Relevant to Ashley's commentary there - with the recent cold weather I had an instance where my engine was cold, pulled out to overtake and just didn't get the normal acceleration I expected - fortunately was able to cleanly abort without drama.
A further point is that even if the "backing out" is too late to be sure to avoid smashing into the back of the tractor, it's still the better option compared to accelerating to 60+ with the risk of a head-on smash having a closing speed of 100+. In a superficially similar situation many years ago when I was similarly in too much of a hurry, I once assessed >95% chance of completing the overtake without collision if I pushed on, but a somewhat lower chance of avoiding back of tractor with an abort. Chose the tractor, locked brakes (no ABS), wrote off car from getting plough blades in the front, but due to much lower closing speed than the potential head-on, otherwise kept control and lived to tell the tale, and most importantly didn't put any other road users at immediate risk. The only damage to the tractor was a "slightly bent plough blade" which he reckoned he'd soon fix with judicious application of a hammer.
Massive respect to every driver who sent in those clips for acknowledging their mistakes and contributing to helping others learn from them, but that horrendous display at 5:34 is absolutely astounding. Hope the driver takes a long look in the mirror and realises the extreme risks they're taking endanger not just their life, but the life of their child and any other road users in the vicinity.
In my opinion the clip at 5:34 doesn't count as a mistake; it's clear deliberate, intentional dangerous driving. I wouldn't quite go so far as to say it shouldn't be in the video, but it definitely doesn't belong to the same category as all the other clips
I think if the purpose was to troll Ashley then it would be best to not publish it. If one suspects reason the driver did that was to get a reaction from us then best not give the satisfaction.
Going by driving shown alone and not assuming anything about the psychology of the driver, I believe the main thing wrong there is not slowing enough on approach to the lorry. Going into it a bit deeper, I don't believe this person has any 'advanced' driver training (IAM, RoSPA), or at least they've still got a lot of work to do on the human factor risks in chapter one of Roadcraft, because they don't remain consistently in lane 2 when approaching and going through the curve to the left, besides their major failure to slow for the truck. Their acceleration and possibly their steering wasn't smooth either (how much of the shaking of the image is down to stiff suspension and a dodgy camera mount vs them gripping the wheel too tight and causing jittery 'weaving' as a result not being obvious), and without being there myself I am unsure if 80mph peak would have been suitable for the conditions, but the right car and driver combo on a decent bit of road could make that speed perfectly safe in those conditions. If I was going to make progress in a similar manner, I'd start by straddling the 2 lanes from exiting the initial junction and try to be a bit smoother with the steering and acceleration in the process, I'd then hope to drift to the right lane to maintain a constant speed through the curve with light application of the accelerator, ensuring the car is stable enough that I could brake if needed, and I would then slow on seeing the truck ahead and hope to plan to pass with a lower difference in speed and at a point I don't have islands limiting space. Being a 20 mph, 40 mph or 70 mph speed limit doesn't matter, it's a wide, empty road and it's those conditions amongst too many others to mention (that exclude values painted on a sign) that determine what is safe to do in terms of speed, acceleration, etc. Despite this, I believe the driver in this clip, be it through lack of skill or knowledge/training or under the influence of an adrenaline rush, was a danger on the road in that clip, to themselves and the child in the car, but it isn't solely because of the peak speed they reached in that clip. Someone with that car in those conditions with even a basic grasp of Roadcraft and more restraint on their actions (specifically being able to focus on the dangers of passing the truck in a narrow gap with a high difference in speed on approach instead of getting caught up in the thrill of going fast) could have made similar progress, potentially matching peak speed too, completely safely. The IAM and RoSPA training is basically identical to what the emergency service drivers receive, with the only significant exception being that they don't hand out blue light exemptions for speed limits, contravening traffic signals, etc. However, being illegal doesn't mean it isn't possible for the civilians to drive in the same manner just as safely in the same conditions.
In Sweden it's anything above 20mph the speed limit, give or take. HOWEVER, if the speed limit is 25mph or LOWER, then I believe it's only 12 or so mph over that will remove the license.
Looking at Ashley's clip, I agree that we should all take body language into account when driving; it's one of the components of good observations, but for my money, Ash emerged before being certain that the BMW was not coming all the way round the roundabout. The beamer did apologise for their error, but Ash's assumption made this more of a near miss than it should have been. That said, in Ash's words, it was a good save.
I have made a similar mistake due to the other car doing something unexpected. I also did a good save. The other car got angry and started honking even though I was nowhere near enough to hit their vehicle.
The thing is that a lot of driving is based on reasonable assumption. And that's generally a gut feeling based on experience. I suspect that Ash did have a small warning going off in his head when he did see it, I know I did. But then we're looking at it with the expection that something is going to happen, so the weird position of the BMW and it's speed was something I immediately noticed as being weird. But this is exactly why you adjust your driving based on the circumstances. So that if you do get caught out, you can 'save it' or mitigate any potential incident to be as minor as possible. If Ash had come steaming up to the roundabout on the full assumtion that it would be clear then this would have been a bigger deal. But it wasn't because like any competent driver he approached with the expectation to give way, even if it was empty air up until it wasn't. 99% of collisions happen due to a failing of at least 2 parties at the same time, even if one of the failing can be quite minor.
5:14 That's not a mistake, it's a deliberate act of speeding and reckless driving and It's shockingly bad, especially if there is a young child in the car. If the person that sent this in is reading this then you need to have a very long think about your driving! As for your clip, Ashley, I think that's something that would catch the majority of drivers out. It's a perfect example of how you can use your driving to show others where you are going, or not in this case! And it's also perfect timing coming after your `no indicating` video showing how you can show others where your going without indicating. It obviously only works though if you actually complete the turn your showing everyone you're doing and not jerk away at the last minute and make another turn!
For yours I would say that whilst yes the BMW driver didn't help the situation being in the wrong lane and not indicating they are already on the roundabout and thus you shouldn't assume they are exiting, its best to wait if you are unsure. However you did a nice job correcting the situation.
I think Ashley was at fault for being human. Everyone can make mistakes, it is only the deluded who think they drive/ride perfectly. It is learning from one's mistakes that makes better road users. But we should also learn from others mistakes so we don't make the same ones. Thanks Ash and the viewers for sharing.
I think there's also something to be said about the speed of the Mini. I've seen enough 'turn across' collisions at traffic lights to be very wary if someone is wanting to turn right and I'm going straight over. If there had been a collision, the Mini's speed would have contributed bigly to the outcome.
for that kind of stupidity a dangerous driving charge, 6-12 week custodial sentence or hefty income based fine (a months gross earnings minimum) and a 2-3 year ban should be the standard..
@@tech4pros1 There was a time not so long ago when Courts took a very dim view of child endangerment by drivers. Despite the fact the Police certainly still do, I am not sure the criminal justice system cares as much these days.
@@mentaldavethefirst it's not pal, it's the A217 in south London GPS n051° 22' 16.14" w000° 12'32.37 Shows the A217, Sutton area of South London, he joined that from Gander Green Lane. On Google street view speed limit repeaters are 40mph road.
Clip #6: A good illustration as to why keeping your distance from the vehicle in front not only reduces your chance of hitting it but also reduces YOUR likelihood of being hit from behind. I cringe every time I see a line of several cars in the outside lane of a motorway, all following much to close together. Sometimes in bad weather too!
@@LarkspeedNL I have driven in NL.many years ago. I was working for a Canadian organisation in Germany at the time. First time driving in Holland I was in a work car with German plates...and was given a rather hard time. I can't imagine why. 😀 Second time in NL it was my own car with Canadian Forces Europe plates and a Canadian flag and CDN nationality sticker on the back. And what a difference in the way I was treated. I drove exactly the same way both times.
Most of the time driving too close is pointless too. Round here, I'm almost always in a queue of traffic on rural single-carriageway roads, yet people still tailgate. Where do they think I can go? Of course, it has nothing to do with getting past me and everything to do with it being habitual, a bit like the idiots CyclingMikey catches. Also, on dual-carriageways, for no good reason, people tailgate - ridiculous when there's nothing inhibiting an overtake - I'm almost always in lane 1 because I'm driving to save fuel rather than time - sometimes I just slow a few miles per hour to force the pass. One problem is that it takes more than a cursory look at the dashcam footage to calculate just how close they are (measuring time taken to pass lines in the road), since dashcams tend to make the distances appear greater than they are and I doubt the police would bother. But tailgating is still in the category of driving without due care. When I've got tired of a tailgater on a single-carriageway road, I've sometimes just indicated and pulled in to force the pass too. I'd much rather they were ahead of me than behind me.
Clip #3: I wonder also if the sat navs voice to "turn right" was subconsciously taken literally to just go ahead and turn right immediately! I know sat navs can detect traffic...but not to that degree!
During all my training I have always been told "There is no such thing as a perfect drive". To my mind, the body language of the BMW was exiting at your 6 O'clock. Until he changed his mind. Well done with your peripheral vision.
Clip #7: Another important skill is knowing when to abandon a manouvre early on if perhaps your initial decision was less than ideal. I sense drivers sometimes feel there is some kind of shame in reversing an earlier decision just because it's now apparent it's best not to follow through on it. But that should not be a barrier to bailing out part way through. A good example is when you indicate to pull out into Lane 3 to pass a car in Lane 2. Just as you begin to do so, that car in Lane 2 decides to move back to Lane 1 without signalling and with no prior feeling it was going to do so. in such a circumstance, no shame in abandoning your lane change part way through. Yet I've seen some drivers go through with it.
Your point is taken. Abandoning a lane change is often sensible. However there is also no shame in continuing with the lane change as you describe. Then upon finishing the planned and signaled move immediately checking and signally a move back to the left. I have seen dashcam footage where a crazy fast idiot moves into a lane when somebody is moving out of it. The front driver then changes his mind and comes back into his old lane and smashes into the fast idiot.
2:47 I would never ever flash in these circumstances if you're not letting someone in. Whatever you think of the flash the majority will just take it as you're giving them way. So to avoid any confusion never flash if you're not giving them way!
If you look closely that was an accidental flash, the flash happened just as they turned on their turn signal. Since the turn signal and the flasher are on the same stalk they will have just caught the signal stalk wrong and caused the accidental flash.
@@LarkspeedNL This is way too easy in some cars. Fiats come to mind - the headlight controls being on a friction spinner, motorbike throttle style, on the end of the indicator stalk where your fingers hit when you change signal. And the entire lighting stalk pulls towards you and pushes away from you too easily. Awful design. I think we all have to remember that drivers and their vehicles vary greatly in quality and should we really trust someone we don't know to let us turn across their path?
These clips, including Ashley's (thanks Ashley) are the reason, why there is no such thing as a very good driver (we all make mistakes). If you see a good driver, they are not naturally a good driver, they are working at it, as Ashley does.
@@rjones6219 I would say in our defence though, that no matter where each of us is on the continuum, the majority of us here is pushing towards the goal of improvement.
I’m always very grateful and impressed when people send in clips like this. It’s hard enough admitting to yourself when you mess up but takes so much more courage to admit it to the world
Hi Ashley, I really enjoy your videos. You come across as quite balanced and thoughtful when commenting throughout the videos. Your analysis and feedback is really useful. Keep up the good work
Great video as always. That merge at the top of the slip road at 3.07 in Leeds is a notoriously bad one for emerges as the elevation change makes it much harder to see cars coming than the footage makes it look, and you're joining at 40 road that people are often doing 50+. Seen hundreds of near-misses at that one particularly at peak times
That slip road is appalling, far too short with very limited time to asses the volume and speed of the main carriageway, whoever designed that should be sacked and banned from any road design in future.
Clip 5 in Leeds and I know that junction well. Many drivers don’t prepare for drivers emerging but something tells me that Audi was going a bit faster than normal. So didn’t expect anyone.
But it's _also_ a perfect example of why one should not take for granted where people are going on a roundabout. People _regularly_ make mistakes at roundabouts.
Or adapt how it is done in Germany.. only indicate to leave.. takes away all confusion, sounds strange if you've not driven there before but once you get used to it, it completely makes sense.
@@cargy930 yes I've noticed that as well. It does make sense when you do it, I'm going around so I'm staying on the roundabout and then indicating to leave it. German efficiency 👍
Clip #5 is a pet hate of mine - people piling into slip roads leaving little escape room for other drivers if things go tits-up. See it all the time on motorways; drivers in lane 2 suddenly decide push and close the escape gap for lane 1 as traffic joins the motorway. I appreciate that joining traffic SHOULD give way to the main carriageway but this doesn’t happen that often with sufficiently safe space. Excellent save on the roundabout, Ash!
Terrible mistake Ashley - expecting a BMW driver to indicate! Don't do it again!! 😜 Spot on driving really - you stopped. I suspect this is a familiar roundabout and perhaps you were a little less cautious than had it been an unfamiliar area, but still did a good job.
@@ashley_neal hmm, it's not very apparent on the vid. The car seems to have a heavy tint on the light clusters, plus the front DRLs don't seem to dim on the side that's indicating. Another reason I don't like DRLs! Cause more problems than they attempt to fix!
I don't understand this. Ashley's mistake was assuming the driver was about to turn off when indicating! There was no reason to enter the round about into the way of another driver regardless. Just wait until they've committed to something, at least
@@FireVixen164the position of the car at 1.06 aids in the thinking of the car exiting the roundabout instead of coming round. The way a car is driven, position and speed all add to give the car body language, we read these indicators the way we read a person's actual body language to give us an idea on what someone is thinking, feeling or/and focusing on.
I’ve had a ‘clip 13’ almost happen to me so many times, caused by people doing the exact same thing and coming across from the left lane. Very big reason I always try to drive staggered. That first flash of Red BMW across my path scarred me for life. Great thanks to the viewer who sent that clip in. Can’t have been easy given the results. And also thanks to everyone else who sends these in. Takes guts to admit your mistakes, sense to learn from them, and strength to allow others to learn from them.
4th Clip. Matlock. That junction can be silly, its busy and its wide, so its easy to undertake. When approaching on that road, you do need to keep an eye on your surroundings (including the petrol station) EDIT: Its also possible the oncoming car was letting out the other car at the junction, flashed their lights, but not understanding that the cammer could have taken it wrong...
That's my clip. The other car did indeed emerge as that is who they were flashing to, not me. Luckily I kept my eye on the ball to rectify my mistake of assumption. The other driver clearly didn't realise the risk of flashing their lights.
I’m an individual who took several decades break from driving, and watching this channel I’ve learnt some of the technical mistakes I’ve made as well other peoples bad driving. Early into relearning to drive, I nearly crashed into some1 who had been indicating left but at the very last second changed his mind. I described the situation to my mate Chris, who said it was my fault, you should never never react to the indicator but to the wheels turning. Once the wheels start to turn, you’re committed to that particular action. If you’re indicating, you can change your mind. That’s the mistake you made, you assumed he was going to turn without checking to see if his wheels turned in. But thanks to yours and Chris’s advice, the people of Leeds are a lot safer than they would be.
Always give way to vehicles already on the roundabout, and signals are an indication not a guarantee. I no longer pull out of a junction in front of some approaching from the right and indicating left for this very reason, and at least wait for the wheels to start turning in. No one is flawless, but the right speed for the occasion does give you that little extra tolerance.
Driving in clip 8 was very stressful to watch. Fast cars are fun but there are times where its not OK to put your foot down. I cant see the road signs well but judging from the road and surrounding buildings I'd guess its a 40 zone. Passing that truck through a tighter gap at 70 after hitting 81 all the while with a kid in the car. Whoever that was is brave to send that in...
I had a very close miss with a right turn at the lights a couple of years ago. Just a lapse of concentration, locking onto the car in front of me and tagging onto the back of the line. Completely blind to the van coming towards me at 40mph. Still gives me the shivers thinking about it.
At 1.44 the satnav says look into my eyes and turn right into rossmore road. Sometimes the voice command overrides the actual ability to make decisions. That’s why people sometimes turn left onto a railway line or into a canal
Big respect to the guy for stopping after a near miss. Too many people would just continue on in shock and potentially make another mistake as a result.
We are all guilty of each example at some point in our driving life, unfortunately there was one accident in there and we hope all are OK. I used to be guilty of sliproad overtaking until an incident very similar to what is shown here and soon remembered that I do not always know where to be after leaving a motorway / dual carriageway. I now slow down, give room and wait to see the intentions of others around me. My heart rate has never been lower since taking things easy and letting others get on with their day. Yes, there are still occasions where I can feel myself getting agitated but as shown here, pull over for a couple of minutes and carry on. Not only does it calm you down but the other vehicle(s) are no longer around Stay safe and happy holidays everyone 🎄
Clip #13: Unlucky for some. But good advice that if you ever select the right hand lane of a roundabout and not sure if it will serve your intended exit, just go round again. And in this situation, similarly if you are in the left hand lane and it becomes apparent that it doesn't let you continue further around the roundabout for your intended exit further along, just exit and correct it along the new road. And the flip side of all this is watch out for others who will cut across either from the right or left. Staggered formation if possible!
Glad you bring up flashing lights, especially some of the new cars, when your not expecting it you can't proceed as blinded. Also some drivers get so angry that you havnt gone when they say so, by flashing their lights like they are possessed.
The clip Ash added of himself is exactly how I failed my first driving test. Except the car was going much, much slower and I pulled out. Then I noticed them behind me.
6:38 as you always teach about "body language", I think if the lorry straddled both lanes a bit rather than staying purely in the middle lane to go left, it would have been clearer to the cammer - but as you say the indicators on the lorry were pretty poor, along with bright sun, no clouds. A bit of learning for both drivers!
The lorry needs the wider berth to make the corner, so no, its shouldn't be straddling as it would then need to pull out to the right to make the turn which would be pretty dangerous. The only issue was the indicator at on the trailer, the cab one was obvious and the car driver wasn't paying attention to that
@@Ben31337l Yes, they were - if you look at the video frame-by-frame you can actually see a very dim light blinking at 6:48 to 6:50. This said, they weren't visible at all until the car was right behind the trailer (and they may not have been on _before_ then - I think the lorry driver signalled way too late, particularly thinking of what he intended to do).
You've done it right and well approaching the roundabout in the first clip. BMW was in the outer circle, and no right turn signal indicated going around. I would appreciate the BMW driver for admitting their mistake as well. But I could not criticise your driving but applaud you for your anticipation and quick reaction.
I was told many years ago that there is no such thing as the perfect drive. We all make mistakes. The aim is to reduce those mistakes to such a small level that only you know that you made them.
7:54 had the same thing happen to me recently. Driver was in the wrong lane and attempted to follow the roundabout around. Thankfully I was paying a little more attention and managed to make it a deflection instead of a straight-on collision. After pulling over I immediately checked if she was okay. I got away with a few scratches and a bump. Her new expensive car is going to be in the workshop for a while.
Your clip and general attitude is why you're successful on here, you don't think you're above everyone else and immune to making mistakes. I appreciate you're happy to show even your own and not just others clips to help us! Thank you to everyone else who sent in their own clips and owned their mistakes, apart from maybe the biker, and 100% the speeding idiot who will only learn when they've killed their child. It was more than just poor driving from them it was disgusting, from a poor skilled driver too they were all over the road trying to fit beside the HGV and almost curbed it. It would have only taken the HGV to come over a little bit or a car pull out/someone to cross and that would've been an absolute disaster. No sympathy if the driver gets into a mess but that child deserves better. As an adult I could choose whether to get into a car with an idiot and chance it, but a child can't.
I'd have been flummoxed...it looks like lane 1 of the slip road becomes lane 1 of the motorway without merging, but lane 2 has to merge or give way..?!
@@thromboid yeah same here, it looks like a regular slip road then you get to the top and have only 10 feet to merge safely...probably catches out a lot of people
@@thromboid yep. It's the A58 in Leeds, near Gotts Road. There aren't any signs indicating what is about to happen, just the give way marks on the road. I would imagine many get caught out there.
Yep looks like even you can be guilty of not paying attention. I would have waited until I knew where that car was going to go. Always expect the unexpected. My wife is going to go to Liverpool tomorrow. I have told her to be very very careful when driving there, as from what I have seen from your videos they are not very good or considerate drivers around there.
The mentality of absolutely having to pass a vehicle that isn't going the same way as you on or just before a slip drives me crazy. 20 years HGV driver and still learning. Ashley, i honestly believe your content should be played on CPC courses. You just make so much sense, and put it across so clearly.
Glad these people noticed they made mistakes and sent them in. The red mini near collision is the kind that sends cars veering off the road and into pedestrians or cyclists. I have seen accident videos where just that happened. It's not that uncommon. But yes, we all make them and must try harder. I'm hoping to get a cam soon and will send mine in.
Regarding Ashley's clip, I think that would have caught most of us out. Props for being aware and reacting quickly enough to prevent a collision. Having said that I never trust indicators; I find it helpful to assume everyone else on the road is a suicidal lunatic, out to take me with them. This mindset has kept me safe so far, particularly from some actual lunatics! (used to live in Bradford 🤣)
I think part of the problem was that the bmw was taking a bit of a wide arc rather than following one lane round which pushes the decision point quite late. The left indicator also didn't help. Its a late but desicive response from Ashley that prevented a collision.
With clip 11 (6:40) Even tho you mention the indicators on the lorry, and I was looking for them, I still didnt see them on first watch, so not a surprise the driver didnt either.
Respect to anyone who can recognise faults in their driving and use it as a learning experience for them and others, everyone makes mistakes. WRT your clip Ashley, I think I would have done similar, the road position and lack of indication would make me assume the were leaving the roundabout at your exit. You know what they say about assuming though...
@@ashley_neal so they did, I didn't spot that the first time round. It looks like they weren't sure where they were going and changed their mind last minute. As I said I'd have probably started to move onto the roundabout the same as you did. As a learning point from this, I'll probably hang back a little longer in future and wait till they have committed to the turn.
I think most of these clips prove that for whatever reason we all make errors in judgement from time to time whilst driving. Its up to the good drivers on the road to deal with these errors without fuss and allow everyone to continue on with their lives. I am confident most of us, especially now under Ashleys guidance and knowledge would do just that.
Clip 3 - that’s a pretty poor road layout. I think that could have caught me out too. Clip 5 - interesting to see an actual ‘give way’ mark as opposed to the usual single broken line. On dual carriageways, the Highway code used to say that traffic on the carriageway should try and help other traffic join (as far as safe and possible) although that entry seems to have gone missing now - perhaps with the new updates?
(Clip 5) The lane markings have only just been repainted within the past few months. People on the actual carriageway have a better chance of spotting cars joining than the poor buggers trying to drive up that slip road.
Clip #5, I'm not surprised to see here - I know exactly where that is in Leeds and it's a horrible situation. Every driver I know avoids that lane as the visibility is so poor and the speed of vehicles to merge with is generally pretty quick. Nobody ever wants lets you out either. I've seen two collisions there myself, and I've been in exactly the same position, which was what caused me to avoid that lane altogether since. It should probably be a zip merge into the left lane (which continues being a lane all the way up to the roundabout ahead) as there's no easy way to resolve the visibility problem due to the slope of the slip-road. The buses all sensibly start in the left lane, and then move across to the right lane when they're parallel with the rest of the traffic.
I drive past this slip road from work often, you can't really see the cars emerging from there until you're really close and thats when it gets seriously problematic.
We all make mistakes, after all we're only human! Even experienced drivers do every now and again. Ashley, the mistake you made was honestly just human error. Your save was good and everybody was okay in the end. Nobody is capable of having a perfect drive, no matter how experienced we all are. What's important is we learn from it and try to limit the risks as much as possible.
Ashley clip: In the slow motion version you can see that Ashley glanced ahead and took his eyes off car for approx. 1 second. This was at the point when the car was drifting left into nearside lane. This meant Ashley saw this late and hence the sudden stop. Nothing wrong with this glance because this would just be a quick check that exit route was clear. Don't see anything wrong with Ashley's driving. I am certain that if a vehicle had been following Ashley then he would have taken into account the possibility of being rear ended and his approach speed would have been slower.
Clip 5: I drive here all the time in Leeds. This give way catches a lot of people out. Then if they do stop, it takes forever to get out. I just always stay left
That comment about looking where you will be in 5- 10 secs is so true, so many drivers these days don't seem to be able to see any further than the end of their bonnet.
0:48 I mean, I was getting the "leaving roundabout" signals too. Maybe they changed their mind? Good thing is, you went so slow you could stop. Wish more folk would slow down at roundabouts.
For #2 I'd say you should've been slowing and preparing to stop earlier because the BMW could easily still come round, despite how it's positioned, and from their point of view it looks like you're about to lurch out in front of them. But you were obviously paying attention and so were able to stop before it was too late.
The bmw lane discipline was poor, but it did not signal left, so it was going to stay on the roundabout. Then again, signals are optional on BMWs. You appear to have assumed that it would leave at the exit you were joining from. Assumptions are the mother and father of all screw ups!
Signals should always be seen as indicating a probability, not a certainty. But I would say it is more to do with the fact that first exit (that I assume the BMW intended to enter, but missed for a go around) is a dead end street, and as such hardly gets traffic to it. Familiarity is a....
1:11 These sorts of multi lane roundabouts are banned at new installations in most of the US, with all new installations recommended to be spiraled because of the utter chaos that happens without spiraling. This road is dangerous by design and it is why so many people are caught out by those types of roundabouts or make errors.
I found myself analyzing the Rossmore road clip (1:24 onwards) and on google earth it is amazing how many massage places are nearby. After a close call like that, think that's where I would go to relax.
I made a very similar mistake to you the other week. I was too busy paying attention to the chassis language (and lack of indicator) that I assumed wrongly that they were coming off the roundabout, rather than continuing round. At least now I know the limits of my cars brakes!
Finally found a clip near where I live featuring a road I've driven on! The mini roundabouts at 6:28 in Darlington, I know personally nobody follows the highway code by not giving way to pedestrians on the junction of the roundabout. I've crossed the same place the elderly lady in the clip did many times, and as a pedestrian it's a nightmare as there is a constant flow of cars and it is very busy, and finding a suitable gap to cross is not easy, mostly we have to run across
The clip at 8 mins is from a road in Basingstoke I believe, if that is the case I've seen similar less severe accidents here 100s of times, the road markings are clear however people get in the wrong lane coming onto the roundabout as there are lane splits and people choose the wrong lane and try to force their way around
For your clip Ashley, my driving instructor (20 years ago) always said look at the wheels of cars on the roundabout, then you can see where they are going. Its always stuck with me. You can see the wheels never straightened up to leave even though they were on the outside. Easy to do, we all make mistakes. Thanks for sharing.
They did straighten just as a left signal went on, but then they changed their mind. This is a good tip you talk about but never forget to have that final check even after you think your decision is made.👍
@ashley_neal yep totally agree, I find the A pillars on modern cars create a massive blind spot, I'm always paranoid I will miss something. There is a fine line between over confident and over anxious. I nearly got a bit angry with being undertaken on approach to a roundabout the other day, but thanks to your videos I am much calmer now and just adjust and let them carry on. So thanks for the uploads.
I absolutely agree regarding knowing how fast your car can accelerate. I recently changed my Nissan Micra for a newer 2015 Hyundai I20, the Hyundai is a good deal more sluggish at accelerating than the older Micra!!!!
The clip at 7:28 I used to live near this roundabout, it’s so easy to just go round again if you miss your exit, yet so many people decide to keep going and cause a ridiculous amount of accidents
I have a theory that some areas have soo many right turn filter lights that road users forget to check for oncoming traffic when they find themselves doing a right turn at traffic lights without a filter light. They assume the lights have stopped the oncoming traffic.
Learning how fast your car can accelerate is helpful, been caught out to many times with people with false indicators on and putting the foot down has always avoided a tbone
Re crash clip. I'm an idiot with directions, so I learnt early on - if I'm in the wrong lane, accept it, and follow it until you can turn around where it's safe to do so. It's much better to be late than dead. I constantly go the wrong way, but I've not crashed yet :D
Doing almost 80 on city streets is insane and that person should be ashamed of themselves for risking a child's life and the life of everyone else who happened to be out on that night.
I live in Spain part time. About 10 years ago they started building many roundabouts. The law and driving instructors require drivers to approach the roundabout in the slow lane ( lane 1), continue round the roundabout until the desired junction without any signal, then signal to leave at the chosen junction, which could be the third or forth junction. This leads to a long tail back in lane 1 and an almost empty lane 2. There are frequent accidents at roundabouts when drivers in lane 2, exit in lane 2 and the driver in lane 1 continues around the roundabout without a signal. In the event of an accident, lane 2 driver is deemed to be at fault. Think of the carnage there would be in England if we used the Spanish law.
With regard to a flash of the lights (which I believe has now been outlawed), I work with two rules. If I flash it means I am waiting here and giving you priority. If I see you flash I assume you are taking priority and I will slow/stop to let you take priority. The worst that can happen is that we both wait for each other and have time to 'argue' who is going first rather than both making the assumption both are taking priority and end up exchanging insurance details. Re Ashley's clip, I was trying to see any indicator but that BMW did seem to be in the wrong lane to carry out their manoeuvre. I think we have all made that assumption but good save Ashley. A prime example of keeping alert and try not to assume what other road users are going to do.
Clip 8 - GPS n051° 22' 16.14" w000° 12'32.37 Shows the A217, Sutton area of South London, he joined that from Gander Green Lane. On Google street view speed limit repeaters are 40mph road.
Ash, I did similar to your clip a few weeks ago but it was on a Mini Roundabout. I looked to my right and the car there was pointing to their left as if to go into the road I was coming out of. Not many people bother indicating at this particular roundabout so I emerged and the car went right, nearly into the side of me. Ok, they should have positioned better but I shouldn’t have assumed it was clear. I try my absolute best at all times to drive correctly but this just proves, no one is mistake free.
For the last viewer it's great advise, the amount of times I've gone round a round about twice on a motor way junction is embarrassing. Lanes changes can be unforgiving.
Why should it be embarrassing, as most other drivers wouldn't even notice (especially so on those big ones)! Many drivers seem to forget that you can safely use a roundabout instead of taking a risk doing a U-turn!
i think you did well in your clip Ashley, i'm a driving instructor and i would have done the exact same thing as you and tried to drive on to the roundabout, but still watched that car just incase. This is something that i really try to get across to my students. So many accidents at roundabouts every day, and it's not due to people not knowing how roundabouts work, it's normally due to people not being observant enough. Making the decision to drive straight onto the roundabout when you saw the BMW in the outside lane is correct, but you must keep assessing the situation as you get closer, never commit too early.
Genuine question, do learners still get taught to indicate to leave a roundabout? Therefore the reasonable presumption in the lack of an indicator, would be that the car is continuing around the roundabout? Granted their lane discipline was awful, but we do see the BMW tighten the curve.
@@redtela Yes they should still be taught to signal when leaving, unless it's a mini roundabout or if they're turning right on a very small/tight roundabout as steering is more important and on those smaller roundabouts people should be able to tell where you're going from your position, a signal to leave shouldn't be necessary. They're taught that if they see a car on the roundabout coming from 12 oclock with no signal on to be prepared to drive straight onto the roundabout.
@Ashley Neal, your driving was good, reaction time was spot on, awareness was good, you were paying attention, to oncoming traffic, so no nothing you could really do better :)
@ 6mins. Someone told me about a similar situation on a country road riding a motorbike. Only it was a tractor coming in the opposite direction with hedge cutters extended.😱
8:10 ,or if you're ever in doubt just drive in staggered approach. If there's a car next to you and you're not sure then slow down. It might annoy the car behind you but might avoid a collision.
Clip 5 - Armley Gyratory. Usually very busy. I’ve taken that same lane many times and always expect to stop when merging, so my only hope is that it was the viewer’s first time doing it.
I drive coaches for a living and I take a flash as either "look at me" or "I am happy for you to proceed" (the operative word being "I") meaning you must also carry out your own observations. Although if Im flashing somebody I try to do their observations first.
The amount of times I've been flashed by other drivers to proceed when it's unsafe to do so does worry me and really shows how easily accidents can happen
0:40 A clear case for the use of Indicators (BMW driver) !! this reaffirms my comment on your last upload about this very situation. indicating should be the norm not an afterthought.
With viewing ahead, it is often evident on motorways that people look at the end of their bonnet or just follow the vehicle in front, my old man was in the traffic police and I always remember him telling me to not just look at the vehicle in front but well ahead, I leave a decent space in front of me and my viewing changes from ahead to far ahead, surprising what you can see and be prepared for if you move your eyes from the vehicle in front.
Those give way triangles on slips roads are so unexpected. I realise it's the same for dotted lines but by the time you get there it's almost too late. P.s. I rewatched and it's a 40mph so I guess the driver wasn't giving due care to the limit and the accompanying indicator of risk.
Thank you Ashley Neal. I personally think this is one of the best channels on RU-vid so happy I discovered it. Like myself and countless others you have helped us to improve with our driving, so much. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas & aren't thinking of retiring the videos anytime soon. These educational videos allow us to drive on the roads with more confidence, in a time where anxiety & technology run rampant on our roads. I've gone from someone who was anxious to ever pass my test, to someone who actually enjoys the challenges that life can sometimes throw our way. All the best Tomo
Thank you so much Tomo! It's so great to hear the difference my videos I've made to your driving, and how much better you feel while on the road. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas also. Keep safe, Ashley 👊
I know clip 5 only has a speed limit of 40mph, but it looks like your normal slip road for a dual carridgeway. If you're not famililar with the area, I woluldn't be surprised if you would expect a longer slip way to build up speed and join rather than a giveway line like that.
@@gillo100 I've never been there, but that design looks horrendously dangerous. It's normal UK practice to have a length of acceleration lane where the traffic on the slip gets to see and match speed with traffic on the main carriageway, giving time to find a space to emerge into. From what I could see here, the first instant the driver can see traffic on the major road (at 8:08) before the slip road ends - with almost no warning - at late 8:09.
I think the BMW was probably further to the left than it should’ve been but I think the lighting played its part, casting a dark shadow to the front left of the car and making it look like it was pointing towards the exit when it wasn’t. We’ve all made these mistakes, more than once.
