my lane. Not only do I get a better view around a corner, but I am visible to others sooner and I always have the option to tuck back in if needed
Using your horn on tight blind bends is a great way to go around a bend and find spooked horses in the middle of the road playing buckaroo with their riders. 👍❤️🇬🇧
Not as badly as they'd play buckaroo if they were hit by a car.
@@fromthegamethrone as long as the car is going slow it won't hit anything. 👍😁
@@cookiemonster2299 living in lala land mate. Country lanes equals boy racers, or locals who go that fast because "they know the roads"
Slow enough not to spook a horse would have to be sub 10mph. People can't even drive at 30 without crashing.
Even if you are going slower the person on the other side of the horse is not.
Indeed, the only proper use of the horn was when he was coming up behind a couple of pedestrians walking in the same direction as he was traveling.
@@fromthegamethrone Agreed. Boy racers make life dangerous for locals. A beep makes things a bit safer with them about. I would like to hear from an experienced horse rider if they would prefer the advance warning from a beep from a car around a blind bend. Of if a horse on the other side of a blind bend might be spooked. Ashley would not have been on top of the horse when he beeped. It would have been around a sharp blind bend. That would surely have diminished the sound a lot?
I was taught this in advance motorcycle training.
“the straightest and quickest route around a bend is also usually the safest” [but it needs to be done the right way]
Even more so apparent on a bike but you must be aware of the conditions as off siding in the wet could be worse due to the limited grip on the painted lines, if you were in the definite offside position rather than the in lane position.
In turn by the right way, in a motorbike you have other conditions that you need to be aware of that would otherwise not be as or not necessary in a car due to your more limited grip.
I say all this in light of a commenter rather than to lecture that of someone who has done the course :)
By "pinching an inch" for your best view ALSO makes your car visible to oncoming traffic a moment sooner.
That is an incredibly good point and surprised Ashley did not mention it. It is in my opinion as important that the opposing driver sees you early as you seen them. But only if it does not scare them.
Yeah, "see and be seen" is not just a motto for two wheeled vehicles and pedestrians.
Nicely done. To add - not only does this help you with visibility but, conditions allowing, help you be more visible to other road- users.
Absolutely great teaching video and well put across. Thank you Ashley. 50 Years ago at Hendon after reading Roadcraft, I was taken out into the lanes of Herts and shown how to execute the Theory of off-siding and straight lining and realise that when done properly with safety in mind there is always the option to come back to safe side and come back to normal if others may be put at risk.
Seems a lot of people are against using the horn, can’t wait for Ashley’s response video!
Personally I never use the horn as there’s usually people out riding horses on country roads and you don’t want to spook them, i roll my windows down and turn the radio off and listen for oncoming vehicles traveling at an extremely reduced speed.
I'm also reluctant to use a horn to announce my presence. I've said on occasion that cars should have a second device for drivers to use when they just want to announce themselves (I.E. to greet a friend or let a pedestrian know they are sneaking up on them) that isn't so loud.
Beeping pedestrians is annoying and pointless. It wont stop an accident unless you are driving so fast and recklessly that you are relying on them diving for cover. Just slow down.
When I did my HGV1 training in 1987 (I’d already been riding/driving for 22 years by that time) I was told by my instructor that I could fail the test for indicating when there was no other road user about; including pedestrians. The reason being that I was not acting upon what I saw around me; nothing/no one there, no need to indicate.
I actually thought that was pretty good because so many drivers think they can make any manœuvre they like because they’ve indicated. Drivers who indicate automatically usually fail to look - “I’m indicating, its up to others to watch where I’m going.”
I mention this because it seemed to me that you indicated a couple of times when there was no one else around, so perhaps my instructor was wrong. A couple of years later I passed the IAM test, during which I decided not to indicate on two occasions. Grateful for your thoughts.
Totally agree, if theres no one around whos gonna see indicators, again common sense has to be taught nowadays.
It proves in that respect you are 'aware' of your surroundings by constantly monitoring should the need arise to react rather quick. Now they will think 2 secs, react Too late
I always indicate regardless of who’s around as it’s part of the mirror, signal, manoeuvre process. Always thinking about indicating ensures you focus on using your mirrors and observation before making a manoeuvre. Also, new drivers should get into the habit of indicating so they don’t have to think about whether they should or shouldn’t based on the situation.👍🏻
@@MarkEardley1968 That's the problem! They don't have to think, so they don't think.
I personally think offsiding is a sign you're heading into a situation to fast. Seems like a redundant measure if you're traveling at a suitable speed.
(there are exceptions of course, like parked vehicles)
We're all entitled to personal opinions.
As Ashley said it is a skill that not many people know. If you ride a motorcycle and want to live, you offside at every blind turn. Doing it in a car requires a high degree of skill. Drivers that approach a blind turn on the blind side, are a danger to all road users, and should think about a applying for a bus pass.
@@jav.611 both, your second point doesn't change that its a redundant practice if you're travelling at a safe speed in relation to your visibility. Both reasons you have said are to carry speed through a corner because if you were to do it solely for observation its be because you have no choice either way.
@@jav.611 Every day I encounter drivers that seem to think the lane markings are just the government wasting paint, and meander across into an occupied lane, and the boy racers that turn the opposite way to flick the car into a turn. I had some twat overtake a bike on a blind turn as I was approaching it. Only my skill in braking averting a nasty head on. Fortunately I was in a very left most position close to the verge. I saw him before he saw me. Although I expect he thought he had the right to get past the cyclist at all costs.
In my half million mile driving career I have learnt by making most mistakes once, but have witnessed them made many times, by others. Good drivers just have to make sure that we do the thinking for those less capable of it.
I do also believe that riding a motorcycle before getting a car has made me a better defensive driver.
Something I regularly do now thanks to police driving instructors. Always best to have the best view however I try not to do it if someone is close behind otherwise they may follow blindly. It was very useful when driving at high speeds on my course on country roads if the view was clear through bends to maintain the straightest possible trajectory to keep the car stable - and also useful to use the whole road if you are on a straight clear road without upcoming junctions/entrances on the offside.
Just done a Bike Safe course with North Yorkshire police today and offsiding is something they discussed as a method of cornering to improve visibility, in exactly the same manner as Ashley demonstrated.
Thank you for your videos about road rage.
Myself I have this tendency of getting angry and behaving stupid, when I think someone didn't behave accordingly towards me on the road.
One of the things you said: is it really worth it for that particular small place?
You are right. My behaviour since a few days: taking distance, avoiding eyecontact, showing no reaction.
It's much less stressful driving that way.
Thanks and have a nice day!
9:25 the best advice you have given in this video and one perhaps you should have led with. I know this subject is a difficult one to get across in a short video but at the speeds we should be travelling at on narrow roads with random gates and such I agree that offsiding is not necessary at all, except overtaking parked cars, pedestrians and such. There are lots of other opportunities to 'see' how the road is round a corner, gaps in the edging the lines that trees or telegraph poles describe and more. Say you offside into a right hand bend only to find it tightens up and you are travelling at speed or you miss read the road and didn't see a cyclist or a fast moving motorbike also offsiding. It's a very complicated maneuver that really should not be practiced unless you have a high level of training and only then when really needed that I think you got to at the end of th video.
Just to add I really enjoy your content and admire that you are making a big contribution to helping educate drivers on road safety, a sadly missing skill in far too many drivers/riders.
Good points raised. However...unfortunately we have only been given part of the information. If you can imagine buying a manual to service you car but some pages have been torn out. You're gonna get stuck and this is what is happening here.
The term "off-siding" is comparatively new to me. But the practice is not. What is not spoken about in this video are the puzzle pieces like using the white cente lines on the road. To be using these techniques safely you can't just go out in the car and make a video, you need the training.
In this video when we're told about moving out early for the parked white van. A whole raft of considerations need to have been applied. There's a whole drill that should be considered/applied on approach. Including the view under the van from a distance.
With regard road positioning in the rest of this video, there is no mention of using the curved and straight centre lines. These techniques are the be all and end all of doing these things safely. It's that old adage of a little knowledge being a dangerous thing and the reason DoT driving instructors should understand their owns limitations.
Agreed, in a car you’re pretty limited by how much you can move laterally so sit back relax travel five per slower and don’t worry about sitting on the white line or running over the nails in the gutter. Different on two wheels when there is a reasonable gain in visibility and therefore speed of progress to be made, still without riding on the white line or through the gravel.
I nearly came to grief once when I was watching where the telegraph poles were going only to find when I got to the bend that the poles switched to the other side of the road!
@@RAF.Signals-Para-MCU. Yep, that's why a lot of training and a lot of supervised practice is essential. There are many indicators and the more you have the better it is, least you stayed in control, kept safe and ride/drive better for the experience. I was very nearly punted off one of my Ducatis by a car offsiding into a left (for him), thankfully for me I was correctly riding the left edge of my right hander so I could see in plenty of time & the driver could also see me earlier, but it was very close. as his speed and skill didn't really allow his to react well enough. Allowing for the other person to make a mistake and accepting that it will happen goes a long way to increasing your safety on the road we all share responsibility for.
Essential to come out into the middle on a left-hand bend when you're driving a bus. That way, if someone comes the other way, you can pull back in and hopefully pass the other vehicle alot straighter. Passing straighter instead of at an angle is a LOT easier when judging passing distances.
A variation of offsiding was taught to me by 'Bikesafe' police instructors many years ago. On a motorcycle on normal roads, with nobody close behind, you can manoeuvre widely within your lane to obtain the best views around corners. Combine this with 'vanishing point' techniques to assess the severity of an unsighted corner. Works well in nearly all situations.
Do agree wirdy1, Bikesafe offsiding is something I’ve taken to car driving too, as Ashley demonstrates.
These are good skills, which I think, are rarely taught.
I did a "Bike Safe" course with the Met Police a few years back and they taught me all about road positioning while riding my motorbike. Things like looking for changes in "Vanishing Points", staying out of "The Zone of Decapitation" and using road positioning to improve visibility at corners. I can highly recommend the Bike Safe course for motorcyclists. You'll live longer with extra training.
Just a quick and slightly silly note I remember my driving instructor teaching me. When using the horn to warn around a blind corner, a short-long-short blast is best. That "beep beeep beep" just seems a friendly and meaningful way to warn oncoming traffic.
My father taught me exactly that when he taught me to drive 40yrs ago. He also drilled it into me that you have to drive for every other road user and pedestrians. Expect them to do the wrong thing and you will be better prepared to deal with situations. It saved me loads of times when I was riding a motorbike and, touch wood, I've never been involved in an rta whilst I was the driver. I am still learning tho so watch your vids regularly. Big thumbs up to you 👍
Never heard of offsiding. But I do it all the time on country roads. Simple rules: (1) always be able to get back to your side of the road in PLENTY of time if a vehicle appears coming the other way (2) Don't do weird things when other road users are about - they might not know what you are doing and react unsafely (3) it's a good way of lessening the risk of hitting animals (esp. deer in some areas) on country roads to drive near the middle of the road as long as 1) and 2) are noted. They get an earlier view of you too. (BTW if you ever see a deer cross the road in front of you, slow down - there may well be others following.)
Yes, I do like the "pinch an inch" I was taught that 51 years ago in my driving lessons. My instructor was a retired police driving instructor.
Good lessons here, as a countryside dweller we tend to learn this early on especially as a lot of our local roads are barely larger than a single lane with passing places (lakes district) so looking over and even through hedgerows and getting best position (yourself in the seat as well as road position) to read the road ahead is a must.
disappointing on a left hand bend when a car coming from the opposite direction is on the centre line. I believe some drivers have a fear of corners that makes people cut the corner thinking that to be safest, when in reality sweeping around with the curve is happiest for the car and causes less jerk when straightening out of the bend.
That's a real bugbear of mine. As a motorcyclist too, when I approach a LH bend I'm usually slightly towards the centre line to give me the best view around the bend plus the widest part of the bend to ride around. The number of drivers coming the other way who are on or over the centre line. I have to be constantly prepared to tighten my line if necessary. Why can't they stay in their lane? It's just rubbish lazy thoughtless driving.
@@MrQuakeroat motorcyclists understand all aspects of driving better than car drivers. Positioning, grip, awareness, use of speed, prediction etc. I have flown over 2 cars in my life and as a result am extra careful when passing a car waiting to leave a pub and expecting every parked car on a very quiet road to suddenly do a U-turn.
Good video on a controversial subject.
My priorities when cornering are Safety, Visibility and Stability. In that order. Not the other way around.
So somebody offsiding for stability (making it easier for the car to go round a corner, with less braking) is doing it wrong if their visibility or, worse, safety is compromised.
Some unusual comments here suggesting you shouldn't use the horn... As an FLT driver correct use as of the audible alert is part of the training, and I carry the same practice over when driving a car. Examples in the video seemed perfectly sensible.
Yes i also dissagree with horn use close to properties. As far as offsiding is concerned be very aware of exiting right handers with hedges to right even quite low ones as you may well not see low sports cars approaching at speed etc caterhams, morgans as examples also out enjoying drives in fact i personaly would not cross line on a right hander as a biker or car driver.
Cheers keep up good work Ash.
Beeping pedestrians anywhere is annoying and pointless. It wont stop an accident unless you are driving so fast and recklessly that you are relying on them diving for cover. Just slow down.
Nice to see you driving the kind of roads I encounter most of the time. I very rarely off-side but if the conditions are right on a very windy road, I'll do it for comfort rather than speed.
When going around sharp left hand bends on narrow-ish country roads, - I have a couple of notable ones on my commute - I am very aware of drivers coming the other way cutting the corner. I must confess, it's one of the few times I'll sound the horn as a rebuke as hopefully, it'll give them cause to think next time (yeah, right).
As for sounding the horn where there's a lack of visibility, I wouldn't have done so near the house because of the width of the road and the ability to avoid oncoming traffic. I only ever do it where there's a real risk of meeting someone coming the other way on a very narrow, completely blind piece of road. It's not a matter of how slow I go, it's how fast the other driver is coming at me - I often come to a stop or near stop before such bends and still people come belting round. Some drivers have zero understanding of what a blind bend implies, especially on a country lane. The combines are out at the moment and meeting one of them head on is going to require a lot of T-Cut, if you're lucky.
I agree, I see many drivers take blind left hand bends way too fast to see the left edge of the road in front. For cyclists it is very important on single track blind left hand bends to hang out as far as possible just to be seen by any approaching vehicle, I say as far as possible because the centre of such roads often have grass, moss or loose stones, I've seen several cyclists and come off on the loose stuff in such situations.
Beeping pedestrians is annoying and pointless. It wont stop an accident unless you are driving so fast and recklessly that you are relying on them diving for cover. Just slow down.
@@simonavarne9635 with this kind of horn use you are beeping anyone who might be around the bend or on the other side of the bridge, you can't see them until you progress a little further.
@@simonavarne9635 I have to walk on a single track lane with the roar of a main road very near by; I cannot hear most approaching cars from behind me, or bicycles for that matter. Often, the first I know of a car's presence behind me is when its front wing appears in my peripheral vision, half a metre from me. Beeping pedestrians with their backs to you is a courtesy, not a demand they move out of your way.
@@grahambonner508 Better to not rely on your horn but follow the highway code and drive at a speed where you stop if needed. And as per rule 163 allow at least 2 metres of space and keep to a low speed when passing a pedestrian who is walking in the road
I've always done this and thought it was my guilty secret that instructors would bawk at! Thanks Ashley😀
Moving your head and body as you did proves what I've always being saying, pillars are not blind spots..
Here in Cumbria (and no doubt in other rural locations) we have a different offsiding problem: drivers who cut the apex on a right hand bend bringing their car over the white lines. I think it is a manifestation of the problem where drivers are turning right and cut across the oncoming lane in the road into which they are turning. The problem on narrow country lanes is that it can reduce the space going left around the apex to the point where there is a serious risk of a collision. I think it would be a useful adjunct to this video given that it seems so widespread and is directly related to the idea of choosing your moment and understanding what offsiding is and when to avoid it.
Just be aware tooting your horn at those blind corner, oncoming hazard spots, near those residential houses, must drive them mad if every vehicle passing does that.😲⚠️
Just taking the corner cautiously is usually enough!
Very useful advice about moving in your seat can also improve visibility and I do this to a certain degree. Virtually every other source I've come across about "improving your view" talks only about road positioning without ever mentioning head position!
It's one of those things that you naturally do when you're always trying to find the best view. I wasn't taught it, I just started doing it as a natural consequence of wanting to see where I was going and it was quite some time before I became consciously aware that I do it and some other people don't. It's definitely something that needs to be explicitly taught by *_all_* driving instructors, but as my personal experience shows, isn't by some.
I agree with everything except the sounding of the horn. It is a nightmare for residents who live in those awkward spots, and I have also witnessed a horse being spooked, being on the blind side of a hump-back bridge.
Living in Wales with loads of twisty narrow b roads, I use this method a lot definitely helps!
100% on board with your approach. Especially moving out early to overtake.
You are essentially taking the “racing line” within your lane (or just past) to straighten your view and make the bend less curved
Hi Ashley thanks again for a very informative video. I have been doing this all of my driving years some 50+ years and as you say it does make for easier driving and less wear on your car. Stay safe Colin.
Your videos are always very educational and really helping me on my day to day driving . Yesterday I came in wales and I encountered a narrow bridge so I beeped my car horn gently to alert other driver who may be coming from opposite direction . I remembered that because I seen you do that
For response drivers, making progress is a potential benefit of offsiding, but the ultimate aim is to see and be seen, and to gain pace that way. This applies to left hand bends, crossing over the line for rights is only when the view far enough ahead is already clear.
Sometimes, it can only be learned by experience, where it is not just about positioning for this corner, but the next, maybe the one after that too. Reading much further ahead is an important skill, looking at the countryside to see where the road is, what it is doing a half mile ahead, what visibility might be like, what traffic may be approaching.
Moving the head and body is vastly underutilised on all types of road, it changes the position of blindspots in mirrors, and more importantly with modern cars with shallow rake windscreens and huge thick pillars, it can make an invisible bus visible, never mind a motorcyle.
Good common sense in this video. Using the full width of your side of the road is almost always a good idea. Offsiding is one to use more sparingly, for all the reasons mentioned in the video. It's stating the obvious, but check your mirrors before doing it - motorcyclists often try to use these spots for overtakes.
My advanced driving instructor told me to go all the way on the other side of the road, both for safety and progress. Makes sense, since he used to train police drivers. I have always found this a bit extreme in most situations, but I will use it on narrow, slow roads. I will move all the way out on the right on a left hand turn so I can see what's coming sooner, be it traffic, pedestrians, animals, etc. But on high speed roads I will extremely rarely move out all the way.
Another interesting and informative video Ashley!
At 3:50 you approach (what appears to be) a deserted junction but look in different directions 9 times. Was that you admitting to yourself you were being distracted by filming when driving, hence unable to make an efficient assessment/decision?
Keep up the good work!
Mike.
"What appears to be" 🤔
Exactly as I was taught many years ago. I was also taught to be looking over the top of the hedges for large vehicles near sharp bends in the countryside (not really possible anymore as they are not cut back as often anymore) .
What seems to be happening more and more these days is drivers cutting corners especially sharp right hand blind bends , then when they see a car minding their own business and they have to swerve back to their side sharply. They then look at the other driver like scum
Definitely, if your cross-view is good through hedges you can assess upcoming bends much better, power-lines can help too for bends and dips, but not 100% reliable.
I can't stand people who cut corners, people do it day in day out coming in and out of the estate I live on, and seem surprised
If it’s got four wheels it’ll cut the corner. The drivers don’t know there doing it.
I have had Ranger Rovers overtake me on blind bends when cycling. Gave me plenty of room. But what if a car was coming from the other direction? They would have to cut back quickly and potentially hit me. Or collide headon and spin off into me.
there is a corner a bit over a mile from my house that is known as "suicide corner" because everybody tends to come around it with their tires on the center line, from both directions. amazingly, there has not been a crash there as long as I've been here.
sadly, "dead man's curve" a couple miles further on, is a different story.
The two golden rules are - Never driver faster than you can see to stop and never give a sucker an even break. Oops, sorry, the second one was WC Fields guide to life!!!
I quite often take a more central line on straight country roads too - in my experience if you can see far enough ahead and behind, your next biggest risk is some animal jumping out of the hedge
Also, less chance of potholes/bad road surface, and gives you more space in the very unlikely event occurring to your car such as a rapidly deflating tyre. Only do it though if you have maximum visibility of the road ahead.
Police advanced driving Roadcraft. I was told as far to the left on a right hand bend and vice versa without crossing a centre line to maximise your visibility and increase your reaction times. I often straddle the centre line at night on country roads as oncoming headlights give you plenty of time to move, you stay clear of perimeter potholes and ruts and you have more chance of seeing/avoiding wildlife. Hitting a deer or even a badger can do a lot of damage.
I found myself offsiding the other day on a bendy country road, which had a narrow 2 lanes. I only went over the central line if I could see around the corner fully / over the hedges on the opposite side, and even then, I’d only go a foot over at most. I did this to avoid the sharp and high banks on the side of the road, allowing me a bit more confidence around the corner (that I wouldn’t crash or scrape the side of my car).
It’s a really useful little trick to do, but only in certain situations, and definitely not at high speeds.
A few mins down the road, a police car exited a junction and was following me in the same direction - I stopped offsiding as soon as they were behind me, just in case they needed to get past quickly.
On country road bends I pinch an inch quite often and offside very rarely, but in each case as you say, it needs to be done early and in a situation where you can guarantee that you are not going to cause an issue to oncoming traffic,
Meaning that you reach out to gain vision and position such that it will give you the easiest and *safest* route around the corner.
[if done correctly you will have the time and position to react and avoid causing any issues with oncoming traffic]
In effect you do this *before* you enter the corner.
You didn't mention anything about the condition of the edge of the road, there are lots of country roads that getting too close to the left would result in breaking springs. Your use of offsiding is just using the road appropriately. It does allow you to travel quicker as without it you would have to slow down to get around the corner safely. I do like your insights as they do give me a refresher on how to drive safer and is very useful.
I know this is off subject but I noticed the "narrow lane blind corner beeping" I used to use this a lot on several routes in my area with farm access , and high hedges . I no longer do because on one occasion i spooked a horse and was nearly the cause of a dreadful accident. I now just take the bends at a much slower pace ( less the 10MPH) so that i can stop at a moments notice. what are your thoughts / teaching on this type of thing
Going by the comments I'd say it's very much on subject and I expect a follow up video will likely be forthcoming at some point.
Personally I agree with you but I'm always open to consider other points of view.
It's not the first time I've noticed Ashley giving bad advice and setting poor examples
@@TheSebiestor When there are several choices and opinions based on experience, I do not understand how you can refer to it as "bad advice" and "poor example". sounds like you are trying to say "your way or no way" Blind corner beeping has been an acceptable driving style since we have have a high way code. For the record i was sharing my experience of using it not debating whether it is right or wrong or pointing a judgemental finger or metaphorically sounding my horn at a "bad driver". If you wish to criticize, perhaps you should consider owning your words and making your own independent comments, instead of adding them as reply demonstrating a total misunderstanding of the point being made.
Just on road camber - any road that has had an engineer design it for construction, reconstruction or a full surface overlay in the last 70 years shouldn't have the issue you described. Straights should be "cambered", and inverted V, with the centreline higher and a fall to both edges, and all corners should have "crossfall" a straight grade from the high outside edge of the bend to the low inside edge of the bend. Now, older, low maintenance low traffic roads may be left without a designed fall, and i don;t know your area, but I'd expect those to be the exception.
It would seem more likely to me that what you may be feeling is the reduced sideloading from the larger radius that your path round the corner becomes when you "offside" .
Always used to offside driving in country roads. Now do it on my cycle. It helps me to be seen earlier as as spot others. I am very careful though that I will have enough time to cut back should anyone be there. That is the downside of it, where it can backfire. Trick I found is always to stay alert and weigh up dangers.
So many reasons why it's a good idea on a bike. It significantly increases your visibility if you're silhouetted against the sky or tarmac instead of obscured by hedge. Drivers will realise you're a cyclist and not make false assumptions about your speed or think you can just step on to the verge to let them pass. Too many drivers benefit from having some doubt induced to make them think properly about their ability to pass safely..
@@ethelmini Indeed, well put.
At around 1:38: Positioning wide at an early stage for a parked vehicle is something I also practice. As you so rightly pointed out, this gives an early view as well as the opportunity to pull back in if something appears in the oncoming direction. I see so many drivers adopt what I call a "sneak and peak" approach by moving out very late. Good use of horn btw at the hump back bridge and right hand bend.
Driving larger vehicles (whilst passing parked vehicles) on wider roads, pinching an inch also gives oncoming vehicles an idea of the size of my vehicle, and an idea of the space they have (most people don't realise they have alot more space to play with and often squeeze up to large vehicles and yet have 3-4 feet of space between them and the curb)
The topic of horn use and pros/cons considering not only road safety but local residents, would make a great video.
Coming from the Mawdesley end Wanes Blade Lane after the white bridge is a good example of offsiding before it hits 30mph coming into Hoscar. Funnily enough another example, only a couple of minutes away, is down Carr Lane where it's a good idea to beep the horn due to the narrow hump back bridge. Here drivers are very considerate and some even have to reverse back to let the 'winner' continue. But I'm not usually an advocate of the horn.
I’m truly amazed by some of the comments here. Like the use of the horn. It is a tool to indicate your presence to other road users, people who would not know of your presence otherwise. That is why they are fitted. I also really enjoyed Ashley’s commentary regarding offsiding and pinching inches. It is also what is taught to motorcyclists to help them see the road ahead, identify hazards and give them more time to react to the unforeseen.
This reminds of what I do at junctions. Mainly roundabouts with good visibility. I hold back a few feet so that when I actually enter the roundabout or junction I am already traveling at a speed that I can fit into the traffic with. Normal gaps mind. Not pushing in just a better joining speed.
I know it's a speed limit not a speed target but these narrow country roads should have a much lower speed limit. I was driving in the Peak District recently and I was doing under 20mph on some roads but you always feel the pressure of the driver tailgating you. I just try and ignore and drive at the speed I think is safest.
i find it easier to just let them pass, then they can speed on ahead and you can relax.
The national speed limit on country roads is to provide a common approach to these roads to save on the cost of putting up signs on every road. For some roads it is appropriate, for many it is not but commonsense should prevail. Unfortunately commonsense is in short supply these days.
@@bikeman123 Spot on, keep saying it about the new breed, they have to be taught.
Some people just cant do country roads and want stupid restrictions due to ther inability.
“Tooting” the horn around every corner is all well and good for pedestrians, cyclists, and the occasional car driver who hasn’t got all the windows closed and the radio turned up loud but what about horse riders? Even the most sensible horse can be spooked by a loud noise, especially from something unseen.
Just drive carefully and be able to react/brake within the distance you can see.
Agree 100% about moving out early to pass vehicles. Otherwise you can end up doing a blind emerge.
When rounding bends however, if I enter the oncoming traffic lane to my mind I'm now in a position where I WILL have to act to avoid a collision if there's oncoming traffic. This is the most risk. Far better to just reduce speed to match the available visability.
Also, moving out early means you can pass parallel to the other vehicle. That only takes up the width of your car, meaning you can leave a bigger safety distance between you both.
@@ethelmini a very good point
Excellent video. One of the things I used to teach my students was about weight transfer and keeping the car settled as I know a lot of new driver crashes are caused by a failure to understand this, including Lift off oversteer. Would love to see your take on this.
Honestly I never really got the appeal of offsiding for cars; I understand the concept and why people do it, but at the same time I just think it's introducing unnecessary risk through encouraging potential bad habits and potential complacency. All it takes is someone to get a little overconfident while taking up a bad position at the wrong time and it could well result in a crash. I also can't help but think it might encourage people to think of driving as if they were racing on a closed track rather than driving on public roads, where they have to share the road with any manner of road user from pedestrians to combine harvesters. As far as I'm concerned I think the technique should be reserved for emergency services only on public roads, and if you want to take racing lines through corners you should do a track day or a rally instead.
I'm more a fan of the pinch an inch method to use the entire width of your lane, and using your speed conservatively on approach to these kinds of corners. You do lose out on vision and potentially are stressing your car mechanically slightly more (although I have a feeling the slower apex speed will offset the stress from a suboptimal line); but at the same time you are not occupying a space that potentially puts you in conflict with a car that might not be expecting you there. This goes doubly so on country roads where the roads might be slippery from mud or animal droppings in unexpected places, which might exacerbate any panic and loss of control a driver caught out by an oncoming offsiding vehicle might experience
It's not if you keep the primary principle of always being able to stop in the amount of clear road you can see in front of you. The greater that distance the safer it is for you and those who also need to see you.
Not every road user could always keep left of the centre line even if they tried.
The sideways force on a cornering car increases as the square of the velocity and decreases linearly with the bend radius. So to get the same effect in grip as doubling the width of the turn you only need to reduce your speed by 30%. Most offsiding, straightlining, or whatever you want to call it, of a corner won't even come close to that, it might add 20-30% to the bend radius equivalent to reducing your speed by 9% and 12% respectively. So for increasing grip, slowing down a *_little_* is more likely to be effective than straightlining. Conclusion: save straightlining for where it improves your view or ability to accelerate safely sooner after the turn as it won't do much to improve your grip. (For those wondering about camber effects, they scale approximately linearly with the camber angle for the angles likely to be encountered on the roads [small angle approximation].)
@@ianmason. you know your physics!!! F=mv2/r !!
nice to see this, like all aspects of driving it does require skill to judge each scenario and I do like the use of the horn. Here in rural Scotland we could do with more people understanding how the horn can save an accident, especially on our single-track roads. Offsiding is a great weapon in your driving ability, but always remember, cornering = slow in > fast out. Thank Ashley for another superb video
Some cracking learning points given here. Having five miles of narrow winding road to negotiate every time I head out , employing these techniques is a must to make decent headway. I so wish the powers that be would make obtaining an advanced driving qualification mandatory as I see the current test as being flawed and inadequate. People would cope far better with the task of driving if they were armed with better knowledge and techniques. Keep them coming Ashley. Perhaps some advanced motorcycle tips next?
Thank you so much for this video. I absolutely agree with everything you did. I did participate in a polite discussion about this offsiding issue on a previous video. Thanks again!
In my opinion you shouldn't have apexed the right hand curve. Speed far too slow and traffic behind is at a safe distance but still close enough to get the wrong idea.
Really liked the wide entry to the left it helped to make the line really smooth and comfortable for the passengers.
This video really highlights a pet peave of mine and that's people who always cut cross the central line when going round corners where there is traffic, especially in built up areas, just to go that tad faster.
As the video implies, there is a time and place for offsiding, but as it is with the way of the world at the moment, which i believe is effecting driving standards, it's people thinking just about themselves. People wanting to get to their destinations quicker by going too fast and cutting corners, putting others at risk with little or no concerns to safety.
It's appalling, but because they know they can get away with it 99 times of out 100, they will continue drive recklessly as we take the brunt of it and bump up our insurance premiums, or unfortnately be in a collision because of their recklessness.
A few months back in a discussion about overtaking, I explained that when I'm overtaking I pull out to the offside-for the reasons you explain-but I'm always ready to back out of the overtake if something occurs which changes whether it's safe to continue. I was condemned for this by several commenters who said I should always complete an overtake once started. I, of course, disagree.
I'm sure some were saying, not to start an overtaking manoeuvre unless you are absolutely sure of being able to complete is safely.
You are doing exactly as recommended by advanced driving instructors. You have probably seen the excellent Reg Local TH-cam channel where he demonstrates the art of overtaking.
@@stulop I hope they were saying that. I agree with the concept of not being so committed to the overtake that you won't cancel it if there is a hazard you didn't see when you started, and I also agree that it's sometimes necessary to offside to see if it is clear. if I'm driving with someone behind me I expect to want to overtake and I see an opportunity for them, I will usually move over to give them a better field of view. then if they decide to take it, I will step off, if I can afford to lose the momentum, to let them complete their overtake quicker.
One issue I can see with offsiding and that is of other road users perception. Let's say you offside an open right hand bend with cars far enough behind you that it doesn't in any way negatively affect them. However, the way they might see it is "Cor, look at that reckless driver completely on the wrong side of the road". Also, if something happened further up the road (unrelated to offsiding) and those other drivers stopped as witnesses, I wonder if your previous offsiding might then count against you in terms of "How was this person's driving leading up to the incident?" Er well officer, they kept cutting corners and driving on the wrong side of the road. For that reason, I'd say pinch an inch is generally better from a "other road users perception" too, without alarming anyone.
Who do you think you are? Stirling Moss?
@@margaretnicol3423 Speaking of Stirling, you've just reminded me of a TV ad around the 1970's for Cadbury's chocolate. It featured UK actor Jonathan Lynn, who gets stopped for speeding by a police officer who immediately greets him with "Morning Stirling". I recall at the end of the ad, Jonathan sings "Nuts, whole hazelnuts. Cadbury's take em and they cover them in chocolate". Police officer then replies "Your car is in better tune than you Sir". I tried finding the ad but so far have come up empty handed.
@@ibs5080 Oh yes! I don't remember the ad so much but I remember the tune. Happy days!
@Advanced Driving Yes, that's certainly an acceptable possibility. I just feel it might be an extra hassle to deal with.
There is no such thing as 'wrong side of the road'. In fact there is no modern traffic law that says you must drive on the left had side of the road. It is more a habit or courtesy that you do that. The Highway Code says in rule 160 'you should keep to the left' but it does not say you must. Otherwise you could not overtake or pass parked cars. And if a prosecution was made, they would not use a 'lay' witness statement or evidence to determine careless or dangerous driving in court.
Your Golf sounds as though it has quite a revvy engine there Ash, with quite a bit of induction roar too. That actually surprised me. Curious to ask at what sort of RPM are you changing up? Not meant as a criticism in any way, just curious.
It’s most likely the soundaktor system in VW vehicles actuating engine sounds into the cabin when put into sporty mode
@@TheGrinningSkull yeah lol such a Boy Racer thing
In Emergency Response driving off-siding and straight lining roundabouts are referred to as SLAPing.
Safe (is it safe to carry out the manoeuvre)
Legal (is it Legal)
Advantage (will it give you an advantage and aid your progress)
Perception (could it potentially confuse other road users)
If any of the above do not meet the requirements you abort the manoeuvre.
Standard. 😂 Regardless of the road, i always move out to the centre line for a left hand bend and towards the nearside for a right hand bend. If i can see through a corner, i'll be straight lining them all day long
One thing using the right hand side of the road - be very wary of side roads, driveways etc as drivers can arrive and emerge from them only looking to their right. Yes they should look both ways, but many don't!
They teach this style of riding on advanced motorcycle training on IAM or RoSPA. Moved to the left of the lane when road bends right and more rightmost of the lane when it bends left - for the best view.
Good stuff, not enough considerate and safe drivers around. Good tip...I'm sure you know....when overtaking a stationary bus, or anything really, look underneath to see if you can see people's feet! You'll see their feet long before you see anything else. Can save lives!
How low are you sitting to the ground in your car that you can see peoples feet at the front of a bus? A large car or smaller yes, but a bus? Ok, I have edited this. Perfectly possible if you are quite a long way from the bus. Apologies.
@@cactusbase3088 As you get nearer and nearer the bus you get a fair view underneath. I have often seen a child's feet long before I saw the child. Try it!
@@mrbluesky9891 Completely thrown me this one. The nearer you get the bus the less chance you can see all the way under it to the front unless you are sitting very close to the ground. Try it!
@@cactusbase3088 It's all about angles and distance. Trust me. Try it!!
@@mrbluesky9891 it is all about angles. The closer you are to the back of a large vehicle the less distance is visible under the vehicle. This is basic trigonometry. I apologised earlier as what you said was correct from a reasonable distance away but now recind it as what you are saying does not make sense. If you 4 feet away from the back of a bus do you really think you can see through to the front? What do you drive, an F1 car?
I was taught this on a motorbike course many years ago and when I started learning in a car the first thing my instructor said was did you ride m/ bikes ( he said he could tell by my road positioning on bends )
I've always driven "System ", whether 6 Features or 5 Phases. I've done the Cardington test and the DVSA's LGV Instructors test. Because I drove "system " on both tests I didn't even have a minor fault. Evidence to me that "system " driving works.
At 06.30 there's an interesting learning point, as the blue van is in p3 going round the bend, has to move into p2 to pass Ashley safely, yet might be unaware that the rear wheels are infact over the line before adjusting. They appear to be carrying some speed and with mass of weight transferred to the front near-side also seem to struggle a little with control. If they had taken P2 through the bend, this would have reduced risk. If I see someone "off-siding" I will assume that they don't have the skill or training to do it safely unless it's a blue-light driver... but then they don't do it much nowadays, do they? Later on, Ash demonstrates how to do it (sic)"when it's absolutely clear" but there's an unmentioned risk that even when it can appear to be clear, there's an approaching rider continually hidden in the blind spot created by the A pillar (continuous bearing...range effect). For anyone who wants to do this, consider when you wouldn't: between the hours of dusk and daylight, when wet, in strong light, after a storm, facing deer, pheasant, etc... Maybe never is better?
One thing that surprised me in this video was how wide 'your' country roads are LOL. Many roads near me are about half that width, with the occasional passing place.
I offside after being taught by ex Police instructor. He made it 100% clear, it must be safe, legal & have an advantage
I would like to see a tutorial on overtaking on countryside roads. I see so many drivers a car length behind a slower vehicle eg tractor. They are to near to see around the vehicle but keep popping into the other lane to see if it is clear. They cannot accelerate till they are in the other lane. Staying further back means you can accelerate before you commit. Thanks for the great blogs.
There’s a video scheduled soon on overtaking 👍
@@ashley_neal Just tell everyone to only travel on country roads when it's dark. Then you can see the lights coming at you from a long way off! 😀
@Advanced Driving how come? Surely it's better to reduce the amount of time spent overtaking?
@Advanced Driving surely better to accelerate to overtaking speed (safely of course, able to stop if needed etc.) before moving out to reduce time in the other lane?
@@TheVanderfulLife Please watch Reg Local TH-cam channels videos on overtaking. Advanced driver / police trainer. Expert. You will change your view after this.
Learnt this driving as a transfer driver in the French alps for comfort and to see whats happening ahead.
I was taught this on my motorcycle lessons the instructors words were "you pay for all the road so use it, f the view is clear and the road is free use it all lads" and showed us the exact same techniques you do
What if there's a solid white line or two in the middle?
Why waste a perfectly good corner like that?
@@margaretnicol3423 they ignore it and wonder why they die so easily
On the subject of "offsiding", there's only a very few places I would do it, and what's shown is fair enough and, indeed, in the case of a parked vehicle, there's not much else you can do anyway. Other than that, if people are driving or riding motorcycles at a speed such that they can't easily stay within their lane then they are, to my mind, travelling to fast in the first place. From time to time I come across oncoming drivers doing just that, and who have crossed the centre line, and it's not something I want to face (of course they aren't travelling at a speed whereby they can stop in the space they can see to be clear even if I am). The Mercedes @7:19 was, to my mind, cutting that corner slightly as it crossed the centre line and there's really no need for that unless you are travelling too fast. It was only a minor intrusion, but still not a good idea; it could have been a large piece of farm machinery coming the other way.
Whilst it is not pertinent to the title of the video, there is another matter. I think the occupants of those houses @1:48 are going to get very annoyed if every vehicle passing by sounds their horn. I realise it's a safety issue, but there's also a quality of life issue. Yes, a car causes some disturbance, but I would always travel slowly enough round blind corners with houses such that I can stop in plenty of time, even if there's a pedestrian emerging from a house.
So tooting the horn is not a practice I follow in country roads, and there are a lot where I live. It's also, in my experience, not a very rare practice here in rural Oxfordshire, and I can't recall the last time a horn was used in that way. I realise it is allowed in the Highway Code, but I think the peace and quiet aspect is also important.
"...use our lane to its maximum potential..."
All well and good, but you have to be mindful of people coming the _other_ way who don't have that same consideration for safety.
On my daily commute, I have a left bend where I turn right shortly after the apex. The road widens to accommodate the right turn. I have to keep left until quite late, just because I know oncoming traffic almost always flattens the bend, encroaching on my side of the road. I find that indicating right earlier than I would normally do helps, but I still have to be ready for someone who is flattening the bend to maintain their speed.