Driving Fail March | A Facepalm Moment 

Absolutely yes. You will know that it is good driving practice to take up a dominant position to make clear your intent in exactly this situation when driving a car. Getting out early when there are parked cars on both sides of the road allows you to both see further ahead and conveys your intent to move ahead. It is always a dialogue of course and anyone should be prepared to cede way to others if the situation dictates but it has been very well established that timid cyclists who 'hide' at the edges of the road are far more likely to experience close passes than those like me who cycle in the middle of the lane until I consider it safe to move over to allow vehicles to pass by at a time and place of my choice. This is just as true for oncoming vehicles in narrow gaps as it is for overtaking vehicles. And the Highway Code (Rule 67) appears to support the view that taking a dominant position to allow for moving either left or right to avoid danger is the correct course of action: "Watch out for obstructions in the road, such as drains, service covers and potholes, positioning yourself so you can move to the left (as well as to the right) to avoid them safely Take care when passing parked vehicles, leaving enough room (a door’s width or 1 metre) to avoid being hit if a car door is opened, and watch out for pedestrians stepping into your path" The chap in this video who you praise is in my opinion cycling dangerously. If there is more than six inches between his left hand and the door mirror of the blue and white cars I would be very surprised. Much, much too close. If, instead of you there had been a bully in a van or wide 4x4 such as in the following clip, he would have been waving his hand in anger rather than gratitude.

@Davy Anthonissen As a Belgian, I feel I need to ask, since I have trouble parsing what you're trying to say. What are you talking about in your second paragraph???

I would take this offer but I already use nodvpn

@Davy Anthonissen I am thinking that any driver that tries to report other bad drivers of lorries, the person i.e. office person, that receives the report/videos only discards them and never does anything about the driver.

Quick Q - is it safe/considerate for me to coast behind a HGV at a safe distance, who's max speed is 60 mph, (excluding when other junctions are merging onto mw where I'll go into middle lane) in lefthand lane instead of trying to maintain 70 and overtaking slower HGVs? I'm unsure whether 60mph is too slow and affects the flow of traffic. I've picked up some really useful stuff on here - thank you.

Undercover examiner 😅

i'd be scared for my health if I went into a Delta Taxi on the streets of Liverpool

@@Matthew-bu7fg He'd be alright if he got a sponsor from one of those life insurance companies :)

That's a joke right, they'd all fail with First Class Honours. Taxis (and particularly minicabs) just do what they want and with nay a care in the world.

The pass rates would be less than 3% if he did a DELTA Special lmao

I can beat that Lol! I slowed to turn right, major to minor, the guy behind also indicating to go right, accelerated past me to cut the corner and get in front😳

I searched that plate and it appears in three other videos.

@@deyfuck wow, I had already found one in Sefton Park where the cyclist who filmed it said the car was "dangerous and aggressive".

Napp valley dash cam could use this as a guide

@BadDriversOfTennessee I had it today in my tesco van, needed more space to make turn so I did as the car was a while away, he then raced up and upon passing me just fine, he got onto the horn. I was very near the kerb on the other side. Sometimes I just wonder

There's a new version of the Highway Code, you know. It now states that when a hazard is observed, the correct course of action is to aggressively accelerate directly towards the hazard whilst producing a sustained blast on the horn. Now that we've left the EU we can even do away with those pesky automotive standards and just wire the horn to the accelerator.

@@ilikechickensausages2075 dashcam lessons could do the same. Full of ego dashcam warriors who seem they will not back down even if it ends in a collision or sit on the horn for a min

@@mxbx307 Cheers for the heads up. I'll remember this in future.

Just shear laziness!

Delta taxis no surprise

Apparently if they hit you, it's your fault. Happened to someone i know

Ironically some of the worst drivers on the roads are professional drivers - i.e. taxi drivers......cut corners, rarely indicate, inconsistent braking, wander in & out of lanes whilst they mess with phones or satnav, drive incredibly slow sometimes, then too fast others, suddenly stop without indicating, often don't check their blind spots and just pull out on you.

Agree Alan, clearly see the number plate so the council should have no problem prosecuting them!

The thing is, that litter they've just thrown out is being conveniently carried around for them by their car! No effort involved in carrying the stuff home!

Such utterly entitled inconsiderate behaviour cooks my clutch too. They should be made to do litter picking like we had at our school. They could don an orange suit for good measure. What's wrong with a little bin bag in the car? I hope that number plate got reported, although I suppose the driver will claim they had no power over the pedestrian.

Gifted? I think you'll find you've paid for it and have been very much overcharged.

@@Fireglothey’re only £20 where I live. That’s not overcharging at all really. Can’t even get a kitchen bin for that much these days.

Both mate 👍

I had drivers overtaking on blind bends and going over the pavement,when I was an instructor. That was years ago,and it's even worse now!

So, you really like your job Ashley? All you've done here, is scowl at everyone!! Another great video, plenty to learn, again. 🤩

what about Ash driving with one hand on wheel - eg seeminingly the hand/s are at the v bottom of s/wheel - while teaching a learner

@@yorkshirethegreat i agree, he comes across as self righteous; it reminds me of an instructor when i was learning -- ie - blame everyone else; it becomes repetitive

Agree, taking the path of least resistance on roundabouts (i.e. straight lining) requires a level of awareness from the driver.

@@davidsomething4867 which is why they are called roundabouts not straightabouts

@@zaixai9441 I admittedly often straight line roundabouts, primarily for fuel economy/efficiency - but have not once, ever, cut someone up or made anyone brake or inconvenienced anyone......I'm always aware of what is around me and only straight line it when nothing is near me (or will/could be near me at any point)....it takes a lot of awareness and experience, having track experience helps a lot.

@@blower1 I've not seen any tests or studies but I'd be very surprised if going straight makes any significant difference.

@@zaixai9441 Combined with other measures it all adds up and can make a difference, quite simply you are taking the shortest route through and most of the time I do it I'm also slowing down/braking less (again when conditions are suitable) - although as said it takes good judgement and skill to do it in a safe manner, it can't be done for every roundabout and I tend to do it only when I have good view of all exits / entrances and/or I know the road/roundabout well.

I passed over 12 years ago. Since watching Ashley's videos my driving and attitude to driving has improved. Always learn something watching these videos

20 years for me. You never stop learning really!

I used to be a driving instructor and passed my Advanced test at 21. Driving now for 42 years and still learning! You could drive for 100 years and still learn!

It's spread to Southport too. I was driving my bus in service to Crossens. Coming up towards the end of service and a BMW (surprise, surprise) cut the corner and nearly smacked the front end of my bus. Best bit was that there were dents all over the front of the car which told me they'd done it before and damaged it as a result. Clearly hadn't learned a thing.

They do not appear to be street legal.

@@grahvis It was petrol scooters 15 years ago, and I mean the stand up ones. But they were nowhere near as common.

I keep saying: on a bicycle you get to be either a wheeled pedestrian, staying on the pavement and fitting in with foot traffic, or a road vehicle, obeying the rules of the road. Those kids seemed to be in "superpowered pedestrian" mode but with absolutely no consideration for *either* set of rules. And I have a sneaky feeling those should actually be classified as trail motorbikes, not bicycles. They just lack the usual sound of an inadequately silenced two-stroke.

@BadDriversOfTennessee Those in the footage were not road legal, e-bikes are limited to 15.5mph assist speed, and have to be pedal assist (no throttle) to comply, catching them is another issue...

@@Kromaatikse A guy I work with has one. It's got a fast mode and a 'legal' mode that restricts it to 16mph or whatever. And dummy pedals of course. So he flies along the cycle path at 50mph, and flips it into 'legal' mode if he catches sight of any authorities 🤦‍♂️ Those lads ones don't look as powerful, but enough torque to pull a wheelie and pulling 20mph is registered vehicle territory.

Sometimes it's people using cruise control, getting too close and just touching the brake to disable it. But I think it's always important to keep at least two or three seconds back, sure there will be drivers overtaking and filling the space , but the gap is more important and in the end doesn't cost many seconds.

@@grahambonner508 - sometimes, yes, rather than adjust the control setting, but I'm referring to the ones who brake every 100 yards or so - repeatedly!

@@hamshackleton I guess they are either way to close to the car in front or just don't know how to control their car properly.

One of Ash's viewers sent in a video were a cyclist was coming down a hill in the wet. Forgetting bikes can't break as fast as a car the driver pulled out and immediately stopped, stealing the bike's breaking distance. By the time the rear dash cam was pointing up the road the bike back wheel was already skidding. He hit the back of the car at about 2mph.

Problem is, there are too many thick and ignorant people in the UK and no police to enforce the law. Of the UK population, half are below average intelligence

Sadly in England we call it the drunkbuttonmethod.

They call it zip merging in USA too.

In The Netherlands it is called "Ritsen" (using a zipper). I find merge in turn confusing since where I am it is predominantly used with a sign at the start of a bend/turn and the lane disappearing at the end of it.

Why do you just focus on position for car doors width and not the fact he could stop if one opened, or more importantly if a child ran out?

@@ashley_neal because if he was further out he would see pedestrians earlier and have more time and space to react to someone between the cars. That clip made me very uncomfortable, particularly when you encouraged people to ride like that.

@@ashley_neal No particular reason Ashley. I agree that they are just as relevant to safety but as mentioned elsewhere, a wider position aids in spotting and avoiding that too.

I think he has a punch bag 🥊 hung up in the garage for “emotional release” 😂

Just don't rise to it, let the idiots be on there way. You are not going to change their habits, so why stress over it. We always play the spot the idiot so we can keep our their way.

@@EOTBuk Oh I dunno about not changing their habits, i once saw a van driver (who wasn’t the one doing something wrong for a change) and the driver of a C class merc have an interaction which I’m certain would have made the merc driver think twice next time lol.

Which means someone's father is crap at their job.

Generally, Ash doesn't send clips into the fuzz. Imagine the repercussions he and his business might suffer if he gets a reputation for submitting clips. Plus, I doubt there's enough hours in the day to upload all the bad/dangerous clips he records

@@RichO1701e, as a pro driver, I can vouch for the fact that there will be too many to report without filtering down to the most dangerous. Then you’re picking & choosing, which Could be seen as vindictive.

@@paulcollyer801 Don't call your self a "pro" driver, they can be the worst. A pro driver bears no connection to a "standard" of driving.

@@nearlyretired7005, I call my self a professional because I Am, our driving is monitored, and we’re regularly assessed, and I am generally in the top tier of good driving standards even though I have a fair amount or urban driving and most that make it above me have minimal urban driving. I try to be courteous, considerate, and gentle with my controls. I view the “pros” whom lower the standard significantly with disdain

@@RichO1701e what I'm trying to say is some acts can't be ignored and this particular driver's actions are up there with those that warrant him or her being taken off the road as quickly as possible. Around about school closing time it happened if I recall? The alternative is someone's or your mother, children, relative are seriously injured or killed.

I witnessed a collision like this where the guilty party didn't stop. I was following her round the corner so I thought I'd chase her and get her number, but I was then overtaken by the car she had clipped going backwards flat-out. I'm not sure which was the worst driver!

Police, 😂😂😂

I don't know if it's the same for all areas of the country but Hampshire police stipulate that any footage submitted to them can't have been shared on social media or be on any video sites.

@@MrTone71 That was mentioned when I uploaded mine to the local police force. But it did say once the case was dealt with you could. I understand this would affect Ashley's content though.

@@cypeman8037 Not sure what made you laugh about that but they prosecuted using my footage and actively encourage people to upload their footage. Unless you think it's funny that people try to make the roads safer? Edit: Never mind. I looked at your video uploads. Pretty pathetic.

@@MrTone71 Really? That's dumb, thanks info tho. I was gonna upload some clips of stupid drivers, I guess i'll hold off. I did report the clip of the person in question going onto the pavement. Still, i'm hoping it'll flag the car at least on their system if they can't do anything. I know it happened in liverpool at 3:15 as Ashley said in the video.

That's a good option a lot of the time!

You inevitably end up at the same set of red lights as them too about a mile down the road

Yes, I often prefer the idiots in front where I can see them, instead of keeping an eye on them in the mirrors

@@RichO1701e _instead of keeping an eye on them in the mirrors_ Your mirrors won't stop them rear ending you or clipping you when they try to dash past. If they are in front of me I don't have that risk. That was my point that you so perfectly missed with your rather snide comment. You are the sort of person I prefer in front of me so I can keep an eye on. Have a great day.

@@gdwnet I got the impression that Rich O was agreeing with you.

His speed was appropriate for the space he had 👍🏼

@@ashley_neal hard to judge on screen, but car doors are really nasty things to run into - and Uk motorists and passengers don’t reliably check for things smaller than a car. Always makes me nervous seeing cyclists hugging parked vehicles or the gutter.

More importantly be at the correct space and speed to stop not swerve. Kids run out and keep going, to be ok just in case a door opens is not enough 👍🏼

It's covered by careless or inconsiderate driving.

We have other legislation that would cover it from Inconsiderate Driving, Driving Without Due Care and Dangerous Driving.

As with the previous replies, such things are covered by generic offences, with the point to prove being, would that standard fall below that of a careful & considerate driver. Saves having 5,000 separate offences. For dangerous driving it would be far below

Was that you in the clip then?

Prison is a stupid idea, it would waste money on them. You have no choice in community service, you must make time.

😂 👊

I did have my own kids quite young!

I’m laughing, living less than a mile from the uk’s “youngest mum”…. She’s not so young now mind but does have enough for at least a 5 a side footy team tut

optimally, drivers would space themselves appropriately as they approached the problem, and then merge in the last hundred feet before the cones. otherwise you get people jumping queue and saying "but I'm merging in turn" which turns the whole thing into a shoving match. really, I'd like to see no overtaking zones the last hundred yards before every merge.

I have been driving since petrol was sold in gallons, and learn from these videos every time.

Driving in London is a whole new ball game I grew up riding a motorcycle in that mess 🤣 you need to be psychic and telepathic to work out what is going on some times

Take command when the parked cars are on your side of the road? Really?

@@ashley_neal There's obstructions on both sides of the road, I think best to take it as no-one has priority. Taking command doesn't mean you take primary position and barge through, it means you take primary and assess options. It means you can do several different things, a) slow/stop and let oncoming traffic proceed b) slow right down and enter the door zone c) proceed having been given priority

Interestingly if I was coming the other way on a bike my first thought would be to ceed priority as there are plenty of spaces for me to pull in, you on the other hand are suggesting the cyclist had priority because they have started. You say it's ambiguous but you still want to take command. That make little sense!

@@ashley_neal what does 'take command' mean to you?

Would taking Primary have given the correct message that you should be ceeding priority in this situation? If you are taking command in this situation your forward planning needs work. You should see that way back and give way! Don't ride into risk!!

You would take a dominant position to deter incoming motorists? Which side were the parked vehicles? His speed was appropriate to suit his distance from the parked cars so he could stop.

Yup far too close to parked cars. I got hit by a door while riding at just above walking pace, and trust me - if the door opens while you are next to a car then brakes will not stop it hurting 🤬

@@ashley_neal In my experience, his position was a solution to the problem but that that speed was too quick for the door zone. Plus it looks like he rides all the tine in that position further up the road. Going slower he could stop for doors opening but couldn't be doing observations of what's behind him.