Ashley's Analysis | Failed to Look Left!

The minimum observations you need to carry out when emerging is right, left,right, left. This video shows what happens when you don't look left properly.
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#drivinglesson #drivingtest #education

[@Jonc25]

I see a lot of people still looking right when they emerge left even when vehicles are parked opposite and I'm straddling on approach. Good advice. 👍

[@Pinie-ue9mz]

Yes

[@IToohat]

This is exactly what I was going to say Jon. I also see people crossing onto the right side of the road (with oncoming traffic) while turning left at a tight junction.

[@razghost2]

I'm a van driver and just yesterday the same situation happened except I had parked cars to get by. Came back to the junction and saw it happen again to someone else.

[@yorkshirebiker]

Yep, happens a lot. In fact, this happened to me yesterday - passing a cyclist and the driver ahead does a left emerge without checking left. In the end, they drove onto the kerb to make room.

[@ZJS0113]

I always slow down and check junctions when I'm on the wrong side of the road

[@RocketMagnetUK]

My experience is many people often approach junctions a bit too quickly to sufficiently look both ways. I've seen numerous drivers slam into stationary traffic or even parked cars when they emerge left because all their focus is to the right and they assume the left is clear.

[@flemit35]

when you pull out you should be looking in the direction you're going, observe to the right, look left, look forward move.

[@RocketMagnetUK]

@CycleCam UK Yeah I agree here but in general many people do approach so quickly they don't really have the time and end up testing their seatbelt lock is working ok. As for corner cutting I simply accept it happens so drive and assume people will cut corners... hence fast approaches to junctions doesn't take into account that people cut as when they started to cut they thought they had time.. doesn't matter they are in the wrong if you can drive and account for it when possible. Ultimately control the bits you have control over IMO.

[@kevinmartin2516]

Yes, I was almost the victim of a bus that did the left turn without looking trick. I was overtaking a car with a clear road ahead, when suddenly I was looking directly at a bus radiator!. I was able to hit the brakes hard (locking them slightly) and as I dropped in behind the car, I sort of slid sideways pointing into the road where the bus came out of and promptly stalled. Taking some deep breaths and restarting the car, I drove forward out of the way and stopped carefully for a break! At least I managed to avoid wearing a bus and it highlighted the importance of looking left before moving off into potentially oncoming traffic. It's certainly an experience, I've never forgotten.

[@RocketMagnetUK]

@@kevinmartin2516 Yeah it's why I don't and you should not overtake with a junction approaching and is generally the reason for the junction signs which I read as don't overtake. It's worse if the junction is too the left as the car your overtaking can block the view totally for both you and the car turning right into the road.

[@kevinmartin2516]

@@RocketMagnetUK Yes, you're absolutely correct, that was the other important lesson of the day! I got conned into the overtake, because the car I was passing was travelling significantly below the speed limit.

[@NyHoK]

As the cammer in this I thought I should clarify a couple of things: 1. The lorry was not crossing the junction to make a reverse park but was driving on the wrong side of the road to park up at the Sainsbury's further down the road. (Feel free to look this up in Google maps, the truck driver plans to drive ~100m just to park) 2. I agree with the analysis about emerging junctions and due to complacency of living in that area you tend to skip checks you usually do because of familiarity. I accept some of the criticism made in the comments and it has been an eye opener to have full attention especially when making early morning trips. Feel free to ask any further questions in replies to this.

[@ashley_neal]

Thanks for sending in your footage. I'm sure it will help many people. 👍🏼

[@Jonc25]

Top man! I can almost guarantee 100% of drivers have made this mistake even if it didn't result in a collision, on more than one occasion, cause i know i have. Thanks for clip it helps many. 👍

[@grahamnutt8958]

@@Jonc25 also @NyHok (&Ash) I will "second" Jon's statement. One key point you mentioned - Familiarity with the area...... It ties in very nicely from what a "🔥arms officer" taught me when learning how to correctly use the 7.62mm SLR..... Familiarity Breeds Contempt. Sharing this clip will 💯 benefit a few; hopefully many. Thanks for posting on here. Always good to hear the cammers side to the situation. Respect 👊👍👍

[@mikemonkeyz]

So your expecting the lorry driver to either turn around to make sure he's on the same side of the sainsburys or cross the busy carridgeway with about 2 stacks of bread baskets. They get reprimanded for taking too long on their drops for that trip as is, so by doing this on every single stop he's going to get sacked, which has happened on multiple occasions in multiple businesses. All because you pulled out on someone and completely got away with it. Entitlement again like a lot of accidents nowadays my right of way so I'm gonna crash.

[@sensemaya1]

As a early starter myself you can always guarantee to meet a car at 5.20am, for instance, when approaching a junction. There will be no traffic as the eye can see thereafter!

[@thesilverydragon]

Accelerating while looking in a completely different direction from where you're going feels so wrong to me. I always take the extra second to make absolutely certain I can emerge safely while looking at the direction I'm traveling in.

[@weevilinabox]

There's a junction about a mile from my home which has very limited visibility to the right and I always need to turn left. My approach is to have a couple of good looks both ways before moving, then face directly ahead and use peripheral vision as I start to pull out. That's the closest I can get to seeing both ways at once.

[@R33Racer]

It's a very easy thing to do unknowingly. Especially when you have an indecisive driver ahead who you think (assume) has moved off at last sight then realise too late he/she hasn't, while one's looking at the traffic on the road that you're about to enter. Trust me as I speak from experience. It pissed me off, especially when drivers can't seem to make their mind up on when it's safe to go or not, but I only have myself to blame overall.

[@stoo8441]

Dae ye aye

[@johnb8956]

Same here. It just seems wrong to be pushing your vehicle ‘behind you’.

[@johnb8956]

@@R33Racer true

[@crocoman776]

His speed driving through his cul de sac to get to the main road seemed pretty fast to me.

[@tiggydorset9041]

He did seem in a bit of rush.

[@iKaGe01]

A massive rush. He surely knew a HGV was coming if he looked left. They take up a lot of room anyway so would have seemed obvious to me

[@Charlieb82]

I was gonna comment this. He was in a rush and even though the lorry was on the wrong side of the road he was in a rush and pulled out whilst the road wasn't clear. Surely the lorry was in his view even if he was looking right

[@stormveil]

Bottom left says 20mph is their max speed. Bear in mind that the wide-angle lens distorts both shape & perception of speed. At the time of impact it was only 2mph.

[@stevekenilworth]

@@tiggydorset9041 That was my first thought that he was rushing, prob one the factors the insurance took in to account

[@reecehandley4662]

Driving a hgv always enforces the habit of looking both ways at junctions as most of the time you need both sides of the road to make the turn.

[@joshr3739]

This is one of the reasons it *really* irks me when people park opposite junctions - just park 10m further down the road and then people won't need to be on the wrong side of the road going past a junction. You can't rely on cars looking left when emerging left unfortunately :(

[@PedroConejo1939]

Yep. And this is one situation where I find myself giving a beep on the horn more often than anywhere else in an urban setting - and it seems to really nark those emerging who somehow think _I_ should give way to _them._ Obviously, sometimes I do end up giving way to them because they can't drive but there we are.

[@tjfSIM]

Yep same here, such a stupid and selfish thing to do. And where I live it's usually minicabs doing this, along with their other habit of parking on double yellows on a corner, or on the approach to traffic lights!

[@lmaoroflcopter]

Er why can't we? we should as it is a basic premise to driving, actually performing proper observations

[@tjfSIM]

@CycleCam UK Absolutely. Doesn't stop people doing it though sadly.

[@joshr3739]

@@lmaoroflcopter One of the bullet points as per Rule 243 of the Highway Code: DO NOT stop or park: ... - opposite or within 10 metres (32 feet) of a junction, except in an authorised parking space ...

[@megriffiths2244]

I learnt this lesson many years ago with a narrow escape! Emerging left at a Give Way onto a straight section of 60mph country road. I looked right . . . all clear, as I was about to pull out I thought . . . you should also always check left. So I did, as an overtaking car whizzed past inches in front of me at around the speed limit. Did I always check both ways in this situation . . . no! Have I since . . . yes! And I also learnt that if I am the overtaking car in a similar situation and there’s a junction on the right someone is very likely to pull out in front of me without looking . . . because all those years ago it was only luck that I looked.

[@michaelharrison9340]

I agree, we all see cases of drivers emerging left from side junctions without looking both ways in order to avoid stopping. Not having checked the highway code before commenting (tut tut), I have always believed that advice was not to overtake on a road close to a side junction.

[@chrissambrook84]

Elderly man did this to me as I was overtaking on an A road. He pulled out of a blind layby after just looking right and the look of terror on his face said everything. I managed to squeeze over to avoid hitting him.

[@tonyfrewin4822]

I did exactly the same thing 40 years ago. Have never done it again. You never forget. My car had a tiny dent on the front off side corner, the overtaking car on the crossroad had a scrape for the entire length of his car 😂. Learnt the hard way.

[@Rover200Power]

@@chrissambrook84 There is a reason it is advised not to overtake by a junction.

[@ibs5080]

As soon as I saw the title to this video, I had a pretty good idea of what it was going to be about. I am very aware of this danger and always look both ways when emerging left, including even if it's onto a one way street. Key with this is also regulating your speed / gear to give yourself time for dealing with anything from your left. I think part of the issue is drivers trying to save themselves from going into 1st gear and emerging out of these junctions in 2nd (with speed to match) when they see it's all clear from their right. Extending the lesson from this video further: As a basic principle, look not only for the traffic you need to give way to but also in the direction your car is heading. Another great example of this is emerging on to a roundabout. Yes of course you need to look to your right for a gap to emerge onto the roundabout BUT also look where you are about to go, namely ahead of you: Has that car ahead of you actually emerged onto the roundabout or did it hesitate for some reason? The HC even mentions this. And is the roundabout sufficiently clear of queuing traffic for you to be able to fully emerge onto and clear without unexpectedly blocking it? It's interesting how the type of junctions as per this video are almost always controlled via Give Way signs and lines in the UK, whereas in Canada and the USA, virtually always via Stop signs even with totally open sight lines in every direction on the approach, partly to account for pedestrians. I see pluses and minuses with both methods.

[@raymondbenjamins5884]

Wow, I totally do this when turning right (right hand drive country). I only actually look properly to the left. I glance to the right, but rarely good enough. I suppose that in most problems that's not really a problem, but yeah, it's the rare cases that get you. I'll keep this in mind, thanks!

[@grahamnutt8958]

I would certainly question just how much of a "look" (to the left) that the cammer actually did on this clip.... that could've been so much worse 🤔 Spot on analysis - as always. Stay safe out there 👍

[@margaretnicol3423]

I wish people would actually look rather than just turning their head. It's like people looking at their mirrors rather than taking in what the mirror is showing them.

[@Richard_Barnes]

Perfectly described! They look but they don’t SEE 👍🏻

[@maginty1982]

My instructor drilled this into me. If a vehicle was behind for a short time and turned off down another road he would ask me the colour to make sure I looked properly. People actually checking the mirror would also save be a lot of grief on my motorbike.

[@brianocampo7981]

This is why my instructor never told me to 'look at the mirrors'. Instead she would ask what I could observe all around me: the mirrors are a means and not an end to observing the situation.

[@margaretnicol3423]

@@brianocampo7981 Yes. What can you see in your mirrors is better than look at them. :-)

[@margaretnicol3423]

@Timothy Dalton If you're looking at this channel then you're not being complacent. No matter how many years you've been driving for it's always good to have a little refresher to pick up on any faults you've developed but by doing this you're showing that you're a responsible driver. Now me - I've always driven perfectly with no errors. (I've also been known to tell the occasional lie!!!)

[@marklaw5116]

This might not be the case in the clip of the accident, but if a lorry driver wanted to pull up just after a junction exactly like you did at the start of the video, they would have to move over to the right before the junction because of their long wheel base. If they moved over at the last moment, the back of their vehicle would still be in the middle of the road when they wanted to start reversing.

[@paulcollyer801]

Even More so with an articulated lorry.

[@MrSparks20002]

NO EXCUSE they would have to move a lot further forward to execute their maneuvere

[@marklaw5116]

@@MrSparks20002 I don’t get what you mean? If they want to reverse around a corner to the right, and there’s just enough room for them to pull to the right side after the junction to set up the manoeuvre, then they will have to move over very early in order to get the rear of the vehicle in the right position

[@MrSparks20002]

@@marklaw5116 Perhaps NOT so early... maybe.... People who drive articulated vehicles can get them in quite confined spaces... so what is the excuse here?

[@marklaw5116]

@@MrSparks20002 have you ever driven a long vehicle? If you wanted to line the whole thing up against the right kerb, you can’t move over at the last minute, no matter how talented you are. The back end always trails any turns the front end makes, and the longer the vehicle the worse it is. An artic would need more than twice its own length of space in order to pull up to the opposite kerb and have the vehicle lined up straight.

[@BedsitBob]

As a motorcyclist, who was once taken out by a car emerging through a Give Way, I make thorough observations before emerging from a junction, riding or driving.

[@shm5547]

A classic example of 'familiarity breeds contempt' - so many accidents close to home with people on autopilot, driving more quickly than they would on an unfamiliar street.

[@initialyze]

Never take anything for granted. I keep a good lookout when crossing a junction on a green light and I look both ways at roundabouts.

[@kindnessark8064]

2:05 well demenstrated and very good example to learn from. Thanks Ashely. I have only been driving just over 2 years and still learning everytime.

[@freddiekb1004]

I found myself doing this today... usually only happens when I get lazy and am emerging onto a quiet street but still, I need to stop that habit!

[@KahnuevsKrake]

Especially important at juctions with blind corners. Makes me wonder why cars don't have a panoramic camera on the end of the bonnet so you can see further down a blind corner without having to edge out too much, especially with electric cars being silent but deadly.

[@DeeSock]

Some cars have as part of a 360 degree camera option.

[@1988dgs]

The reversing camera and screen I got for mine had a second input to the screen so I got a small camera for the front right bumper so when the screen was switched on the front right feed is onscreen and when you put it into reverse the rear view. Advantage was I can see to the right before exposing myself to danger emerging from tight junctions.

[@maartenc6099]

I think this accident happened because the cammer edge out a little bit too far. And the lorry driver was on the wrong side of the road.

[@MK-1973]

Supremely useful - thank you. Right left right left keep looking as you go!

[@highdownmartin]

Mike Hammer is mainly to blame in this instance, I’d say. He’s emerging from a junction onto the main route and turning right. There’s a sodding great lorry coming up from the left, the roads are relatively narrow and Mike drives into the lorry. Even if the lorry had stayed tight to the left side of the road, notwithstanding a child stepping out or a car door opening , that was a piss poor bit of driving. He would have only just tucked in behind the lorry if he was lucky, and he wasn’t even looking at the lorry. Not great planning by the lorry driver but I’d say it’s Mr Hammer who has to hold his hands up here, he wouldn’t last long on a motorcycle.

[@nickpoynton8918]

Mike Hammer always getting into trouble on this channel.

[@_.Madness._]

Mike Hammer! 😂

[@philipwaller9477]

He's turning left. But OK..

[@highdownmartin]

@@philipwaller9477 cleaned my ears out and your bob on! Still f&cked it though

[@R04drunner1]

Good shout. One to watch out for. That was the main reason I failed my first test: failing to check left adequately when doing a left emerge. I also nearly got caught out one day by a dopey pedestrian on the left who started to walk across the road in front of me just as I started a left emerge. Thankfully I did an emergency stop just in time. Lesson learned: check left twice. Also deliberately look for issues, do not look expecting (or assuming) everything will be ok. That's another great tip!

[@MultiMidden]

PC Plod, should have sent both of them on a course. Looks to me like the cammer crossed the give way line. Eye test might be useful as well, how do you not spot a truck?

[@mattutter3525]

I think the video already answered that....

[@rampak1]

When I passed my test in 1965 it was almost a set rule to look left-right-left. I have always preferred to treat every case individually, and also to keep looking both ways as I go. At some junctions you have a much better view to the left than the right as you approach so it makes sense to check out the traffic approaching from the left first. Back then it was the same for pedestrians crossing the road: the mantra taught to kids was "Look right, then left and right again, then quick march". However, I taught my children to look both ways before crossing, and then keep looking right and left as you cross.

[@ikillyou121]

I'm glad you brought this topic up. Every time I get to a give way line, I look both ways and make sure the road is clear to enter. Even if you're turning left because you never know if there's a car in that left lane you intend to enter coming towards the junction.

[@dennisphoenix1]

I had exactly the same type of accident driving a truck , I was overtaking a line of parked cars and a woman pulled out from a side road , I saw the back of her head as she pulled out because she was looking to her right as she moved out . She didn't look left at all and didn't see me till I hit her . I had a dashcam ( 9 years ago and quality wasn't great ) and only after seeing the clip did the woman's insurance pay out in full . Prior to this they were disputing the claim .

[@missg3188]

Good job you had the dashcam!

[@chrissambrook84]

Women rarely accept blame on the roads even when it's clear they are at fault.

[@mikeos1]

I watched one of your videos today before driving to Waitrose. Congratulating myself for driving safer after watching it, Drove into Waitrose car park and drove over one of their infernal traffic cones!

[@jerry2357]

I’ve got into the habit of always looking left carefully, as well as right, because at the exit of our cul de sac, where I am almost always turning left, there are often cars parked on the other side of the road I am emerging onto. With another car coming in the opposite direction, if it positions itself properly, there is room to pass, but lorries, vans and buses also use that road, so I am always careful. A complicating factor is that there is a bend to the right, so it’s not possible to see vehicles coming from the right until they are quite close, and some are travelling too fast for the conditions. I always emerge cautiously…

[@LakesGeek]

You learn this very quickly in my estate in recent years. Simple reason, households with more cars than they have room for so everyone parks right up to junctions (and I do mean right up, like 2ft away or sometimes literally on the bend) as well as opposite them. If you go to turn left out of a T junction and are fixated on the right, you will get hit! If you drive straight into a side road without looking you will also get hit, as people park up on the left right up to a T junction for example, so people have to be on the wrong side of the road to emerge. Someone goes to turn in and oops... car in the way...

[@Wetthewhistle]

You don’t just look one way. It’s as simple as that.

[@zaink7037]

Not long ago I had someone pulling out from the left side road looking left only 🤦. Don't know what didn't make him think to look right also to see me coming.

[@MrSparks20002]

Especially before you get the chance to look........

[@brianocampo7981]

No, I still do look left even at junctions. This is because there is a T-junction close to my house and often there is a car parked opposite the mouth of it. If I turn left, I will find cars from my left that are turning right and needing to go on the wrong side to pass the parked car. Sometimes people will be so reckless that they will completely cut the corner even if there is no parked car nearby.

[@scottking869]

Where i live before i turn right i have to be on the oppisit side of road cause of parked cars on left of me and cars always pull out. Mostly when im on my motor bike but cause its on a steep hill aswell can get anoying

[@angrycyclist9387]

And that's why it's against the law to park opposite a junction.

[@brianocampo7981]

@@angrycyclist9387 Not according to Regulation 170 (3) (b) of the Road Safety Road Rules 2017 for Victoria where I live.

[@piciu256]

I was definitely guilty of this looking only a little to "my side of the road" but after watching a few dashcam compilations, I changed my way of driving, I now look properly both ways regardless.

[@mepp1629]

In Northern Ireland our manoeuvres for practical driving test can be either Reverse bay park, parallel park, turn in the road or left hand reverse. The toughest route in my area includes the left hand reverse uphill. All practical tests also have to do the emergency stop.

[@awhite3747]

The two occasions that give me the heart attacks are when cyclists hidden in the blind spot at the moment of checking suddenly appear & this situation - being confronted with something that appears to have come out of nowhere. Both are a good kick up my arse and I noticeably take more care for a while...until the shock wears off.

[@laineotto1376]

that is why you always check the blind spot

[@RiverMersey]

Cyclists, and now also escooters!

[@joshstephen1995]

Fantastic advise, just passed my test with 4 minors - thanks to your excellent tutorials and tips!

[@PedroConejo1939]

Well done. Keep watching; I've been driving for 45 years and am still learning and refreshing.

[@will4may175]

As approaching I always look to the side that is more open before I get there, and then the unsighted view as I get closer when I know what's happening in the first one, but always when I can I check the way I am going first as no matter what is going on the other way I cannot go anywhere until it's clear to exit anyway, then check the other way and back so you work out a plan for a space to emerge.

[@bazzacuda_]

The "Cammer has a little look left and then focuses to the right." How little a look? By the time you have a decent view to the left the truck is clearly in view on the wrong side of the road. Either that "little look" left took place before being able to see into the road or not at all.

[@damionlee7658]

I was going to say the same, but on reflection, it is worth remembering the dash cam gives a better view than the driver has. (I am going to clarify that the camera car driver's observations were completely inadequate, this is just a "How this could have come about", and I am often accused of being overly verbose... So the following is a bit long and wordy.) The camera is on the windscreen ahead of the driver, so if we think about what the driver is seeing, there is a good chance that their left observation was when the truck had just come into the left hand side of the video frame. What they would likely see with a quick glance left, is their A-Pillar, and the truck's white headlights on the road to the left, with the truck obscured by the A-Pillar and the building. Some people have a tendency to assume that certain things are going to be constant, one of which is that they would expect white lights on their left to be in the far lane, and red lights in the near lane. The driver, in that very brief glance to the left may have linked the light they saw with a vehicle driving over the far side of the road, and turned their concentration to the right. This is part of what leads to the phenomena of inattention blindness (the reason, it seems, many drivers don't see approaching motorcycles and bicycles). People have a habit of "Seeing" what they expect to see - rather than what is actually there - because we remember in patterns and many people become complacent. "White lights on my left, vehicle is approaching from the left, in the far lane. I am turning left, so they are not a concern." Everything about that is fundamentally the wrong way to think when driving, but seems to be a worryingly common way of thinking.

[@inyobill]

@@damionlee7658 I don't understand how, even with the most cursory look, he missed the traffic approaching from the left. I doubt he gave much, if any look. People miss seeing pedestrians (also bicyclists) because of this poor habit.

[@Sebastianraikkonen_actualname]

I reckon he did look. Let's not forget trucks are notoriously small and easy to miss in a blind spot ;)

[@highdownmartin]

@@damionlee7658 very good comment there btw. if Mike Hammer had even registered any of this, which is doubtful, if he’d had to write a report on what actually happened, I’m guessing he would have to put “ I assumed.....” Never, ever assume.

[@damionlee7658]

@@highdownmartin thank you for the reply. I had to look up the Mike Hammer reference. I'm off to Audible to expand my horizons this evening.

[@PatrickBijvoet]

I watched your video from The Netherlands, so first of all, because we drive at the other side of the road i had difficulties understanding why the cammer did not see the lorry. However after I tried to imagine the situation from the perspective of our side of the road and came to the conclusion that I would have been surprised by the situation aswel although I do left/right/left/right. Therefore I learned a little something, thank you for that. In the Netherlands many municipalities nowadays rebuild crossing roads within towns, when there is enough room to roundabouts of put borders in the middle of the roads, so that opposite traffic is seperated from each other. Thank you for the interesting video.

[@hippophile]

Great video, Ashley! This is something I became more aware of after a gf of mine almost came a cropper due to a BMW overtaking at high speed opposite a junction she was turning left out of (so driving from the left on the wrong side of the road). It's a fast road (50mph) with a lot of traffic coming from the right, so careful observation to the right is necessary. It is so easy to over-focus on that. Sure the BMW was speeding and sure he should not be overtaking opposite a junction. But people do that. To optimize survival you need to observe for how people drive in the real world, not how they ought to drive... and observation in all relevant directions just before you move is absolutely one of the keys.

[@platele]

Correct decision made by the insurer. Working in the industry myself, we find on a daily basis police giving incorrect/misleading liability decisions to drivers involved in RTCs

[@andrewstorm8240]

Interesting but isn’t the lorry driving illegally being on the wrong side of road?

[@mcgherkinstudios]

To be honest we can't see much either side of the junction - i.e. where the truck is coming to/from. It's entirely possible that they were overtaking parked cars just out of shot. I don't necessarily think it's planning to reverse around that corner due to its speed, but that's another perfectly legal possibility. And that, in a nutshell, is why the police using dashcam footage to prosecute is frankly not reliable and not everyone who is given an enforcement action unjustifiably is confident enough to go to court and risk getting reamed to prove their innocence.

[@platele]

​@@andrewstorm8240 Legal or not, it wouldn't really come in to play here. eg. If a car was parked on double yellows and someone crashed into this parked vehicle, you wouldn't hold the parked vehicle at fault for being parked illegally.

[@Andrew-tj4kg]

@@andrewstorm8240 It depends why he is on the wrong side of the road. A lorry has to give more room to parked cars or potential hazards especially at night. I think the police got it wrong in that no action was taken against the car driver. Maybe they should have done the same course.

[@andrewstorm8240]

@@Andrew-tj4kg ok, thank you

[@gdwnet]

Couple comments. Firstly, reversing around a corner - when I was taught this I was also told that there are no issues with adjusting the wing mirror for a better view. Secondly, while reversing around a corner to the right is easier for lorry drivers they should also be able to do a 'blind side reverse' as well because that's something they need to do to get on to some loading bays. It's also worth noting that some lorries in the UK might be left hand drive.

[@travellingtom6091]

I actually do this everytime but that is partly down to previous videos from your channel. I even do this at traffic light junctions due to emergency vehicles. Thanks once again for making myself and others better drivers. 👍 Always learning...

[@paulcollyer801]

Another fair analysis Ashley. For the record, you’ll see right hand driver articulated lorries do right reverses far more than left reverses as they can see clearly as the combination bends, a left reverse is known as “blind sided” because they can only view the reverse in the mirror until near “jack knifed”.

[@rottenradish1416]

Wow only when hearing you speak about it do I realise I have a tendency to only look right on left emerges! Thank you Ashley

[@fiedwards2462]

Great tip Ashley! I could immediately apply it to a left turn I frequently make. I am now aware & going to make it much more carefully, esp since it goes into a blind left turn. Anything could be happening just out of view!

[@keith6400]

Reversing round a corner was always left or right but almost exclusively defaulted to the left. If you turned up in a van it would always be to the right. Van drivers can only observe directly back and roughly ninety degrees to the cab. On a right reverse you can see everything you need but have a massive blind spot caused by bodywork or load. When parallel with kerb you get to see down the new road for first time in your left mirror but could see there previously out of cab window up the inside of turn. Reversing to the left aligns your blind spot with most things you need to see. Things behind you emerge into view as you miss them, if it is tight you hit them before they appear. Incidentally the right reverse on test required a longer reverse down the right hand side of the new road so when you moved off you could return to left side of the road for normal driving well before the junction.

[@clubley2]

My driving instructor said to me that emerging left without looking is like playing Russian roulette. Chances are in your favour, but there is still that chance of a fatal outcome.

[@TheJackKWhitehouse]

My driving instructor taught me this cracking lesson as I lived near a busy road that was long and tempting for overtakes so you have to look bothways for overtakers! However, I should definitely remind myself to take me more care as I probably do creap before looking left. Thanks Ash 👍

[@finickityreader5274]

I love it when you talk about the things that don't come up every day but are really important. I'm getting my lorry licence at the moment, and there's always something you can learn to make things a bit safer.

[@tvandbeermakehomergo]

I always look in both directions. Theres a lot of people parking on pavements where I live, so there has been the odd time where I could have had an accident if I only looked to the right.

[@Gunship416]

There was a study done a few years ago which was fed to our department (I was a traffic office now retired) that came to the conclusion that if you come up to a junction then look quickly left and right the brain actually takes ‘snap shot pictures’ of what your eyes pick up like still’s. Between each snap shot or picture is a gap which the brain then fills in itself. This causes real time blank spots. Obviously if there is a small vehicle (bike for instance) this can get ‘lost’ in one of the blanks that your brain then fills in. You get use to turning up to mopeds in particular being knocked off as a vehicle emerges from a road and the driver stating ‘he came from know where’. Yet if like Ash has stated you do a double look (left, right, left, right) the brain won’t fill in a space as it’s had all the information for the whole scene. I’m sure if we were all honest we’ve been in a rush but by chance suddenly caught something we hadn’t really seen before emerging and thought ‘that was lucky’. I thought it interesting at the time and has always stuck with me. I wish I had kept the information which did go into some depth about it.

[@wirdy1]

It's called Saccadic masking; suspected to be a major factor in SMIDSY (sorry mate I didn't see you) car vs motorcycle accidents.

[@Gunship416]

@@wirdy1 ah yes that kind of rings a bell. Was a few years ago but interesting read though some of the technical stuff did go very deep. And kind of made sense. Just this incident reminded me of that study. Though the ‘gap’ would have to be particularly large to loose such a large vehicle!!

[@SurgeDashcam]

I used to be guilty of this "looking left after moving" habit. I used to do it but I came across a situation much like the one you explained about it happening on your test. I looked right, saw it was clear then started to go, I then looked left as a car was passing a parked car on the left side of the road to my left. That car had to swerve a little bit to avoid clipping the front of my car. But like you I got of lucky and it wasn't a major incident, thankfully. I'd rather have a minor incident teach me a lesson than a major one to teach me the same. Even better, never finding yourself in this situation at all after watching this video! Good job Ashley, great advice as always!

[@ferventheat]

Junctions are where a lot of accidents happen. So many in cities, within yards of each other. I do try to look out for (even before reaching the junction) pedestrians, cyclists using pavement, overtaking idiots, but hadn't considered the lorries that might pull over to the right too early. Thanks for the education.

[@robg521]

Good video, [good example of what can catch a normal confident driver out] 1st reaction is “what the bloody hell is that lorry doing on the wrong side of the road” As you mention at the start the issue here is that the lorry pulls out in front of the T-junction. So if you haven’t got your wits about you you miss it. This is one that could catch a lot of experienced drivers out too I think, when you glance left you see the lorry on the correct side but not realise that he is about to pull out. As you say It’s the 2nd and additional looks that saves you getting into trouble.

[@MRoderick89]

Great video and well explained I admit I have nearly pulled out in front of someone by not doing more observation but that taught me a lesson

[@YB210]

I spent a couple of years driving service buses in the Lake District, where I frequently drove over the white line. Having cars and vans turn left towards me without looking left was an all too often occurance, with many close calls. On the point of the lorry driver, if he had moved across later, with the intention of stopping just after the junction to reverse in it, he would have not managed to pull the rear of the lorry over to the offside kerb due to the vehicles length (except if he drover the front of the lorry over the kerb). So again, when I think to driving the bus (and using junctions to turn in as is common in the Lakes) I would also move over earlier than the junction as to get the rear right over. At the Seatoller turning area I would actually put the front of the bus slightly into the junction (in a sweeping motion) in order to create enough room for the maneuver. Due to the width of the road I'd sometimes have to politely ask cars about to exit the junction to reverse back in busier times but would always try to cause the least inconvenience to other road users. Its about helping each other and been visulant and considerate. I always like listening to you're analysis videos, they are always balanced and well informed.

[@RockyDave]

Yes, if you're turning left, then it's very important to take a good look in that direction, at the same time as ensuring there's nothing coming from the right. It's simply a matter of watching where you're going. As you said at the end, in order to do that, you must be going slow enough to make these observations, and to be prepared to stop for as long as possible. I think that after years of motorcycling experience, and wishing to preserve one's life, this becomes second nature.

[@benstewart6413]

I had done the very same thing this evening, without knowing it was the right thing to do. It felt a bit intuitive back then, but now I do understand the reason behind it. Thank you! Edit: I had done the right right reverse in a Skoda Superb sedan which has pretty small rear view mirrors and very large blind spots.

[@chrisprintall1408]

Many, many moons ago, the mantra I was taught was to look right, left & right again in this situation. But I'm very conscious that I no longer do that. I do look both ways more than once, I think since I've been following Ashley.

[@nigelcox1451]

The right reverse brought back memories of my ADI Part2 mock test. At the training centre we were paired up, two trainees, one trainer. After I'd done my drive, and had the debrief, the other guy drove, with me sitting in the rear seat behind him. At the right reverse, I thought, "we're very close to the kerb", at which point, I felt the kerb. At that point it was a dropped kerb on the corner, for prams, wheelchairs, etc., so our rear wheel rolled onto the kerb edge, then as we continued back, the rear started to rise. No reaction from the driver, we just kept going. Speed was good, as was his observation, but we continued, and the front then rose as the front wheel rode the kerb edge. As was the rule, we continued for about 6 car lengths, and stopped. Car tilting nicely with both right wheels on the kerb edge. Such skill to keep both wheels on the edge, in a straight line, without going further onto the footpath, or falling off the edge. Not quite what we wanted though. I could see the trainer workign hard to not laugh, as was I. Still makes me smile now, 17 years later.

[@highdownmartin]

The other bloke ended up in a circus, tightrope walking.

[@iaincphotography6051]

I learned that way of reversing around the corner when I was in the Fire Service years back, I still do it in a Car as it is the safest way. Yes I look both ways at a junction I don't trust people. I even look both ways crossing a one way street, so far it has saved me getting knocked down twice.

[@fromthegamethrone]

As a pedestrian, I was always taught look both ways, even on one way streets - although this is two way street, this explains exactly why. Applies to my driving too.

[@joopjansen9102]

I'm not from the UK (though I often drive there, visiting friends), but there are a few things I noticed on the first viewing: - The cammer is leaving some kind of zone (can't read the bottom sign @2:56, where the top sign indicates he is going to enter a 30 zone, but it probably is some kind of zone). - It is dark and wet, which would make me stop at the double dashes, especially keeping the time of day in mind. I'm not saying this would not happen to me, but in this specific situation I think I would come to a complete stop. I see the cammer acknowledging and interacting in the comments: top drawer! Thank you for making me think about situations like this: never too old to learn. Cheers mate! Take care & stay safe.

[@jonquirk]

Never put your vehicle somewhere your eyes haven’t been, avoid having a look with your right foot. The right handed reverse has another advantage over the left handed version, in addition to providing a better view of the kerb you are following : all the time you are reversing you are moving in the same direction as any other vehicle on the same side of the road as you, not the case with the left handed reverse (for rhd vehicles).

[@GeekBatman]

On roads I am used to I do that all that time, but usually on wide enough roads for there to be an overtake of parked cars. I do not however expect there to be a car drinving on the left side of the road on these roads, so yes I am guilty of it. On roads I am not used to I do stop and have a right left, right left look. Lesson learnt on this one, thanks dude.

[@charlottedavies4990]

Unrelated but I passed my driving test 3rd time yesterday! Your videos really helped me thank you 👍

[@ashley_neal]

Great to hear!

[@Otis19450]

This type of RTC happens a lot at the junction of Warrior Street. Near where I live and of course the dreaded Drive over about! Another brilliant lesson cheers buddy 😃

[@adrianh765]

Many years ago I witnessed a car emerging from a petrol station ,joining the road turning left. It was a wide straight A road. The driver didn't look left and assumed his side of the road was clear. In fact a car was over taking at some speed. There was a head on collision with massive damage and injuries. From then on I always look both ways many times.

[@wirdy1]

Yep, never overtake near a filling station as emerging cars can be distracted - in a big hurry to get back on the road while stowing bags, putting phone away, opening bags of sweets, putting wallets back in pockets, etc.

[@AndrewGruffudd]

There is a junction in Chelsea that I use quite often. It's from a slow residential-type road onto a faster road which usually has cars parked so close to the junction that visibility is difficult and also, because opposite the junction there are a bunch of auction houses, there are vans parked there most often reducing the flow to a trickle. Buses also use this faster road, and if you don't know what you're doing there, you can be in a whole world of pain. Luckily, it's one junction that keeps me cautious.

[@GeoffJonesEsprit]

I passe at Sale 35yrs ago, it was tough.. Before my test, whilst still under instruction I failed to look left and and my instructor rammed the brakes on felt like I was going through the windscreen! I never forgot that lesson, to this day I always look left before moving away.

[@petegolding2657]

When learning, my instructor always told me before looking right to check its safe to go, just glance quickly left and up the road where you intend to go. And it makes sence too what he taught me.

[@leeholden8658]

I’m learning to drive atm and I did the left merge and due to a parked van on the other side of the road. My instructor asked me if it was clear to my right as I approached ,I said yes and went to emerge. I actually hit the brake before my instructor did (I asked him) as I nearly hit an overtaking vehicle but when I’m out even when I’m walking I’m watching all the time and even to the point of watching other drivers and yes,nine times out of ten they look once in each direction and drive on. No second glance. I’ve now got it in my head to look more than twice each way (it’s at least three or four ) especially if there are any parked vehicles parked opposite the junction I’m emerging from. I think everyone should learn from this as it’s a good example

[@cupofcustard]

Early morning start, driver was in a rush and probably a bit tired. Perfect combination for careless driving.

[@BadDriversOz]

THIS is why we don't allow oppositional parking in ANY state of Australia! When turning left, out of 1 road into another, you do NOT expect another vehicle coming at you from your left IN the left lane! You want to rev into a street, DO it on YOUR left side! Street's on the other side, turn around, & appoach in the left lane!

[@TheRatlord74]

I remember quite clearly my driving instructor explaining about checking left constantly but he explained it in terms of people crossing the road rather than a bloody great lorry driving on the wrong side of the road.

[@Steven11663]

I had a similar accident several years ago. I am a bus driver. I was driving a brand new double-deck bus on a residential street and was passing a parked vehicle on my side of the road, so driving on the right-hand side. I was driving at about 10 mph. There was a driveway to my right, and as I passed it a car emerged and collided with the side of my bus. After exchanging details, the car driver informed me that he was calling the police to accuse me of dangerous driving, due to my driving on the "wrong" side of the road. When the police arrived, he gave his account: "I came to the end of my drive to turn left, looked right and pulled out. The bus shouldn't have been there!" (Paraphrasing). The police officers, and the company I work for, agreed that the collision was entirely the car driver's fault, as I was on the major road and therefore he was required to give way, irrespective of which side of the road traffic is on. His insurance had to pick up the bill for the repairs to the side of the bus (two new body panels).

[@alexschofield944]

I agree with the insurer too. They failed to give way and to check that their emerge was safe before commencing the manoeuvre

[@timwilliams2343]

I can only agree that we need to look both ways on an emerge, the other day a lady pulled out of her own driveway on an A road without looking both ways while I was completing a (legal, no solid lines) overtake. She never knew how close it was...

[@begrant]

My instructor has drilled this into me; especially the planning ahead, parked cars, and closed junctions.

[@coolkid3728]

I got reverse around a corner in my driving test in 2019! It was dead easy as we practiced that morning :)

[@philbaumbach5976]

I ran into the back of a car (in a Landrover) not checking left. The car had stopped just after turning. No injuries, except my pride! Much more careful now.

[@paulhuntley588]

I do look now - follows a (not quite that near) miss when emerging where car was being overtaken on the main road. Since put a traffic island in but consciously look on each emerge, everywhere, and suitable speed of approach covers those cutting the corner, and reassures other I am not careering into the traffic!

[@madcockney]

This is one of the issues with "stop only if you have to" rather than "go if all clear". The former tends to check just to the right and goes, whereas the latter is slower but safer as checked hopefully in both directions. It's a psychological stance that helps to put you in the right mindset. And the driver turning left and driving/riding into overtaking traffic, etc is so common that it's surprising that there are not more RTCs caused by this. I've even seen it done on a narrow lane where you can only have a car widths going in any direction at the same time. Due to both vehicles going reasonably slow, though the one turning was going faster, they were both able to do a controlled stop.

[@CBGX]

That exact situation has hapened to me while riding a bike. Lesson completely learnt: Always do full observations, not just look where cars should be coming from

[@inasteinbergs1393]

I have always double & even triple checked both directions at junctions. I often drive on country lanes where tractors & other farm machinery can take up most of the width of the road.

[@WmAHughes]

I was lucky enough to learn to drive primarily on country lanes so looking both ways regardless of the direction of traffic was always really important with narrow lanes and large vehicles.

[@PedroConejo1939]

This is one that crops up quite often on 'those' dashcam channels. It's amazing how many people don't know that give way means give way to _everything_ on the major road no matter how stupidly they're driving (a classic case being those who drive on the wrong side to jump traffic queues before turning right - as per Ashley's favourite junction). The idea is to avoid collisions so it stands to reason you'd look both ways. Besides, there may be a pedestrian crossing or just whatever.

[@Chalkie1983]

When i was learning to drive in 2001 the same incident happened to me but with a car overtaking a parked car on the opposite side (i was emerging to go left, car directly parked opposite the junction) The driving instructors car was written off, I am not sure what happened with the insurance as I stopped driving for 3 months due to shock of the incident and when I restarted my instructor was fully booked so went with someone else. So now when I emerge from a junction I always take an extra 2 looks each way, sometimes I get beeped at for taking extra time but that incident is the only collision I have been in and it sticks with you, especially when it was only my 3rd lesson. Great video as always Ashley and thanks for the explanation.

[@Souped-up-Saiyan]

Bus driver here. I see this all the time. Often we have to drive in the middle of narrow roads due to parked cars, etc. Car drivers often emerge quickly onto our path after a quick glance to the right. Plenty of near misses

[@dankicks]

I face this every morning. Not only do people park directly opposite the junction I have to emerge from, there’s always a Van parked on the grass verge to the immediate left blocking the left view entirely. Great fun on a cold winter morning 🤣

[@mikerr55]

I had so many situations like this when I was going around badly parked cars that forced me to go on the other side of the road in an intersection. I even got told off by one lady emerging left from a drive way. Lucky me I have a reasonable traffic awareness and I was able to avoid the collision all the times. But .. never know so please go slow.

[@Dustii91]

I've been on this channel for a good while, finally I see a local clip lol.

[@anusiak865]

Good lesson for everybody 👏

[@razghost2]

Demonstrates how to reverse around a corner. While doing so explains how important the manoeuvre is to those driving a van/lorry while spending half the time looking out the rear windows that don't exist in said van/lorry

[@stationcolossus]

Yes, but, they do exist in Ashley's car, so he needs to look out of them doesn't he

[@merseyviking]

Having been a biker, I tend to look very closely at all the traffic around me. However, just the other day I did a left emerge and it wasn't until I was on the main road that I realized I had been so fixated with looking for traffic to my right which is obscured by parked cars, that I didn't look left. I was horrified with myself! But this is why I am sure I look correctly most of the time because it felt so wrong. Thankfully there was nothing coming the other way, but it gives me the heebies just thinking about what could have happened!

[@Cream147player]

To all the brilliant drivers making remarks about the cammer, listen to the advice of Ashley. We may do this without realising we do it. In fact I feel sure most drivers will have emerged left at some point or another and not done adequate observations to our left. Just 99%+ of the time you get away with it and think nothing of it. But I don’t want to risk the 1% happening. Thanks to the cammer for sharing this footage, and hopefully we can learn from their mistake.

[@ashley_neal]

Spot on!

[@middler5]

Reversing left around a corner is part of the Irish driving test. It tests several driving skills at once.

[@stevenhickman1388]

As if they didn’t notice the lights and see or hear a lorry. Must have been stoned

[@DAFPvnk]

addition to your first point about larger vehicles and corners - if you drive an artic, you only ever want to reverse to the right - as its the side you can see down clearly by leaning out of the window. Unless you're a giraffe you really want to avoid blind-side maneuvres whenever possible.

[@hughraynor8670]

It's quite a simple process that I make sure people I'm coaching follow - don't move the car in a direction you aren't looking! You'd be amazed how many people don't.

[@marcuscross8051]

Helpful advice, thank you.