Also that’s my local town at 5:36 That junction was awful for about 6 weeks as the main road into Horsham was closed for gas pipe work and was pushing alll the traffic into the narrow residential area

Yea i can say the same thing after watching ashley's vid i think i have improved as well and don't get as stressed as i use to and give way a lot more and drive better.

That was what I said on Ashley's video Nice Driving #18/Best Flow on Tuesday 5/7/22 ,about improving my driving🙂

@@17XeviousGreen Same here.

That was my comment almost word for word from 2 years ago.😄 Nice driving #18/best flow from Tuesday 5/7/22

@@thomaselliot2257 no way! I swear I didn't copy it 😂

Your first reply to my first comment was that I totally echo your own sentiments, Ibrahim @Ibs5080

It does work! I want Ashley to do a sleep aid, or replace my navigation voice: "In 100 metres, take the first exit from the roundabout...& flooooow" 😊

That's why it grinds my gears seeing an 'overtaking convoy' with cars travelling about a length apart, at 70mph, in the wet. I physically can't do it - it just feels SO dangerous. Why don't they realise?

Also a perfect example of why undertaking shouldn’t be frowned upon. All in lane 4 due to slow vehicles crawling by each other in lanes 1-3. Despite all the road space in lanes 1-3, everyone is bunched up in lane 4

And also a lack of ABS!

that's an entirely sensible idea, so we know it will never be implemented.

I agree. I think that stopping right on the exit to a roundabout, where exit speeds can be high, especially where there are multiple lanes, is a recipe for disaster. I’ve just come back from a week in Northern France. They have a similar pedestrian priority rule at roundabouts. The difference is that there are painted crossings everywhere that pedestrians have priority. If, as happened in the UK, new rules were introduced but not well advertised, not signed and not enforced, the result was to be expected. The rules are ignored.

@@a1an611 in the US, any junction is a crossing unless marked otherwise. any crossings that aren't at a junction are marked. motorists must give way at crossings, and outside of crossings, rules range from pedestrians not being allowed to cross at all, to pedestrians not having priority. the simplicity does have benefits.

I wondered about multiple cars following each other, or would that be accounted for? Did we just see the bridge taken to over 2/3rds of its weight limit? It's probably time for the bridge to be turned into a cycle-only route or replaced entirely.

If your mate is from Luton, then the general standard of driving is appalling ( generic statement, not aimed at you 😊). Not helped by sh1t mini roundabouts that you can’t get around due to their size!

@@huwlewis9059 don’t have to tell me twice… it’s appalling round there!

I kicked a set of rudder controls. Note to self, don't kick metal rudder controls.

I don't think the cammer in that case needed to yield to the BMW. Cammer had a clear path forward and the right-of-way. I would have proceeded on to the roundabout and cleared the path for the BMW driver by getting a move-on instead of slowing down. I'm not so sure his going slow was helpful there. It seems like he yielded for the sake of yielding and not out of necessity. That was totally unnecessary in my opinion.

My condolences. I don't really know you, but always like reading you replies to videos. You seem a very sensible thoughtful person. You probably have done your mum proud already. Keep the good memories and stay positive.

@@konradc12 Thank You very much for such kind words. You've lifted my spirits at this very difficult time. I have commented elsewhere above but if it interests you, my mum and I were interviewed in a YT video at a car show in 2022: In YT search for "Supercars, Exotics & Classics - London Concours 2022 [Walkaround & Interviews]" - Forward to 19:31 in that video. - You will see us there, though I am the one doing the talking to the camera - My mum's classic 1978 Mini Clubman also appears, in a thumbnail showing it on the driveway at home. She owned it since new and I have no intention of selling it. All the best to you and many Thanks once again.

@@ibs5080 From what you have always written in the comments you are a very thoughtful driver and a more thoughtful person. Your mum was proud of you and still is proud as she watches down over you Take your time with your grief and know that everyone is here for you

we have now penciled in that Mrs K's mum will fly to visit us, the day after we arrive home from Scotland. since it is around a 3 hour drive from the airport, and jet lag hits harder on the westward trip, I suggested we just rent a hotel room, and stay in town to pick her up from the airport, but apparently that won't work, because she pays some of her bills by check. I'm not sure how that stops us from skipping two, three hour drives, but far be it from me to challenge a woman's logic.

@@smilerbob Thank You very much for all your kind words Bob. I very much loved reading your thoughts.

I'm not a big fan of traffic lights, as I think far too many junctions have them when not needed. However, would this bridge benefit from having traffic lights with sensors to make it a bit easier for choosing who to go next?

@davem9204 It's one of these locations that is so well known locally that there are unwritten rules that everyone knows. I'm not aware of anyone in the area who wants lights on it, and it works perfectly well without.

I choose to avoid this bridge. I would rather park in one side and walk to the other, or use an alternative route so that I don't get Goosed.

Thanks, that was my clip.

Just a couple of thoughts/suggestions - anytime we (cyclists) mix with pedestrians out speed should be low and be slower the closer we get. We should generally announce our presence if approaching from behind. I say this because I know that a lot don't, and it makes a big difference to many pedestrians.

Fair point. I wouldn’t want to have to reverse through that narrow gap

It's very strange. I wonder how many wings have left their mark on those narrow stones?

I have used this bridge a few times with work over the years. you feel like you need to breathe in when you enter and leave. I did see a transit van using it one time, surprised me that it fit.

@@TheCatBilbo Quite a few, judging by the paint marks (i used to live near there).

I've wondered that also, but I suspect the level crossing is why there aren't any traffic lights.

Yeah, same for me. I was on the "Idiots in Cars" subreddit (which is a toxic hell hole to be honest), until I found Ashley. It was actually making me a worse driver because of all of the bad examples. The first year or so of driving I was a menace (always speeding, closing spaces down, etc). Then I found Ashley and now I drive much better (the clip at 4:58 is mine, perfect example of what I do now, which I wouldn't have done before). It's also way more relaxing as well.

It's like reading too many negative stories on news sites: you can forget that most people, most of the time - are fine. Same for drivers. We can get a negative, condensed view & naturally "everyone is okay" isn't a good headline 😊

Agreed, a lot of instinct and gut feeling relies on your subconscious piecing information together and kind of "advising" you accordingly. I think being thoughtful of your surroundings only sharpens and improves those instincts.

I wondered the same is it because of the hierarchy of road users? Pedestrians - cyclists - cars

My view, the cyclist should cede priority to protect themselves, the motorist should cede priority to protect the cyclist. If both parties use common sense and communication there should never be a problem. This said, this does appear to be a common question in the comments and I would be interested to hear Ashley's opinion?

@@grahambonner508 One route I take near my home (intended for Transit only) has a stop sign hidden from traffic facing a yield sign at the same junction. Those signs contradict each other. But works if the bus first stops and lets traffic (including pedestrian traffic) clear. Cars would then yield to the bus when it is safe to proceed. But in the case of ambiguous signs: the "road users must do everything they can to avoid a collision" rule applies.

Yeah, I totally agree. In the Netherlands it's the same as you describe. I would much prefer to have it be a possibility at any point on the route (apart from the highway section of course). That way you don't know it's coming and they can actually see how you react.

As long as there's a visual indicator, because there is irl (I guess the instructor doing a spot check would do that) it makes a bit of sense but the point of an emergency stop test is not to test you have catlike reflexes in the face of danger, it's to test you know how to stop your car quickly, close but not exactly the same.

​@@Momofan69Yes, there's no point in being able to INSTANTLY swerve and skid instead of stop fast and smooth after a fraction of a second.

I'm not sure I see the benefit. An instructor raising their hand and exclaiming stop is never going to match the visual stimulus and adrenaline from an actual incident that requires you to make an emergency stop

Very few drivers or riders do go around that roundabout and the vast majority miss it completely effectively going the wrong way around the roundabout

We're a very long ways (decades) before fully autonomous vehicles dominate the roadways.

@@BadDriversOfNapa yep true. Not because of the technology though.

@@dmac2573 Exactly because of the technology. I watched an interview with an AI engineer that said that the self-driving technology is a very long ways off. Partly because AI tech can't always see, and does a terrible job at interpreting the social cues of other drivers. The tech also glitches frequently and fails to accurately read a lot of traffic situations. I personally witnessed a fully autonomous and driverless Waymo car steer itself right into a car next to it, as if the other car wasn't even there. Pretty scary. That could've been a pedestrian. Thank god it wasn't.

Smith and Sniff podcast. Highly recommended if you like two people talking bollocks and occasionally about cars.

@@jeffjapes579 You make it sound like top gear. I will give it a go.

Also the cyclist on the narrow pedestrian section of the narrow metal bridge, not getting off the bike as instructed by the signs.

@@susanwestern6434 It's more of a request, and I find that not only am I narrower when on the bike, but I also have more control. People will walk into the pedals. No point in making a fuss when things are improved by the action.

Night driving in dark rural areas known for deer to cross roads, you do need to to have cat like reflexes. A herd of about eight started crossing in front of me, thankfully I stopped without hitting one. It was in the middle of very rural Norfolk, and I didn't know the road so I was travelling reasonably slowly. Perhaps Ashley could do a video on rural driving on twisty single carriage way roads in the dark.

@@susanwestern6434 If you were driving faster, your catlike reflexes would've meant much. Your wisdom, experience, being vigilant and the high concentration on your surroungings was an important contridbuting factor that avoided the deer. I credit you for the decisions you took leading up to that point. You drove sensibly, well done. 3 weeks ago I drove a neighbour to the airport at 4 am, there was a man walking in the road in full black, no street lights. The neighbour commented on how dangerous that situation was. We all saw him last minute, but same as you, I was expecting the unexpected. I knew that stretch of road had no sidewalk, it was dark and people are unpredictable. I drove slowly and once every few seconds I switched on the headlights (Couldn't have them on all the time). Although good reactions do help, there's still things that drivers can do to lessen the reaction time one needs.

Have you passed anyone on it? I did years ago (in a Clio, so thankfully small) when some idiots pilled on from the North when I and another car were already underway. This was pre-refurb so was possibly even narrower.

I think perhaps you've mixed up the cyclist priority and pedestrian priority rules. Unlike H2, rule H3 doesn't talk about waiting and crossing as two separate things in the way you seem to be suggesting.

What do you mean by "junction"? You did see the car had a give way marking, right?

It's quite common in the UK for early separated cycle paths to have give ways at every junction regardless of how minor. More recently with changes to planning and rules regarding priority the emphasis is shifting to encourage the motorist to cede priority, the presence of the existing giveaway markings should not cause any issues and if anything should reduce risk further, as is demonstrated in the clip.

@@grahambonner508 But my point is that surely both sets of give way markings shouldn't be used at the same time - either drivers should give way to the cycle lane (as happens with newer infrastructure such as the new lanes in Glasgow), or cyclists should give way to the road (as happens on most existing cycle paths). It was fine in this clip as they both slowed down sufficiently and communicated clearly, but I can see it causing confusion in other instances - and it conflicts with the design standards set by Active Travel England.

no, cars can also be hidden behind our mirrors

That happens daily on that road. The cammers lane used to be left only, now you can also go ahead (which falls to the right so feels unnatural for a left lane).

yep they were goin into car

It wasn’t a traffic lane, they were going to their vehicle parked in a marked disabled bay. Things would’ve flowed nicer had the taxi not double parked

@smilerbob so it was a taxi that was the car in the traffic lane, but they were going to their own car and had to detour because they were also blocked by the taxi.

@@kenbrown2808 The taxi was in the traffic lane but the pedestrians were heading to their vehicle which was facing the same direction as me. They were entering the passenger side The taxi made it awkward for the vehicle coming the other way and I held back so the roundabout didn’t get blocked, which was the reason I sent the clip but Ashley decided to use it as “go slow to see everything” clip

I commented myself on this and on other social media platforms where it was asked about the multiple give ways, in my humblest of opinions it slows everyone, or should slow everyone, down on approach. Cyclists shouldn’t be riding straight out just in case a driver hasn’t seen them and in the same light drivers shouldn’t be accelerating through in case they have missed someone more vulnerable. I see these as a hybrid halfway house of full raised junctions with parallel crossings. If everyone slows a little then that can only be good for safety…maybe…as not everyone slows for roundabouts 🤷🏻‍♂️

@@smilerbob i agree with what you say, but do not expect that to happen here in the Netherlands. Cyclists simply have priority because they follow the road and the car is turning onto a different road. The same applies in the UK i thought. Most cycle lanes in the Netherlands have been designed much like we see in this clip. And so there is this slight curve just before the junction. But most cyclists in the Netherlands just plow through a junction like that without slowing down too much. It is rare to see anyone almost completely coming to a stop like in this clip. AND these days with them fatbikes on the road which can travel at speeds of like say 25 kilometer an hour or more, you really need to be watching out for them because they for sure continue and TAKE priority without waiting for it to be given.

@@bertjesklotepino Cyclists have priority along a cycle lane unless narkings say otherwise, in this example it would appear, either by design or laziness, the cycle lane does not extend across the road as it should. I wouldn’t expect anything different in the Netherlands as you have had many more years for everyone to adapt and adjust. Not saying that we cannot do the same in the UK but it takes time to change peoples mentality and I believe we will see more of these style junctions as we head towards “full Dutch” as they say. Our Government, and by extension the DVSA, are not particularly good at letting everyone know about changes. Pedestrian priority being a recent example of the shambles that was a rule change. This was alongside updates for cyclist priority that was to make things safer but instead made things worse in some situations due to poor infrastructure design around the rule changes As I said earlier, I do believe this is a hybrid junction which we will see more of as we head towards full raised junctions with full pedestrian and cyclist priority, just going to take a few years to get there especially with resistance from some not helped by the social media (and normal media) war of “Us vs Them” that seems to dominate rather than working together to get the message out that we all have to share to be safe Apologies, that turned into a little rant ramble at the end there and not directed at you in any way. I fully support the changes towards protection of the vulnerable and most of what is being discussed and implemented now should’ve been done long before I started driving 20+ years ago

@@smilerbob no apology needed. It shows passion for the subject, and i could not have said it better myself.

@@bertjesklotepino The concept of traffic leaving a road yielding to pedestrians/cyclists going straight on/parallel to that same road (rechtdoorgaand verkeer heeft voorrang) is not a thing in the UK like it is here.

As you're painfully aware, that's just a mind set that you've talked yourself into. Although there's a lot of lazy/inattentive driving out there, almost all of it isn't suicidal. To be able to get to a test level you must be competent - which is good. As these clips show, You get to help out the safety of those around you. So don't worry that people behind may do something daft, you have the power to keep them safe, just as you're doing for the passengers in your car. Try to think of it as an extension of the care you provide as a driver. The easiest tricks I could recommend is to be smooth in all your motions, and to leave a nice big gap for people to go off a be silly in if they want to. Oh, and do remember to breath, I've found that's helpful in general.

As mentioned above, which is very good advice. I found being able to control the car properly helped my anxiety - one less thing to worry about! I practiced the basics until I was better at steering, reversing, signals, clutch control, just feeling more confident in operating the car, without having to think as much.

@@John_B55 screenshot to read when needed, thank you John I need to change my mindset from the negative to the positive. I can do this 🤔

From your icon/channel links, it looks like you are a motorcycle rider. So, you are already a lot less fearful than most of the population! I can understand the fear of getting judged in a driving test. But, most people fear that, even if they won't admit it. Perhaps, you could get someone to help you simulate the driving test. Do that till you are totally confident. If all else fails, then you could see a Psychologist. They will have lots of ways of helping you though this. Also, everyone forgets to turn off indicators!

@@TheCatBilbo i wasn’t very confident doing hill starts so I spent an hour solid practicing. It’s now my favourite thing to do so you’re definitely on to something there Thecat 👍🏻