Apparently the Worst City for Driving in the UK? I went there to find out.

[@locutus155]

I have NEVER, EVER driven around Bristol without getting lost at least once. Once my dad was driving around Bristol trying to get to the M5 motorway, we went past the the same sign 3 times. Given the mood my dad was in, I thought it best not to tell him that fact.

[@ConquerDriving]

😂

[@Joe-lb8qn]

Yeh i once drove past the dock area three times trying to get somewhere (the camera lucida if thats how it spelled) AND i was using sat nav

[@raypurchase801]

I've been to Bristol once. I don't want to go back.

[@rwb966]

Camera obscura.

[@MrDaiseymay]

Thats because they have redesigned the City Centre( which you only touched on, after the Parking ) Five times since the 1950's. I have photographic proof. and each time the result is more chaos. It was nice to be driven round my city though, I haven't been in it for several years, and never will , since that Charge theyve introduced.

[@andrewl2744]

If you’re factoring in other drivers it’s definitely Bradford

[@jamesjones3371]

Ye folk no insurance

[@Yagdrol]

so true

[@haggispixie]

Agreed. I've not been anywhere worse for driving in the UK personally. A driving instructor here once shared that you're not taught to drive, you're taught to pass the test. He even had marks in the back of the car for people taking exams so they wouldn't fail the reverse parking on the day. Now that was a scary thing to learn. I don't know however how widespread it is though.

[@idreeskhan8885]

@@haggispixie 'Marks in the back of the car' meaning?

[@southstar66]

Only if you're lucky enough not to get your car stolen there in the week

[@Seb512]

Bristol's roads are poorly designed in the sense that traffic lights are overused, causing lots of stop-starting and slow-moving to idling traffic, which increases pollution. So I'm not surprised it's air quality isn't great despite their "clean air zone", since the infrastructure design affects all modes of transport too

[@ConquerDriving]

I agree that there are way too many traffic lights.

[@mikewade777]

thats down to the car not the infrastructure,

[@Seb512]

@@mikewade777 ah yes, car infrastructure can never work, of course

[@mikewade777]

@@Seb512 It can to a point, but we are past that point, and can't keep destroying brown and green belt land to accommodate those who are too lazy to walk, cycle or catch a bus.

[@Seb512]

@@mikewade777 I’m not saying to do that - we can accommodate a wide range of transport options, encouraging public transport but still providing decent capacity for cars. Look at cities such as Stockton on tees, with lots of bike infrastructure while having efficient road junctions which are fast and safe for all road users

[@suddenlyminotaurs]

I'm so glad I learned to drive in Bristol. It took me a long time, and was not fun at all when I was a newbie, but I've since driven all over the UK and rarely do I encounter anything that comes close to that level of stress. Love your stuff, man!

[@oilburner225]

I too Iearn't to drive in BristoI (aIthough I didn't Iive there), this was in 1972. It was busy in those days, nothing seems to have changed!

[@monkeynuts-cs6xm]

I found driving in glasgow worse than driving in bristol.

[@gottliebdee263]

I'm wondering if you've ever driven in London. Or even too London.

[@suddenlyminotaurs]

@@gottliebdee263 yes to both. No stress whatsoever, though that may be because I've had a bit more experience driving in the real world now!

[@bongolalolie520]

It's so relaxing to watch you driving around while explaining what you're doing, I could watch this for hours honestly

[@wind_reader]

If you can, please do more of this style of videos where it's just casual driving. I feel like it's a good, low-risk way to practice environmental awareness.

[@ConquerDriving]

Thank you for your suggestion.

[@mikepowell2776]

I’ll second that request. I’ve been driving for a little over half a century but still enjoy learning how other experienced drivers deal with challenges.

[@owen3766]

My fellow Bristol drivers, I feel validated by your stress! I'm a new driver

[@uroskostic8570]

haha, hello, i tought at first, this was a problem of developing countries. Yet, it come out, that some western countries are far worse in traffic infrastructure, than some east European countries.

[@BobTheBlue]

And the BEST is Milton Keynes 💙💙💙

[@EricManktelow]

I spun on that roundabout many years ago, wet road, rubbish tyres and too much power. Ended up facing on-coming traffic, was an awkward moment. Once you've done that roundabout backwards it's not so scary normally! 😂

[@ba55bar]

@@EricManktelow that roundabout used to be fun in the dry at 6am before there were traffic lights

[@Kai-Lo]

You starting your journey here will mean there is no road you can’t conquer 😂

[@nathanholt3821]

I am from Bristol and completely agree! I've since lived in other parts of the UK and nowhere comes close in terms of how hard it is to drive around Bristol.

[@YujiUedaFan]

Go to Exeter and drive around the Marsh Barton area.

[@gmarshall101]

Bath

[@fyabern5530]

You've obviously never driven in London, which I grew up in. The traffic and aggression of other drivers make Bristol seem like a dream.

[@lauriethefish2470]

As a learner who lives near Bristol (test on Wednesday, in Cardiff, thank god), every time you go into Bristol it's an experience you won't forget. Lane choices are never intuitive. There are slip roads where you don't see the traffic you're joining until the last second. And they are only straight for about the last 10m.

[@c0ldcity]

So did you pass?!

[@lauriethefish2470]

@@c0ldcity Unfortunately not. Lost concentration near a zebra crossing right at the end of the test. Examiner had to tell me to stop for a pedestrian. Never made that mistake before and it was totally my fault.

[@c0ldcity]

@@lauriethefish2470 Ah mate, commiserations. You'll get it next time!

[@lauriethefish2470]

@@c0ldcity Thanks! got super lucky and managed to get a test booked for a little less than a month.

[@dresdi]

@@lauriethefish2470 damn lucky, I got a near flawless fail (1 major, 4 minors) yesterday because my brain just shut off doing parallel parking

[@jcdenton23]

A friend from Abu Dhabi came to visit me in Bristol a year ago. After the first day of driving around in Bristol, he went to a&e with severe depression.

[@phrtao]

It was fascinating to watch you driving and tackling unfamiliar roads. It made me feel more confident because I think I would have done pretty much the same as you in all the situations. I have recently been ill and it is taking a bit of time for me to get the confidence to drive again so watching someone else driving with a commentary has been really helpful.

[@briankearney1619]

Agree. I have driving anxiety and now stay away from unfamiliar roads. It was good listening to someone else's thought process in a new place.

[@SportsCarsHub]

So glad you mentioned Brighton to be the most difficult, I'm a Student that is fortunate enough to drive to uni & around in Brighton, without a sat nav or previous experience, navigating around is impossible, unclear road markings that are not clearly visible, narrow streets, narrow roads, resulting in buses scraping by. The majority of drivers here also don't utilise both lanes in when possible, causing a great amount of congestion during peak hours.

[@jane1975]

I grew up in East Sussex and some of the worst drivers not necessarily the actual roads were in the town of Seaford, even worse when the weather was bad.

[@bigmoviews]

Conquer is an excellent instructor, I have watched your videos even before starting my driving class. I learned a lot of stuffs like turning left, right without shifting to other lane, centering the car and a lottttt. Thank you Conquer I just learned 6 hours and passed my test. much love from Australia

[@ConquerDriving]

That's great to hear! Congratulations on passing!

[@Poetry4Peace]

Moree pls the effort is UNMATCHED, the best instructorrr!

[@Triiiplz]

As a resident and someone who has done their test at Bristol, I can confirm that it is painstaking to drive at all hours of the day

[@maalikserebryakov]

Just get a motorcycle man

[@farisakhtar4824]

@@maalikserebryakovThat's another test to pass lol

[@a1barcode177]

I've passed my exams a couple months back but I still find myself coming back to your videos simply cause I find them entertaining. Cheers!

[@JarekPOM_drivingschool]

You should've tried roundabouts on our fantastic ringroad with faded road markings, confusing lane layouts and of course right hand lanes with straight ahead arrows 😂 If you ever decide to make part 2 let me know and I can show you a few, I'm an ADI. Good video by the way!

[@Thatclimbingirl]

As a learner in that area, it’s a pain to drive there’s also some areas that are 50 and others others are 70 just to make it more confusing. Luckily I know the ring road well from observing my parents driving it.

[@mountainbearoutdoors]

@@Thatclimbingirl agreed the stupid speed limit varies along the ring road, I think thats why they keep parking their mobile speed cameras along there to increase revenue.

[@JarekPOM_drivingschool]

@keithpeckett well, the biggest mistake is the fairly new "hamburger roundabout" (Woodstock roundabout) where they've changed the speed limit to 30mph starting very early before and ending very late after the roundabout, no one obeys the speed limit, I guess the majority don't even remember that 30moh still applies just after the roundabout as there are no speed limit reminders. In terms of the speed camera I can't remember seeing one in between Hick's Gate Roundabout and Lyde Green roundabout.

[@honest9158]

I'm not even from the UK and I love these videos (got my license in November), would love to see more of these.

[@mark-nm4tc]

I live in Staple Hill in east Bristol and have been in the city since 1987. Its no more difficult to drive around than anywhere else in the UK. We have to remember that none of our towns and cities were actually designed for cars unlike the USA and grew in different ways and shapes. Bristol is hilly, which may put some off, but its no worse than other places. Just about everywhere is congested these days.

[@unconventionalideas5683]

Even most USA towns and cities were reconfigured for cars, but because of their later construction, when broader, straighter streets were seen as more hygienic, easier to navigate, safer, and healthier, it made it easier to try to shoehorn cars in. Most American cities are increasingly trying to reverse the decisions that allowed car travel, because these decisions now are often the same ones that mandate car travel (large parking facilities, for example, take lots of space, pushing destinations further apart).

[@PGHEngineer]

Been driving for 40 years, live in Swindon. The center of Bristol isn't too bad, but the back streets on the hills with cars parked both sides and traffic coming both ways are a nightmare. Definitely the worst city I've driven in for that reason.

[@ruinfox4108]

As someone who cant legally drive (partially sighted), this is really interesting to watch, and i really like how you included what your feet are doing as ive always wondered what you actually need to do with the clutch when etc, and being able to see that while also seeing you drive around your average british city its very nice.

[@BEAN.MACHINE]

Well, that of it you could make out 😂

[@Another-li2qn]

When you learn...don't cross your arms like this guy...feeeeeeed the wheel...maybe find a better yt channel actually

[@ruinfox4108]

@@BEAN.MACHINE Its easy watching on a screen as i can sit really close and see a good amount of detail, but if i were to try drive irl, i wouldnt be able to pass the eye test at the start of a lesson (where you need to read the license plate from so many feet away)

[@derekheeps1244]

manual transmissions are archaic ; I taught my daughter to drive manual so that she has an unrestricted licence , but , as have I , she chooses to drive automatic which is so much simpler : most people have two feet and an automatic car with two pedals makes so much more sense - one to go one to stop and one foot for each pedal . I can still drive manual , even non-synchro gearboxes and know how to correctly either double-declutch or change without the clutch , but for everyday driving , automatic is the only sensible choice , again you need to take the time to learn how to drive automatic correctly and when to use the selector as required . My son is only 15 , but has been driving go-karts since he was eight and has been driving automatic road cars since he was 10 . I will move him onto manual cars soon so that he has the skills required to pass his test when the time comes ( I am an ex-police advanced instructor and still current emergency responder so still more than competent to prepare him for his DVLA test ) .

[@maalikserebryakov]

Disability sucks man i feel bad for you absolutely brutal How did you become partially blind? Genetics or Accident?

[@edwardsp1916]

As a Bristolian, I found this video interesting. There were times when driving around Bristol was a pleasure, Covid lockdown for example!

[@bennyhill4228]

i thought it was the appocolypse and hot wired a challenger 2 tank ran out of mini's to mow over btw i do love mini's

[@ruideng5722]

i feel like if you knnow the city and the best routes to get around, it's generally a really lovely scenic drive if you avoid the fucking insanity of rush hour. When I lived in the centre and went to visit my parents up near bradely stoke, i used to love just driving through town and up whiteladies and over the downs rather than going down the m32.

[@samanthaneville6566]

I passed my driving test in Bristol, but my lessons and test were all in more suburban areas - which is where the masses of potholes and narrow hilly streets are. It was an interesting watch though - i used to work near the Sainsbury's at the end of the clip and that area is particularly an odd one to navigate, and always busy!

[@cornishalps9870]

Once me and my mum drove around bristol to try and avoid the motorway from bath, but ended up stuck in a one way loop right in the center. It's also a pretty confusing place to cycle around unless your in the east.

[@MrDaiseymay]

In defence---Bristol is an ancient City, Built on very steep hills AND the River Avon makes its way into the city , from the Bristol Channel, Where there are lots of old narrow bridges, and the River used to end in the Docks, right at the heart of the city Centre. Trying to plan around these natural obstacles has never been easy.

[@kei5985]

Im currently studying in Bath and actually took my test at Colchester (passed first time, yay). Right after passing I headed straight to uni and went up Brassknocker Hill for my first time; probably the steepest hill I've driven up and my car struggled to keep up in 2nd gear. I hope you go check it out and see if it compares to Bristol :)

[@dreamcrusher112]

I have had to overtake people on Brassknocker because their cars are as slow as the cyclists that go up at 1 or 2 mph!

[@primordialpouch565]

You are lucky you didn't encounter the beast of brassknocker! I used to live just off Brassknocker on a road called Trollope's hill :P

[@grassytramtracks]

Bath is also a hard place to drive in, with very congested and narrow streets

[@stuartandrews4344]

Bath is a nightmare for driving,I live there,we have stupid busgates, a 20mph zone on London Rd which slows traffic movement & increases queues,pedestrianization of Milson St was a bad idea, & don't start me off about cycle lanes....

[@primordialpouch565]

@@stuartandrews4344 I grew up there and never learnt to drive, it was quicker to walk across town than drive

[@Voltanaut]

As a Bristolian, I completely agree, and boy it is surreal to see you drive through my city. Great video!

[@phillipsiviter2024]

This was bringing back memories, I used to drive Taxi's for a living in Bristol and remember those roads very well and agree with you, Bristol is not the worst place to drive by any stretch of the imagination. Thanks for sharing.

[@ChloeAllen-gs8dz]

I’m learning to drive in Brighton, and yes it is a nightmare, there are a lot of 20 speed limits, steep hills, the roads are full of potholes and other drivers are impatient and aggressive. I would love to see you do a video in Brighton and surrounding areas!

[@ConquerDriving]

I may do in the future.

[@andrewbush65]

Richard, did you notice how worn out the road markings are in our area? It's even worse in the Kingswood test area. No centre lane markings, no stop lines at traffic lights, turning lanes completely worn out, etc. Did you also notice the refusal to mark right turn lanes at multi-lane roundabouts with anything other than straight ahead (those that are still visible) and all the lanes through them worn away?

[@ConquerDriving]

To be fair poor road markings is true in most places I drive. They rarely mark right arrows before larger roundabouts. Apparently to stop people driving the wrong way round them.

[@freddiekb1004]

@@ConquerDriving the lack of right arrows before roundabouts is probably the most infuriating thing about driving in the UK (for me). I never really thought about why until you mentioned that though

[@jamespicksley5781]

potholes are quite bad in the Kingswood area too

[@jethyy]

Welcome to Bristol. I am foreign but moved to Bristol. First time I ever had to drive in Bristol I was forced to drive in a company van which meant I had no back mirror and the vehicle was larger than I am used to. Needless to say I learnt the hard way

[@paultripp1377]

I’m Bristolian, let me tell you, that traffic was very light in your video, it gets much worse than this.

[@TheCreepyD]

As someone being used to driving in London, people often seem to assume that's the hardest place to drive but I'd say the smaller cities with their massive many-laned one-way systems are far more challenging. Birmingham tops my list of most stressful to drive in.

[@bilalmalik5002]

Let's goo! learning to drive in Bristol. This is all the motivation I need. I'll update this comment weekly to give progress updates. Currently on my 6th hour of learning. Week 1 Ok its, Week 4, just finished my 13th hour of learning. Still struggle on hills But i have a test booked for the 19th April. Wish me luck!

[@TedJM]

How did you do in your test

[@bilalmalik5002]

@TedJM failed that one, Passed on 1st May. 2023

[@bluefloyd1]

Awesome hometown showing! So comforting to see the stomping ground being tackled by an unfamiliar but competent driver. Rather refreshing. (having said that, if you give me a mock test around here, I'm sure I'd pick up enough faults to fail)

[@crillbus8876]

Been watching your vids for a while and to see you now driving around places where i used to do my lessons is cool

[@Idylla]

That was a remarkably quiet day in Bristol, you got lucky!

[@mickyfinn1948]

That was very informative and, strangely enough, quite relaxing, I agree about London naturally having more bus routes, which, incidentally, I've always found excellent to use when visiting the capital.👍

[@nuffink9164]

Hi I just wanted to say thank you so much. I binged your videos last night and passed my test this morning.

[@ConquerDriving]

That's fantastic news! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!

[@richardfarrer5616]

Apart from a couple of the roads in Totterdown at the beginning, I have frequently driven all of the route taken here in my 38 years in Bristol, so here are a few observations. The roundabout at the end where you got lost is highly confusing. If you take the left hand lane, then you will be able to go left or straight on. If you take the middle lane then you have to turn right but end up on the left hand lane of the next road, which will filter you off to the left. If you take the right hand lane then you are in the correct lane to get back to Bath Road, which is the main route. However, there are high bushes right up to the junction giving very poor visibility of the junction, forcing you to come to a stop to check there is no traffic on the roundabout. In practice, many people take the middle lane then turn on to the right hand lane of the exit road, which could easily take some drivers by surprise There are many other places on the route you took that can make it difficult to get into the correct lane if you don't know the area - particularly if you try it at 5pm. There are many bus lanes around the centre which are not easy to spot, particularly at night in the rain. Even with my comparative experience, I have been caught out and fined before now. The roads you drove on were generally quite good quality. There are some where the surface has broken down badly in places and it can take many months for a fix. There are also still some cobbled roads. The carpark you stopped in has 8 EV points. I don't know of anywhere else which has even that number round the centre, though there are a few all over the place. Obviously not much help if you get there and find they are all in use. There are many other roads in Bristol which are narrow, steep, and bendy with parked cars on each side making them single lane only, Next time you make it to Bristol, try driving up Clifton Vale and then right onto Goldney Avenue for an interesting experience and very good practice at clutch control.

[@gmarshall101]

Clifton Vale - just made the same comment!

[@lino.7807]

I'm a new driver myself. I thought I was an imbecile not being able to use the Start/Stop in my mom's Seat Leon 1.4. Glad to hear it's the cars fault. Keep on coming the great content.

[@1mgvideo]

I think the road planners in most cities are making life difficult for drivers because they don't really want cars, they expect people to use buses. Nearly everywhere, road markings are faded and the councils don't repaint them often enough. Well done, Richard for keeping yout sense of humour in bad situations.

[@kazuhikotakata7508]

I agree with you Michael. I have lived in the UK for just 1 year and I found that the roads are sometimes challenging. The road markings are always faded and I don't know where our Council tax go to.

[@ConquerDriving]

I agree that some councils seem to want less people using cars.

[@mattevans4377]

Instead of say, improving public transport. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the actual plan was just to make people miserable.

[@georgemulford2910]

@@mattevans4377 it’s part of a wider political campaign to stifle personal autonomy and consolidate political authority

[@kurojester4513]

@@georgemulford2910 No, it’s to improve the life of everyone. Fewer cars is always a good thing.

[@LeoDoesItAll]

Ffordd Pen Llech is 36.63 or 37.45 degrees gradient depending on your source - far steeper than the 24.6 degrees gradient of Vale Street.

[@edphab]

I live in Bristol and I am gonna take my driving test after Easter. I thought I was one of the few who are having a hard time driving around Bristol specially on our roundabouts that have multiple lanes which say one thing , but one the next part say another. I am a total newbie and came from another country so I don't have local knowledge of the roads. Hopefully I will pass. I really like this kind of videos, hopefully you can make one on Brighton and Cornwall, as those are the places I wanna visit if ever I get my license.

[@Galbereth]

I'm learning to drive in South Devon, it's pretty hilly here too!! 😮😁

[@localdriver]

I loved this. I was lucky enough to move to Bristol in 1973 and have driven most of those roads hundreds of times, over the last fifty years, in a succession of vehicles including a Mk 1 Transit motor caravan, a 1960s Anglia Estate, a number of Cortinas of various ages and models, an Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire 346 and several Honda Accords and Jazzes. I still found your video interesting and instructive.

[@jillianellis5286]

As someone who lives in Bristol and is a ‘new’ after 10 years licensed driver this was SO validating!! I am so often riding the clutch and the first ~5 mins of this were so uplifting that it’s not just me!

[@JakeyMikeySmithey]

Hi Richard, would be interesting to see a similar video on Oxford since is such a dense area with lots of students who are taking lessons or have recently passed their test.

[@lw_2]

Is Oxford a difficult city to drive in?

[@JakeyMikeySmithey]

@@lw_2 I would say so. Very congested, lots of busy junctions, lots of cyclists and cycle lanes, lots of emergency vehicles due to all the big hospitals.

[@lw_2]

@@JakeyMikeySmithey oh right I plan to visit Oxford , Is Oxford a good night out and is it a city where you can meet a lot of new people?

[@studogskoff5034]

Bristol is appalling to drive in, but a total nightmare to do deliveries in. I used to deliver white goods including american fridge freezers. Sometimes we just gave up trying to find somwhere nearby to park, so just stopped outside the house and blocked the road. We were always hours behind whenever Bristol was involved.

[@terryhayward7905]

I live in Bristol, and you are probably the only person ever to take that much notice of the 20mph limit. I find some of the London areas much worse than Bristol, mainly because of the one way roads that mean it is almost impossible to get where you need to go unless you know the area well.

[@Steve8K]

Your videos are so damn great. Keep up the fantastic content Richard, much love from Steve the learner driver in Scotland 💙🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@DaniloBeirne]

Surreal watching this as it's the route I take heading home after visiting my mother and sister up until 16:40 at which point I take the left.

[@alexthomas7470]

Not surprised you find Brighton challenging, being from there. Would love to see you here tackling our roads.

[@joshlucas4269]

Please do a video in Brighton! I go there a few times every month and it looks like an awful price to drive in!

[@tonymaries1652]

It most certainly is. I used to live there.

[@Nigelrudyardmusic]

Impressed by how you read the roads, Richard. I've driven in Devon and Cornwall, but never up as far as Bristol.

[@amyk9813]

Did my L test and advanced test in the Bristol area (not the centre though). And honestly, if you keep your cool, don't try to suddenly change lane last minute etc then it's okay in my opinion ☺️

[@michaeljones1475]

I am Bristolian, but now live in Tallinn Estonia, I passed my motor cycle test when I was 16 and my car test a year later. I'm 77. When I was 21 I passed my PSV, now PCV test and drove for Bristol Omnibus, later CityLine. I moved to Cardiff in 1993 and drove for Cardiff Bus until I retired early at 62. I went back for a Bristol visit in 2011 and hired in car in Stansted Airport, drove to Bristol and even though I hadn't driven there for 18 years, I didn't find it any harder to find my way around or get confused with the road markings then, but, unfortunately, it seems they have got worse due to the lack of re marking, the council trying to save money no doubt. After watching the video, I don't think I would have any problems driving there again, the only problem is I can't, as I don't drive anymore, haven't renewed my licence and in Tallinn residents have free bus travel, taxis are fairly cheap and quick. our family have cars to take us somewhere if it's needed. So really no need to drive ever.

[@artemkatelnytskyi]

Bristol is a beautiful city, indeed. Thank you for the tour!

[@ConquerDriving]

I hope you're still OK. I know things must be really difficult Artem. Stay strong!

[@artemkatelnytskyi]

@@ConquerDriving thank you once again. I believe everything will be alright. I'm not doing bad at all myself, so can't complain.

[@sam7765]

9.5% of the roads needing repaired is brilliant it's closer to 95% in and around Edinburgh

[@edwardtye4119]

Can confirm

[@latzhin]

96% in Glasgow. Glasgow wins

[@CriticalityIncident]

Would love to see more videos like this. It was both relaxing and interesting to watch. 🙂

[@artemkatelnytskyi]

Imagine how they put tarmac on that hill in the first place. Imagine a compactor machine driving up and down that hill.

[@ConquerDriving]

Yeah, I don't know how they do it.

[@tonymaries1652]

I expect the tarmac is laid on top of cobbles. You would be able to tell by looking at the gutter because they don't usually tarmac right up to the kerb stones. I have never seen it done but I don't think they would use a full size compactor on a steep hill.

[@luciano9612]

I've lived in Bristol all my life and passed my test 5 years ago, I never knew we had the steepest street in the country that honestly blows my mind. The road itself is 10 mins away from where my workbase is and I never knew it existed. I personally don't think Bristol is that bad to drive through, its got worse since I passed my test especially in the city centre, but I guess if you're used to driving in your city you wont think its that bad. I drive all over the country for work and I have driven in some TERRIBLE cities. I love this video though, its nice to see someone who's not from Bristol driving about the city, giving a few facts and its just nice to see the roads you drive everyday from someone elses point of view. Thankyou for the video, ill be sure to subscribe.

[@artemkatelnytskyi]

Another thing I'd like to add regarding bus routes is that, while they *may* make driving more awkward (though debatable), typically if a city has good public transport network, it takes more people out of their cars, which means there's less cars on the road. And I think it is reasonable to conclude that more bus routes is actually better for drivers, because one bus can take 50-70 cars off the road to put it simply. I think you raise an important issue. It is important to actually look at methods they use in studies and how they come to their conclusions. It is far too easy to just read an abstract and take it for granted and assume smarter people did a good job and didn't make mistakes. I'll admit, I have done that myself.

[@artemkatelnytskyi]

Actually, there's a video just about that. It is about the Netherlands being the best country for drivers, because it just has so many alternative modes of transportation, which makes roads less conjested, and, obviously, their infrastructure is superb. And they have turbo-roundabouts. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmm1g3hop6mqas0

[@PointNemo9]

This gets said a lot but it just isn't true in practice. Adding a bus-lane effectively turns what was formerly a 2-lane road into a single road which is far worse for congestion. One bus does not take 50-70 cars off the road, that's just the average capacity of a bus, it doesn't account for the majority of driver's reasons for not using public transport (which is usually either route origin or destination not being conveniently located to a regular bus route). When one lane is empty because it is dedicated to buses and cyclists, but the other is locked with stop-start traffic for miles, it is a huge waste of space and simply a poor use of road capacity available.

[@ConquerDriving]

They built a park and ride car park outside of the city I live in and made some important driving lanes bus lanes. The buses are nearly always mostly empty. In fact, I've never seen them busy. Traffic is getting worse as they keep closing off routes meaning more cars have to go through alternative routes. It's an idea that may work on paper but it seems that people who drive to a city, don't want to then wait at a bus stop when they can park very close to where they're going. Also, if someone is used to the luxury of a car do they want to use public transport? Usually not because it's slower and less convenient than a car, even with bad traffic. I know I don't us park and rides. I think it works in places like London because it's a massive city with so many people that having a tube every 2 minutes is actually feasible and cars simply don't work there given how many people there are in a relatively small place. If you're used to a car you probably don't want to walk in the rain to a bus stop and wait for a bus when doing that sometimes takes longer than the whole journey in the car. Also, I was recently giving a lesson to a lady who had lived in the Netherlands for a while and was saying how good the system is in the Netherlands compared to the UK. But looking at the statistics their roads are around twice as dangerous. Colchester is busy but it's not so busy that roads and cars don't work. However they are much closer to not working when they close lanes.

[@artemkatelnytskyi]

@@ConquerDriving that's a very interesting perspective, so thanks for that. I've never seen park and rides, however a couple of years ago they added new signs to the standards, which indicate that you'll be able to park and ride. I think it also has to do with the way we built cities, because in this part of the world we build what we call "sleeping districts" on the outskirts of towns with tall flat complexes. Because of that, more people can live in a relatively small area and it is much easier to connect these districts to the city's larger transportation network. Whereas in some parts of the world it is more common to live in "suburbs" in one family homes rather than flats, which means it takes a larger area to house the same amount of people. It is much harder to make transport cost effective in suburbs, which is why people have to drive. And if you drive you may as well drive to work and not bother with park and ride.

[@artemkatelnytskyi]

@@PointNemo9 I think the argument for bus lanes is that they make public transport a faster and thus more attractive mode of transport, which means more people use it, it gets more profitable, and through economy of scale more routes can be opened, and eventually a person who had to drive may find a bus route faster and more convenient. And lastly, if we get rid of bus lanes, buses will end up getting stuck in traffic and nobody will use them. Because of that people will have to drive, and take up more space on the road.

[@Sly94]

Bahaha, the moment you stopped with an explanation at 52:20 I knew exactly what you were going to say. Not only are those markings just straight up wrong, but the lane you took puts you into the left only Sandy Park lane with no warning that you're in a left only lane, only at the last moment does it show it on the road and many people panic and try to force their way into the right lane again, seen many near accidents at that spot.

[@Gandhi2241]

Richard, you should make a trip to India to experience driving in chaotic traffic jams especially in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore 😂

[@DisleyDavid]

I always felt Indian traffic was worse in smaller towns. Definitely a good subject for a video.

[@ConquerDriving]

Maybe one day I will. No current plans though.

[@raivedarkstone7378]

You've not seen Bristol in rush hour then, utter chaos XD lol

[@Gandhi2241]

@@raivedarkstone7378 as an Indian, I can tell you that rush hour anywhere in the UK is like off peak hours in Mumbai.

[@raivedarkstone7378]

@@Gandhi2241 it was a joke

[@philblandford5560]

Impressive work getting round the Cumberland Basin first time, that junction still does my head in

[@ben.taylor]

One genuinely good thing about Bristol's street design is that it forces drivers to pay attention. They're not rushing around and breaking the speed limit, they're going slow and being cautious which ultimately makes the roads safer for everybody.

[@Wonderkid44]

Exactly, driving shouldn’t be “easy” long straight roads and easy driving is the reason why Americans regularly crash into buildings when taking a corner.

[@mattgreening134]

Passed my driving test last week, the help from these videos were brilliant, thanks 🎉

[@PointNemo9]

20 limits and prevalence of speed cameras should also have been catagories included in the study.

[@missblueskyelo]

I moved to Bristol when I had only been driving for a year and it was a steep learning curve! The only way I coped was that the roads were much quieter in late 2020 and so learnt my way around counterintuitive lanes or poor markings without the traffic pressure. I think the route missed the majority of the worse condition roads, the condition has got so much worse in the last year for sure. I think the most difficult part is the lack of directness for a lot of routes you would commonly take and the width of roads with parked cars either side.

[@ekanshjadon]

Just asking out of curiosity, is 1.2 or 1.4 litre turbocharged petrol engine pretty common in UK? Cuz 140 PS is good amount of power for a hatchback that size, atleast where I am from

[@TheBenjamincooper2]

Yes very common, especially with newer cars. We also have 1.0 litre turbocharged cars too.

[@ekanshjadon]

@@TheBenjamincooper2 ah okay okay, I'm assuming they come with naturally aspirated version as well

[@ConquerDriving]

It's very common. 140bhp and 250Nm in 1250kg is perfect in my opinion for Great Britain's roads. Always feels like there is more than enough power and economical too.

[@ekanshjadon]

@@ConquerDriving yeah it's perfect engine size for that kinda roads and a car of that size

[@theuncertaincat4399]

It is the same here, when we have a hatchback over 120ps we call it as "hot hatch". The majority of hatchbacks in India is around 85 to 110ps only a few have above 120ps.

[@bully_hunter_7776]

These videos are amazing you do an incredible job and we definitely don’t take them for granted. Thank you sir

[@supersuede91]

Go to Brighton!

[@ConquerDriving]

I may do soon.

[@seraphina985]

That is one thing about when roads have 30 km/h limits here in the Netherlands, the whole design language of the road screams that fact. The lanes will be very narrow, crossings will have continuous pavements and so on. The road will also generally be full of pedestrians and bicycles going every which way, the end result is a road where the slow speed feels comfortable since that is what is suitable for the conditions. Generally if you want motorists to go slow for safety the best way by far to do that is make that speed feel like the comfortable and appropriate speed for the environment. If the environment feels busy and crowded that psychological tendency to play it safe is more effective than any amount of speeding tickets ever will be, police can't be around all the time but the environment is and can create that sense it is unsafe to speed at all times.

[@GamingGrenade1]

Loving the Conquer Driving UK Tour

[@sonasp1961]

Whenever i've gone to Bristol i've noticed: zebra crossings poorly placed, they are positioned right at junctions and there are too many potholes. Thanks for these longer videos, appreciate them. Just help's with familiarising yourself with road signs and driving etiquette.

[@frankreynolds4547]

Well you've just made me and probably all my fellow Bristolians feel like experts drivers, cheers drive!

[@TheRealMrSir]

I cannot imagine how bad it must be to travel around that area when the weather is bad and the thought of snow and ice is just scary on those streets

[@DavidEmery-tn2dh]

A long time ago, a friend reported his clutch slipping when going downhill (Triumph 2000). My first thought was, I'll nip down Vale St. Park St, the road at the bottom, had a water leak further up and it was freezing. A sheet of ice most of the way down the hill. I'm not sure how I survived. If I remember rightly, there was a worn bearing on the front end of the crankshaft which meant the whole crank was moving forward leaving the clutch behind.

[@sirrathersplendid4825]

Thanks to the Gulf Stream it doesn’t snow too often in Bristol, though I’ve had my share of terror trying to get out of Clifton (the clue is in the name) in icy conditions on a motorbike!

[@Matityahu755]

I past my driving test in Brighton, in 1990 and I was told then that Brighton was one of the worst places to take a driving test. Luckily, I passed first time. Driving instructor said, if you can drive in Brighton without a hitch, you can drive anywhere. I like driving in London when I get there. Worst place I've driven was in Boston, MA. USA. Best place I've driven was in Honolulu, HI. USA.

[@ItsThePirate]

DO MORE OF THESE. I HAVE LEARN'T ALOT. I am from Kenya.

[@yanoyreid1541]

Pass my driving test. Tips from these videos are excellent 🙏

[@ConquerDriving]

Great job! Thank you for watching!

[@madmike987655]

I've not ever needed to drive through Bristol, but I have been to Bath a couple of times. It's much easier to drive there, although you do see some spill over of the amount of things used around the area like traffic lights. Another great video .

[@loranger6447]

Bristol: many bus lanes, lots of 20 zones, narrow roads, steep hills, congestion, many traffic lights, tailgaters, many potholes, gullies 1 metre below the road surface, many people who move back to the left lane too closely to the car behind, lots of cyclists, e scooters and crazy mopeds.

[@SzymonWlodarczyk96]

Good to see you doing well Richard! Been driving with you back in 2017. It's mind blowing seeing your vid about Bristol where I'm based now!

[@ConquerDriving]

That's great to hear! I remember you, I hope you're doing well. Dziękuję za oglądanie

[@k.thompson8549]

Best video yet, I wondered how you coped with various scenarios, this answers my question(s).

[@tmd63]

Vale Street is 1 in 4. The Drove in Brighton is 1 in 4! The steepest in the UK is Ffordd Penllech in Harlech Wales

[@Bungholeish]

Btw I absolutely love this style of video you've made. It would be absolutely perfect if there was a way you could show the satnav route at the same time as well. I'm a good driver, but my main weakness is a fairly poor sense of direction, so seeing the route in context is super helpful.

[@dand5593]

I never was aware how many things i see and take in consideration every time i drive. To be a techer it is a great skill to be able to explain all...and have patience! Hello from the 4'th congested city in europe, bucharest.

[@marcusburnett8923]

Very interesting video. As a Bristolian it was refreshing to hear an outsiders experience; especially the Sainsbury’s roundabout, which is still a nuisance for first timers! 👍🙏

[@empiricalpower7125]

Go up to Yorkshire! I've seen this hill in person and laughed when my friend from Bristol said it was the steepest hill in England 😂

[@G_Rizzly]

Great video, Richard, keep it coming! Next challenge: driving around Dublin city centre in the rush hour.

[@BobHUK]

I'm a Bristolian, and when I was a teenager back in the 1960's I bought a Lambretta scooter to get around on. I tried to get up that steep hill on my scooter, and when I reached the left hand turn into the steepest part, my scooter slowed down....in First Gear!! It couldn't make it up that steep hill. So I had to give up, and turn around quickly before the bike stopped altogether, or I'd have fallen off.

[@lartensgrill6106]

Watching your instructional videos pretty much taught me how to drive in a few hours. Legend

[@TheJohnscot]

I started driving in 1975 and I am STILL learning! I live in Edinburgh and you are correct; it is difficult to get around unless you know your way around.

[@malcolmabram2957]

I have not been able to find my way out of Bristol for the past 2 years. As a result, I have had to rent a small room, and got a job in a takeaway. Will try again to find a way out this coming weekend.

[@kaliquebolemtitusabrasax4404]

Shout out from Hull, the reason the roads are so good, is because the roads are always being closed for repairs, even though there never doing anything and the traffic is never moving, because of congestion it is so bad, at the moment it takes twice sometimes three times as long as it use to, to get to where you want to go. It can't get damaged if there is nothing moving on them.

[@ayowhat6139]

This is awesome. Its nice to see how a driving instructor deals with unfamiliar roads. I wanted to follow you along on the sat nav just to practice more, it would be helpful if u add a camera on the sat nav?

[@elzanomercedes1537]

Thanks for the advice I'm going for my licence next week man I've watched all your videos

[@ConquerDriving]

Good luck!

[@elzanomercedes1537]

@@ConquerDriving thank you man appreciate all your information you give me

[@edrose5045]

You missed one of the worst junctions! You want to try approaching the Plimsole Swing Bridge from Cumberland Road, heading north towards Howells. Just as you arrive at the junction, the bars in the railings perfectly line up to completely block your view of any incoming traffic. You then have to pick a gap and get up to 40 mph very quicky, then get into the fast lane to ensure you're going in the correct direction

[@hamidahmadi3757]

really good video with super good information on (what to think about when you are driving) thank u very muck for these type of videos.

[@wild4fp]

I have been to Bristol once, drove down. I was aware the challenges happened a few miles outside Bristol, the main road into the town then it continued when in Bristol. The signage lack of, road set up etc it sounds small but it not. Glad im not the only one who found ther place difficult. Its like no one in the council can be bothered.

[@cameronleehorace]

Got to love Bristol. Great city breaks but the roads are crazy. 7:36 onwards, all those great memories of my Dad getting lost and driving around the roundabouts several times. Oh those days the nostalgia.