This is so helpful. I'm a nervous driver, I'm also a very logical and methodological thinker. No one has ever explained blind spot so clearly as you (I guess most people learn to judge distance by instinct which I somehow don't have!). Thank you so much!
@@thefungshueshitter2833 mate not helpful at all. Anyone can drive as long as they’re focused n relaxed. Making comments like that only discourages ppl
My advice to u is adjust mirrors properly so u hav a gud view. Wen u move out or change lanes use ur mirror n quickly glance bak to judge how far or near the cars r to u. Another thing is try not panic, instead assess the situation logically, plan n manoeuvre. Keep practicing n u will perfect this skill. It will come naturally to u. Remember ur controlling the car and yes u will make mistakes it happens to the most experienced drivers but the key is do not panic. Take control n plan well. Hope that helps.
this made me so emotional, i am 16 and was rushed into adulthood. i live by myself and because of that, i had to learn how to drive/get a job. i never had anyone to help me drive and everything else was quite easy for me to learn EXCEPT distance/perception. now i must drive on the highway in order to get to work every day , so its crucial for me to learn how to switch lanes without fear of crashing into someone (because that’s very fatal on a fast moving highway!) so thank you. this has definitely helped me and although i’m still a nervous driver, i can say i’m more confident driving now that i’ve watched your videos. thank you 🥺🥺❤️❤️
You made my day! I am a nervous driver and especially struggled with “distance perception” during lane changes. Being told, “can’t you see, just see that there’s enough space for your car to move in” didn’t have any meaning to me. I felt depressed I couldn’t understand what so many others seem to be able to pick up on, so quickly. So my life was limited to driving to the grocery store only. Your video was the first time ever in my 56 years that I understood what that “distance” meant. You explained it so well and meticulously. I can’t thank you enough. Your video helps people conquer driving, but there’s more to what you do with your quality video: You gave me a glimmer of hope. You’re a guardian Angel to someone like me, who suffered for decades that something was wrong with me, but all I needed was a careful meticulous a “real”detail what to watch out for exactly. There’s a lot of thoughtfulness and care in the way you’ve created your video. God Bless you and thank you 🙏 ❤
Good help is hard to find. It's not you; it's just that so many people who teach really don't have the genuine desire to make sure you understand. Teaching is a gift and not everyone has it.
I completely agree with this comment. I too have spent over 20 years avoiding motorways because I know that no one has ever properly explained all this to me and I cannot afford to make mistakes even once. You are the first person who has explained all these important things in a clear and thorough way. You mentioned motorbikes. Blind spots must be a major reason why there are so many motorbike fatalities, but it is never mentioned in awareness adds. We hear "look twice" or don't speed, but blindspots........a major issue...never hear them mentioned. Anyway, I've gone on a tangent....You are fabulous 😊thank You😊😊
@@777sixthsenselord help us. If you have driven cars for decades and still can't calculate distance to other cars and is scared of motorways you are a hazard to the rest of us. If you are unsure if there is space to pull infront of someone, here's a tip: speed up and create more space. If there is traffic and not a lot of space: put your indicators on and wait (WAIT!!!) to see if the other driver has noticed and created space for you to pull infront. I don't mean to be rude, but these things can't be sugar coated and must be mastered after DECADES behind the wheel. This is life or death so get your *beeeep* together and learn how to drive.
I’ve always been nervous about changing lanes and did not know how to judge the distance of other cars to me. Thank you for this excellent explanation that answers exactly my question!!
@@redblade8160 Well I drive cautiously and have been able to change lanes safely despite being nervous. Being nervous just means I’m inexperienced and don’t have total confidence in my judgement. Worrying about how other drivers might feel is probably not going to help me improve!
@@andreasionascu4144 You are being naive and taking yourself too seriously like the other one; can't you both see what I typed was just a bit of humour?
Really helpful - I've had my license for over 7 years, but I've only just started to drive regularly, and merging does panic me a bit. As well as judging in the mirrors. Did drive for half an hour on the motorway the other day, and it was fine, but this was useful to find
@@ConquerDriving Your videos are ALWAYS helpful. Had my licence for 10 years, but only recently bought a car and definitely feeling like a new driver. These videos are so well explained and are sooooo HELPFUL!!! 👏🙌♥️
Same here, bro. Been driving since 2015, but I still have stress changing lanes and judging for safety (we don't have a lot of multi-lane single direction roads). This helped immensely as I didn't get taught that due to simplicity of most of our roads. Now it's just the matter of practicing!
This is me! I passed my test 12 years ago and i’ve barely driven and now i’m out trying to build my confidence! It’s been 2 months of building my confidence but i do struggle with merging or changing lanes as i’m really trying to judge the speed of the cars to safely merge ! X
This is probably the thing that sends shivers down my spine most. Most of it is to do with not wanting to hold anybody up so we panic and rush and then the dreaded “instructor wheel grab” happens. Thanks for the video. Excellent as always Richard
A big part of becoming a safe and competent driver is to do things in your own time without worrying about what others think. Like a cat. Good luck with your lessons, I hope you feel more confident soon.
I just passed first time with three minors and it's largely due to your videos! Thanks Conquer Driving, you taught me much more than my own instructor did!
The blind spots demo was great. I think there's a lot of myths about them. I reckon it is useful to cruise slowly along some parked cars and see what it's actually like.
it’s exactly how my instructor taught me, he helped use the parked cars for lane changes aswell, as in how far away the cars will be when i see certain things
if you want to determine the blind spot of your car try to adjust your side mirror as what is started in this video or adjust it as long as you can see the handle of the rear seat. For me I adjusted my side mirror in which I can only see the handle of the door of the rear seat
00:35 backed up what I've been saying for years. You don't have blind spots. There was a tiny fraction of a second of a blindspot. But if those mirrors were set that you see none of the side of your car you would have seen all of or part of the red car. Yes two lanes away does have a blind spot but using convex mirrors and turning your head eliminates the blind spot.. The passenger side one lane away adjusted as I've said with convex mirrors does not have a blind spot.
This is probably one of your best videos, it is so clearly explained and it's something important to learn which unfortunately (at least in my experience) gets barely covered during driving lessons.
It doesn't match the society of automotive engineers (the people that design cars) recommendation of how to adjust side mirrors. Also, British people don't even know how to drive on the right side of the road.
This video has been particularly helpful for me. I have struggled with merging and overtaking as I found it really difficult to judge wether I had a safe gap, especially when merging I would panic with the added pressure of finding a gap before running out of slip road. Your videos are always spot on, Thankyou for all your help :)
These technical breakdowns are great. It's very helpful to see real world physical breakdowns of what is actually happening around the car with multiple camera angles. Really great job.
Great tips. I have been driving over 30 years in different countries with no issues, but I still really appreciate such good, detailed videos. A complete monitoring of what is around you all the time can be a little effort, but it definitely keeps you away from troubles.
I started driving on motorways on my own recently and have to admit, the first few times were really scary due to lane changes exactly.. Thank you so much for another amazing video Richard! It will definitely help me master the M25 🙂
Make sure you signal for around three clicks before moving and change lane slowly. That way if you have missed something, that something will have time to avoid you. I say this as new drivers have a tendency to change lane quickly whilst looking over their shoulder. This is dangerous as they take people by surprise and are not looking forwards so don't notice if cars in front are slowing down. Take your time, multiple brief mirror checks and gradual movements. Use most of the slip road so cars on the main road have time to help.
Thank you SO much for adding that tip about what to do if you're driving a van and don't have a rearview mirror! Hugely helpful additional information.
Thank you, I was taught by a very old driving instructor that I absolutely had to creek my neck all the way to look at the back of the car to change lanes even if it was just one lane. I always thought it seemed dangerous and like a waste of time, because I’m wasting precious seconds not looking at information that’s better to judge what’s happening around me. Not to mention it makes the process of judging what’s going on so much longer too. Thank you! Changing lanes will be much much easier now
Very well explained video. Also, it can’t be over-stated how much more difficult it is to see motorcycles. They are small enough to disappear behind any of the various pillars of your car. A good rule of thumb is to often keep an eye on your rear view mirror, even if you’re not planning on changing lane/ committing to a maneuver. That way you always keep abreast of things around you. Additionally, I always remind myself I’m not omniscient - so even if you can’t see anything around you, make it a habit to use your indicators anyway - you never know if you’ve missed something. It’s best to aim for about 7 blinks / clicks of the indicator before committing to a manoeuvre - this way you give other road users plenty of time to be aware of what you intend to do in your car. *A driving instructor once told me: “an indicator should be an indicator of your ‘intent’, not your ‘action’; i.e. it’s redundant to indicate at the same time as making a manoeuvre”. Be safe. 🙏🏻
I live in a country where small motorcycles (Underbone) are prominent. And my goodness they are nightmares. A lot of them, especially middle aged to older LADIES clumsily riding. I don't want to shit on women but the thing is, women are legitimately worse riders. Those older ladies only ride motorcycles, they can't drive a car. Hence they don't understand how cars move. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to be able to drive a car. Those older Ladies combined with the fact that they are overall bad riders. They just gonna ride really slowly (I'm taking about less than 20 km./hour) in the middle of the road and turn wherever and whenever they want without any turn signals. Or worse,I just drove behind one leave her blinker on more than a km. because she's too busy holding up an umbrella.
Thank You for your helpful tips much appreciated. This is very difficult for me I would be trying to merge but the other car starts to speed up then I panic. But you think of everything this is what I needed.👍
You are an angel. I kept trying to explain to people why I was fully looking in my blind spot when changing lanes cause I couldn't judge the distance properly. Thanks for explaining it so clearly!
This video is so easy to digest, like the others. Well done, I've learned most of the things on this channel when I was a learner and now I'm confident enough to drive alone. A huge part of that is thanks to you. Keep going
I am glad that I came across your video. I'm a new driver, and you have explained that to me better than anyone else has. As sometimes, I am horrible at judging distance. Thank you.
As an ex-motorcycle rider I was always taught to look over the shoulder before manoeuvring - it's called the life-saver check. That habit along with many others ended up being transferred to car driving!
Richard! I just wanted to say a huge thank you! I drove by myself on the motorway for the first time yesterday. I watched this and one of your previous videos about driving on the motorway, they’ve helped so much! I honestly cannot thank you enough. 😊
From Singapore and I just got my license. Learnt more from this video than I ever did from SSDC lol. Mainly because we never go out on the highway when we are still learner drivers.
Thank you for this video. My driving instructor taught the same thing. I've been following these instructions for years. It amazes me how individuals will change lanes so close to you. I never do, never have, and never will change lanes so close to a vehicle that's just plain stupid!
A while ago I bought a pair of blind spot mirrors that stick onto the wing mirrors. I have found them to be a great help. I have them set up so that they pick up what I cant see in my standard mirrors. I highly recommend them.
@@mariumriaz5 Can't remember now, but it was from one of those home shopping catalogues that fall out of magazines. Failing that they should be easy enough to find via google.
@@PrincessYonna1 I have found the best place is in the corners at the top and next to the doors. I suggest that before peeling off the backing and sticking them on permanently you get someone to hold them in different places or use a bit of blu-tac or similar while you sit in the driver's seat and see what positions you are happy with. I think you will find them a help. Good luck!
This is EXACTLY the video I was looking for! The side mirror view with explaining the lines and when they appear/disappear was amazing! So many videos I’ve seen talk about it never show it, THANK YOU!
I like how every time I click on one of your "more basic" videos I'm like "yeah I know all of this there's no point in watching it" but then there's always something new and interesting I learn like the smaller blind spot method in this video. Learned so much from your videos, thanks a ton 👍
I've been driving for more than a year now and this really helps as I am having quite some trouble in discerning space when changing lanes. Thank you very much!
"Winging out" your mirrors also makes it more difficult to see emergency vehicles approaching from the rear in dense traffic. Great job on this video. Extremely detailed and not too dry. Awesome presentation
Been on the road for 5 years now and never plucked up the courage to try driving a van. Not only are they much larger vehicles, the points you made about the many blind spots on a car and how much worse they can be on a van are crucial tips for being safe on the road!
I am coming back to your videos now after a couple of years without watching any of them, for the reason being that I'm now officially starting to get my license, and I have to say, it is unbelievable the quality of your videos and lessons, they are incredibly helpful and easy to understand. I still haven't started my official lessons but I highly doubt that they'll be as good as the ones you give here. Thank you.
Thanks for another great video. I appreciate you creating content not only on passing the test, but on how to drive safely in general. You most likely won't need to overtake anyone on the test, but this seems like a crucial piece of advice from an experienced driver.
Man knows everything, gives you all the tips, and explains all the details while at the same time totally not giving a fcks about going the wrong way. Boss
This is great. I've been driving for 15 years. Passed the written test by reading the handbook and borrowed my moms car a few times before the driving test. I was never taught or asked about the mirrors it eventually came with experience. Im glad videos like this exist for all the beginner or anxious drivers!
Your latest 2 videos have been bang on! -the exact things im trying to fine tune right now in my lessons! Thank you so much for your brilliant videos :)
I'm so glad that actually helpful driving instructors are posting content to RU-vid these days. I *wish* these videos had been available when I was learning to drive, as my driving teachers sucked and my parents... also sucked. I would have watched the hell out of driving tutorials, because I was a nervous driver who wanted to learn how to do things the right way, but didn't really have people who could help me. I think I would have been a much more confident and COMPETENT driver much sooner.
A lot of people (including some driving instructors) don't place much importance on checking the rear-view mirror while changing lanes. Thank you Richard for explaining clearly. You are awesome. :)
This is why I have blind spot mirrors attached to my wing mirrors just for that extra reassurance (mainly used when merging from a slip road onto a carriageway at an angle). Very helpful and would recommend
I passed my driving test today in Farnborough, I was a bit lucky with a generous test instructor. I would like to thank you as I learnt a lot watching your videos. All the best! 😁
I've been driving almost a month now. Yesterday i got to fully experience a blind spot. Car to my left about maybe a meter or so behind me. Wasn't visible in either mirror whatsoever so i didn't even know they were there. I wasn't planning on changing lanes or anything but i did look over to the left and seen it right there. I was surprised how easy it was to miss
This is so useful! I’ve been driving for over 20 years and am always looking for ways to improve and drive safely on the roads. Thanks for sharing this useful information, your students will be very safe drivers!
I just want to say thank you man for every single video you have made.They helped me a lot to improve my work with the clutch and also concentrating and getting better at judging the situation and getting the right decision.I got my driving licence today and want to say a big THANK YOU.CONTINUE TO HELP THE OTHERS WITH YOUR EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS👊❤️
Thanks so much for this video! I failed my driving test yesterday because I misjudged the speed of the car behind in the right lane as I was about to pull out. Then I realised I hadn't really had much practice doing it properly in my lessons and found your video, so this is super helpful! You've earned a subscriber! 👍
Excellent instruction. Clear descriptions, especially dividing the mirror into sections. Taking considerations into driver behaviours, like involuntarily taking your foot off the gas - was a great advice. Thank you.
Great video with excellent examples. I remember having these sorts of issues soon after passing and a lot of the techniques you have shown were naturally picked up after driving for some time. The example with 2 cars turning into the same lane was particularly helpful!
Honestly thanks so much for this. As a new driver, driving is something I dread doing as it's not something that doesn't comes naturally to me. This was so helpful.
Thank you for the useful tips & advice given.Mirrors setting,dividing your wing door mirror into upper & lower half for changing lanes and explaining this by step by step is truly remarkable.To keep up with the flow of traffic when changing lanes is well explained.
After 3 failures, finally cleared my uk driving test. Now bought the car.. I still follow ur videos to fine tune my skills.. I wish i cud buy you a drink 😍😍
Hi Richard. i live in Toronto n a new driver women in age 58, your videos are easy to understand and you re really tactful to explain different situations , the whole video i saw and saw again, even for my old age of new driver, it s really helpful to make good judgment and a very clear reference point for me to learn when it s safe to change lanes on road, I used to be a nervous driver when change lane , now i have more clear reference that you teach me so i need to show my gratitude to you... pls keep on to make good video, you will be a very very success guy on video teaching.., i will suggest to my friends to visit your video..too many thanks michelle
Great video as always, I wish it was compulsory to watch. I see way too many people changing lanes the instant they see an opening, regardless of whether there was enough space or what speed the other car was at. Not to mention not indicating.
I have watched this video for 20+ times, it’s really challenging to change lane in different situations, speeds. So every time, I focus on different part of the video. Many thanks , you have helped me a lot
Got my Swedish driving license two weeks ago, taking a Swedish driving license is the hardest. Big thanks to you, your great videos helped me a lot . Much appreciation ❤️🙏
Would be great to see a video on changing lanes in built up areas e.g. city centres. I live in London and some areas are very busy with traffic and multiple lanes yet traffic only moves at 15-25mph. And yet, drivers can be unwilling to let other pass in front of them, so it can make changing lanes tricky…
I totally agree with all these comments. This is the video I’ve been searching for for years now. People are never patient enough or don’t know how to explain “why” there is enough space or time when you actually see cars approaching. Thank you very much for this video. God bless!
This was such an easy to understand and helpful video!! I passed my test in February however there are areas I'm still unsure of such as changing lanes I don't feel much time was spent on this in my actual lessons so thanks so much for this! I still watch your videos as it's true about the learning really starts after you pass! 😅
Feel i need to leave a comment here... I had no clue how to properly judge my lane changes before watching this. And apon watching felt like i had learned a new skill just like that.. Fast forward to around 7 months later and im helping my friend with his first trip on the motorway. He the same as me struggled and tried to take a couple of unsafe gaps. We pulled over and i showed him this video , and it was like night and day, like a light switch just flipped. He was perfect from then on out. So thank you Richard, you really are a godsend to us new drivers
I passed first time yesterday, 2 minors in a city with a pass rate of 32%. I was so nervous got my minors at the start. I think there was a few times I could have messed up, but spoke out loud when I was unsure so they knew my thinking process and did correct myself before making some potential mistakes. I literally felt like I was going to pass out before the test from nerves but just told myself to just think minute by minute, so preparing early, and just look at what's happening now. I forgot the stuff I'd already done. And the test went very quick.
Yeah, I think every car is slightly different with the blind spots. Mine is a large sedan, there have been a few times on trips to the city where I've had cars approaching me in the right hand lane and then disappear from the mirror for a minute - I'll wonder where they've gone, it's only when I look out my driver's side rear window to do a head check that I see that they are actually parallel to the back half of my car, travelling at pretty much the same speed as me! Its a bit spooky really, but, thats why we need to be aware of our surroundings and do head checks rather than rely on the mirrors, especially when changing road lanes or merging with traffic.
@@jaydem2086 Yep. Recently had a similar experience while driving down a ramp to an empty (as usual) freeway. Nobody in front, nobody in rear, nobody in wing mirror, yay. I'm so glad I've picked up the habit of a proper blind spot check before changing lanes because there was one car doing just the same speed as me in my blind spot and I really had no idea until just before starting to switch lanes :)
This was extremely helpful, I've had my licence 18 months now and I appreciate the tip on dividing the mirror to judge the distance - will definitely come in handy next time I take a trip to the city! Not many multi-lane roads/highways here in my rural Australian town so this isn't a skill I've had to utilise regularly thus far, but I'm sure I will find it much easier in future now, haha, thank you 😁 I also have a suggestion for a future video, not sure if you already have one on this topic and I'd appreciate the link if you do happen to have already done this. If possible, could you please create a video that focuses on overtaking moving vehicles, specifically in a situation when there is a single lane of traffic going each direction? I cannot tell you how many times I have been stuck behind trucks and/or loaded farm utes doing 10-15kms under the limit, simply because I lack the courage to overtake them out of fear of potentially having a head-on collision at high speed whilst in the wrong lane pulling the maneuver. Tips on judging the distance of a car coming at me at high speed (ie 100kms) and how that correlates to how long a driver would have available to overtake safely would be particularly helpful. I understand that this is a channel targetted at learner drivers, and overtaking was not something I was taught through my paid lessons with the instructor whilst learning, nor was it part of the drive test, I'm assuming that's the same in the UK. But regardless, it is still a good skill to have when there's a genuine need to use it, and I'm sure there are many others like me who have never learned this from a trained professional and may benefit from your instruction or any tips you can provide.
Thank you for watching. I would likely to do an overtaking video but there are rarely occasions when I need to overtake. Or even can over take. Strangely enough there was a situation today but I did just do a 4.5 hour journey. So I won't have their examples. I think I need a dash cam then I can gradually compile some footage.
@@ConquerDriving I agree, it isn't a skill we need to or even can use that often particularly in the suburbs/cities, hence why it probably isn't taught through driving schools. But being confident enough to do it when required (in rural areas, it certainly is at times lol) is useful for us as a driver with places to be, in addition to the others behind who may feel compelled to overtake both us and the slow vehicle (sometimes in one go), which obviously isn't as safe for them as just overtaking a single vehicle.
A tip that is not mentioned (because it clearly falls outside of good driving practices) is what I call the assertive lane change. In short, you signal your intent to switch lane and _commit_ to it, by inching closer to the end of your lane and reasonably upping your speed, hoping that the driving behind you cares about their lives enough to adjust accordingly and let you merge. 2:08 was a good time to switch lanes for example-but it would require courage on your part, trust, and a little bit of speed. This is important because sticking to "by the book" way of driving...you will never be able to drive on the highway especially during rush hour: most people driving about work either want to get there quick or get from there (to home) quick, so if you're not assertive on the road, you will often miss your exit as few people will let you change lanes. To refer to 2:08 again, I can promise you that here is the typical real-life scenario you will encounter: you wait for white car to move past you; _experienced_ driver in the car behind white car senses from your car's behavior that you are preparing to merge. Since they are in a rush, they speed enough to either tuck your blindspot or be on the same level as you. No problem, right? You can always wait, right? Except that your exit is 1 mile away (~400m) and most traffic is going 70mi/hr (~85km/h)
Good advice but just a small nitpick: your metric conversions are horribly wrong, even for rough estimates. 1 mile is roughly 1600m and 70mph is roughly 110 km/h
You are wrong! *_"hoping that the driving behind you cares about their lives enough to adjust accordingly and let you merge."_* That is not how it works. When you're changing lanes, it's YOU who has to adjust accordingly, not the drivers in their lanes. You have to yield the right of way to traffic in the lane you want. If others have to hit the brakes for you shoving in, you're doing it wrong and deserve all the honking and middle finger you'll get from the driver you just cut off.
As someone who only got a licence in middle age and does not have occasion to drive much, I feel embarrassed to drive as it seems like everyone I know and their dog has been driving forever, and blindfolded to boot. And still here I am, 5 years later, doing rookie moves and dealing with highway fear, especially. But my confidence has just now been boosted by your comment. I played out in my head a different maneuver at the 2:08 mark, and it was exactly as you described! And then I recalled the few times I'd done that same assertive, rush hour move by instinct, out of a total of maybe only 6 highway outings in total, and I also recalled that everything seemed to go fine (no honking, cursing or middle fingers), and my heart only beat faster for a brief moment, after exiting. But I still didn't know if what I had done was in the norms of acceptable or a jerk move. Your comment validated my instinct and so now I'm thinking maybe I need to trust it more if I ever have a hope of doing some real driving. That in combination with super helpful videos such as this one which make my methodical, 90% by-the-book heart sing! Cheers for that 🙂
Assertive is fine, but I consider it reckless when you say "hoping that the driving behind you cares about their lives enough to adjust accordingly and let you merge." What if that person is on drug/alcohol that impairs their cognition or simply is yawning at the moment you switch? I treasure my life more than that, so I won't entrust my life to other drivers when I'm capable of switching lane safely. If one can't do so, it's time to take public transport.
Thanks for this video (I take it you perhaps saw my comment I recently put on one of your old videos!…) I actually passed my test today with only 1 minor and your videos were really useful in helping me achieve that so thank you Richard!!
