How To Drive Like A Driving Instructor | Unknown Roads and Risk Management

[@bramelsheretan]

I've argued this about progress (25.26) for years. Progress to me is about getting somewhere with minimal fuss. The moment you put your foot down your driving awareness has to be that much higher and the majority of drivers do not have it. And yes, power is there to be used, and used properly. Great video, nice to see and hear comms

[@rstevens7711]

I only started driving in my 30s, and I was amazed at the number of people who seemed to have an approach of 'whatever the speed limit is, I'm driving at that speed and not one-mile an hour less. It's reassuring to see a very experienced instructor question this. I'd also argue that an even greater problem exists in taking this approach in built-up densely-populated areas. 'What's your problem it's a 30 round here', is something I hear so many times.

[@lordbungle6235]

It reminded me of my pcv training in the early 90's. We would use a road that was quite wide not built up, but is was a 30mph zone. We were taught it was a 'fast 30' road, and how we would be expected to be doing nearer 34 mph that 30 on the stretch. I doubt such things would be taught these days.

[@rstevens7711]

@@lordbungle6235 Wow, I mean I know that individuals will do that, especially if there are no cameras, but never thought that 'official' advice would be to do that.

[@cliveknowles7496]

I think this is a classic case of teaching to pass the test. On the test, you need to show that you can make progress - and I agree, we should have a good standard requirement. This does not mean however that you HAVE to make that amount of progress all day every day.

[@MetalCooking666]

@@rstevens7711I also only started driving in my 30s (37 to be exact) and I too am amazed by how impatient a lot of drivers are. I get tailgated a lot for actually doing 30mph in 30mph zones. There is an unspoken assumption that the speed limit doesn’t really matter if there are no cameras or coppers around. I don’t think people should pressure you into breaking the law

[@blzebub2]

"I don't know Northwich" -- sensible man.

[@cptlatency428]

😂

[@familytabletch7517]

hi ashley, please more of these types of videos. It is a really valuable way to add to a driver's current knowledge, and benefit from your thought processes in the endless list of situations that can occur on an average journey. The basic A-Z of driving instruction is of course important, but this type of video can help take a good driver to the next level.

[@roykirby5494]

Re making progress, there is a journey I make pretty regularly on a country A road with several villages, many turns and hills. If I try to make progress driving up to the speed limit and trying to overtake when I catch a vehicle, the journey takes around 55 min. If I take my time not going above 50 mph and not bothering to try and overtake every vehicle, I catch it takes about 57 min, and I've had a relaxed journey with no stress. Hanging back from the car in front and keeping up with the flow is much better and makes sod all difference to the length of most journeys.

[@stevie-ray2020]

Plus you'll use less fuel!

[@lolitapitpong3826]

This is what 99% of people aren’t bright enough to realise, driving like a bat out of hell saves a negligible amount of time

[@ibs5080]

Your second method pretty much sums up how I drive but there are so many others that are the "press on" types. Interesting to read the comparison of your journey times.

[@allen_key]

And fewer people think you are a/an (insert insult here).

[@TenaciousToucan]

Watching a 40 minute video on driving is not how I expected to spend a Sunday evening the day after Ireland winning a Six Nation's Grand Slam but I'm here for it.

[@paultune1696]

Giving a commentary is an excellent idea. I was taught it many years ago by my father who was a class 1 police driver for many years. The extra power in modern cars, especially electric ones, is great in the right hands, downright dangerous in the wrong hands. The fact that your car can suddenly brake when it 'sees' a pedestrian walking on the pavement as you enter a right hand bend is also downright dangerous, yes the car behind should be leaving enough gap to be able to react but we all know they often don't.

[@peterthompson9854]

Paul, if you were to only do one thing to improve your driving, verbalising a running commentary is it. As with you (different relative) my brother was the Class 1 police driver, and I have been doing this (on and off) for 20 years. Also agree with the adaptive cruise control and break assist. Experienced this in a Mini some years ago, breaking on dual carriageways when overtaking on left hand bends. Thought they’d improved since, but perhaps not.

[@samuelhitchcock6219]

A friend of mine gave up training for her IAM, because the instructed insisted she make extra progress. Pushing her to perform overtakes that she wasn't comfortable with.

[@BenjaminThomas_PVT]

Get your Sponsored job visas, drivers licence test bookings and more. I will guide and counsel you throughout the procedure. You can see the name written above.

[@user-mv5zt8qd9l]

I fully agree with your point about advanced tests and their insistance on quick progress. I find it a little amusing that on my part 2, I got both a fault for hesitation _and_ a fault for going too fast on one occasion. Nearly all the faults and advisory points I got boiled down to things I did because of the pressure to make swift progress whenever it's possible, and not decisions I'd have made driving casually.

[@markwright3161]

Imagine you got tested on driving casually, passed without a single fault, then went out with a reason to make progress or other scenario applying pressure to you during your commute. You'd be making those mistakes without an examiner to point them out. When you make the mistake that is too fast for the conditions, you only have a hedge or obstructed hazard suddenly appearing to reveal it to you, and if you've had experience of 'getting lucky' for some years with those annual or so requirements for more progress, when suddenly there is a reason to have been going slower, you'd be in a much bigger mess. Life will put you under pressure to be somewhere quickly or distract you from a casual drive, so the test should show you can manage a bit of pressure while driving and that you have something in reserve for when you'll be driving casually but with other stuff on your mind, especially any test classified as 'advanced' in any way. I think this is a problem with the basic test. You pass not exceeding 45 mph (at least when I passed in NI), then (after a year here) you can go at 60-70 mph for the first time in your life. Suddenly the newly passed drivers have the highest rate of incidents of anyone with a licence, because passing the test at 45 mph pootling around town doesn't equip you for joining a motorway at 65-70 mph then needing to swerve around the remains of a tyre or something you easily swerved during your test or first year (NI 'R' (restricted) driver) at 45 mph. In a perfect world your test would be the most difficult drive of your life to prove you will be able to handle everything you will face as a qualified driver.

[@lfc5434]

Hi Ashley,my company in the last 12 months introduced telematics for our company vehicles,and watching your videos as really improved my driving,I would like to say a big thanks to your instructional videos 👍

[@Jonc25]

My boss rang me the other day and told me to put a litre of oil in the van when i got back.🫡

[@colinrimmer789]

Hi Ashley I passed my test in Northwich way back in 1978 for same reason as your Guy, earlier test. I’m Retired Traffic Sgt Class 1 Advanced and I agree this make that bit of extra progress is unnecessary, creates an I must drive faster mind set. The section on A533 were you went left is poorly signed, you get very little time to read road, signs and sat Nav before making lane swap. I got it wrong first time I drove on the remodelled junction and I reside in the area. Loved the quality of your commentary.

[@expatbiker6598]

Showing your speed gives us a greater picture of the whole drive. Thanks for everything.

[@tomtscotland]

Great "driving instructor" skill to be able to verbalise and drive at same time.

[@CloverVideo]

Thank you for your commentary video on unknown roads. I found it very benifical to see how you deal with potencial hazards quickly. The level of detail you provide improves my driving. Thanks.

[@silvie9442]

What a great video! Please more of these videos

[@smilerbob]

13:45 Nice to see and hear you explain that one. Many times I get questioned by rear seat drivers as to why I hang back and let others come through first when down lanes and there is a pedestrian walking or jogging on the opposite side. If I carry on I’m putting everyone in danger amd increased risk, if I hang back to the speed of the pedestrian then everyone keeps moving

[@thequickervicar9821]

A twit on a motorbike here. I grew up in Liverpool and now live in Northwich, so use that route regularly. Very interesting to hear how you observed some bits of that route. The approach to the new Merseyflow / Runcorn bridge is confusing although if you miss the first turning there is the second one which you took. I did the same first time I used it so glad to see such a competent driver doing it as well! Absolutely agree on your comments about making progress. Riding that route I've found that if I take it easy and bimble along it makes no difference to the journey time. I get there maybe a minute or two later but much more chilled and relaxed.

[@smilerbob]

Morning Ashley, thank you for a good video (so far) as I have only reached 9 minutes. Got the dreaded shopping run to do! It is good hearing your thought process as you are driving and most of those things we all do as second nature without thinking like giving a pedestrian more room when they walking near the edge of the pavement Looking forward to the rest of the video with a cuppa and lunch when back from shopping 👍 Edit: Shopping postponed due to weather so watched the rest of the video. Still a thumbs up 👍👍

[@PedroConejo1939]

Great video. Great way to deal with unfamiliar roads and making mistakes. I absolutely agree with the 'making progress' comments. For me, travelling at the speed limit of HGVs in a car, I save myself £18 every full tank (that is, by being able to travel so much further on a full tank). That is significant on my income. It's also surprisingly more relaxing and like you, I know I've plenty of legal mph left for overtaking or "I'm outta here" moments, if needed. I am far from the only car driver that drives at a steadier pace these days. I very much like your point about watching the brake lights of vehicles (in this case, the motorbike) disappearing from view on the road you're on. I do this a lot on bends and while it's normally all clear, there are a couple I encounter regularly where the brake lights will come on just before the vehicle in front disappears from view. That bit of advanced warning is very helpful. It's amazing that you got so far without being tailgated!

[@kenbrown2808]

in a juxtaposition, in my daily driver, I get better mileage going 55 than I do going 50.

[@PedroConejo1939]

@@kenbrown2808 Yep. There's always a sweet spot and it will depend very much on the car. I choose 56 mph (GPS) because most wagons are regulated to that. I'm neither catching them up nor holding them up.

[@kenbrown2808]

@@PedroConejo1939 I've found that with my wife's car, on overall averages, it makes little difference on mileage whether it is going 50 MPH or 80 MPH (yes, we have stretches of 80 MPH motorway in the states) it is speeding up and slowing down all the time that pulls the mileage down. my daily, on the other hand, can be calculated at gallons per hour, regardless of speed, and being in slow traffic burns fuel at the same rate as cruising at top speed.

[@paulwarner5674]

Watching this video made me think about a time many years ago coming from a wedding to a reception The only instruction was just follow one of the guests they know where their going. Obviously before sat navs. They knew the roads and were doing silly speeds. I let them carry on and I drove home missing the reception. It wasn't worth an accident. Another thing I thought of was driving in fog. Where people tailgate because without full vision they just follow tail lights.

[@user-mv5zt8qd9l]

Some of my family has a habit of doing this as well, and I categorically hate it. If I drive, I'm insistent on just plugging the destination into navigation on my end and not relying on dodgy manoeuvres to keep up with the leading vehicle.

[@Rover200Power]

Some people in fog follow really close behind, then they overtake, realise they can't see a thing and end up going just as slowly as you were at the start. I think they are called "morons".

[@smilerbob]

@@Rover200Power I have another name for them but it cannot be repeated here 🤣😉 I find they end up going slower than they were because they have no lights to follow 🤦‍♂️

[@smilerbob]

@@user-mv5zt8qd9l I have family members that will do the speed limit or slightly more as the lead car and then complain they have to slow down for me to catch up when we get separated at junctions

[@frazermountford]

A quality video and polished drive. Thanks Ashley. Its refreshing to see you apply proper driving to current day driving.

[@thomaselliot2257]

Thankyou for taking us on a mystery tour . Was near there in 1982 with my dad. If I was doing the driving he would panic and be stressed out if I took a wrong turning ( no sat navs) but , unless I had an important appointment to keep , I always find that taking time to look for a way to turn back and go on my way in the right direction, means I don't have to panic and get stressed , so my driving does not have to be erratic in "uncharted territory "

[@MrKenny115]

Great video, I hate driving on unfamiliar roads, this video helps a lot.

[@zouzou_u]

Very helpful video for those who are unfamiliar with how to drive in places that they are not familiar with! I definitely learned something here also, thank you for making this video!

[@nigelleyland166]

Making progress, not always needed and often doesn't work! I often drive at 60 or even 50 on motorway trips, as the lower revs saves fuel, especislly on runs of up towards 200 miles. Time and time again I get passed by others obviously eager to arive at the scene of an accident, only to leave the motoorway and be directly behind them at the first set of lights, roundabout or other junction. If you do feel the need to "make time" on a long run then the end of the journey is the time too do it when the possibilty of holdups negating ones progress is limited.

[@I_am_Simon_Cooper]

As soon as Ashley mentioned paying for the bridge, I remembered I hadn't paid the Dart charge for my two crossings yesterday - so thanks for the timely reminder and saving me from a fine, an admin charge from the hire car co. and another admin charge from my employer's car broker. :-)

[@NickHudson2]

This was quality Ashley thanks for taking the time to put it together, I agree with you re having a decent amount of power in a car to be able to accelerate away from a situation like you encountered makes for a far more relaxed driving experience

[@peterthompson9854]

My thinking with the advanced test and it’s emphasis on progress was that it’d be too easy to tootle along at low speed. It is an advanced test. Can think of no other reason, but happy to listen to any policy makers on the issue.

[@lydiadavid2272]

I have the same mindset as you when making progress. My dad, brother in law etc say I drive 'slow' because I don't drive AT the speed limit all the time. My husband passed his driving test even though he drove 40mph on a 70mph dual carriageway, the examiner said that because the vehicles could still make progress in the right hand lane it was just counted as a minor, he may have been in a good mood 😉

[@grahambonner508]

I agree with you regarding making progress, on multiple lane roads, as long as we don't inconvenience others I see no issue in going a little slower, saves fuel and causes less pollution. On single carriage way roads the speed limit is often not appropriate anyway and with many drivers wanting to go faster than the limit and will overtake anyway, it is perhaps better to slow slightly or hold speed coming away from a bend (for example) to help get them past and away.

[@peterthompson9854]

Anyone you drives faster than me is a maniac, anyone who drives slower than me is an idiot! Many posted limits now are painfully slow. Local councils are dropping limits routinely by 10mph in the name of safety when speed is not a causal factor in the vast, vast majority serious accidents and deaths. I have been watching a few “clearview driving” videos, an instructor working in London, where driving tests seem to be conducted almost exclusively in a 20mph limit. How is a person expected to be a capable driver in all situations when taught and tested like this?

[@nickrobinson1954]

What a great video! I loved your long observations - great for planning ahead and keeping flowing. I totally agree about the ‘obsession’ with making progress, in my opinion it should be about ensuring that your passengers and yourself have an enjoyable, comfortable, safe drive, even if it takes a minute or two longer to get there, so what! Many thanks!

[@johntheman2006]

Brilliant. Thanks for sharing Ashley. Very informative.

[@clivewilliams3661]

Having driven around the country for more than 50 years I have experienced a good proportion of my journey's on unfamiliar roads and TBH it really doesn't bother me because I apply the same amount of attention, whatever the location. The biggest problems come from knowing or thinking that you know a particular road because then I guarantee that more often than not you will experience something new that will surprise you out of your complacency. Treat every road as though it is completely new and be especially attentive on those roads that you 'know'. As regards making progress, I have driven with and ridden with off-duty police traffic officers and motorcycle cops and most times it surprises me as to how often the speed limit is exceeded. It must be stressed however, that on those occasions it is perfectly safe to do that. In fact, when riding out with a motorcycle club where there are two motorcycle cop club members with us I much prefer to ride behind them, taking full note of their road positioning and general road craft, its a great learning experience. One point I noted in this video is the use of sunglasses. The view through the windscreen contained a high proportion of sky, especially as the windscreen is quite raked back. That amount of sky will affect your eyes that will reduce the iris to cut the lighting level, this means that everything at ground level is less distinct (every photographer will tell you this). If you then use sunglasses to cut the glare then the eye still adjusts to the now lower level of light of the sky meaning that the ground level is even darker. The way to overcome the excess sky is to use your sunvisor to cut down the sky component and instantly you will see better definition at ground level, which is where the action is. Most times you don't need sunglasses, just the sunvisor and leave the sunglasses for bright sunlight. Just to put numbers on it, a British Standard overcast sky is taken as 4000lux, whereas most indoor spaces will be around 250lux i.e 16 times brighter!

[@picklestheswift]

I like how you kept on saying "I don't know where I am" I like to drive at a speed I am confident and comfortable at not at a speed that I could make lots of progress.

[@TonyTheYouTuba]

I find these kinds of video super helpful, thank you. Would be interesting to take it to the next level, have you driving somewhere new, but also without satnav!

[@edgarsliepins5680]

Ashley, YOU ARE A STAR. Ive done my 2nd drive tonight in Leichester(I live in Peterborough). Pitch black, never been there b4, pissing down heavily. Well hard well challenging, but i did it through loads of nerves, tho. And believe it or not, when i got out of the city rain stopped.

[@ibs5080]

Hello all. Arrived safely back in Canterbury after a five week visit to my other homeland of Vancouver Canada. Have some serious catching up to do with Ashley's videos. One thing that struck me in the two hour journey home as a car passenger. The great abundance of interesting and high end cars on the motorway and not a single pick up truck in sight, unlike Canada and the USA. Anyhow, hope all is well with everyone. I have quite a YT viewing feast ahead of me. 🇬🇧🇨🇦

[@ashley_neal]

Evening Ibrahim. Hope your trip was good. Are you visiting the car restoration show in Birmingham next weekend?

[@ibs5080]

@@ashley_neal Well Hello there Ash. Yes it was indeed a great trip...and yes, my Mum and I will be at the NEC Resto show next weekend. We are actually in Birmingham for four nights starting next Thursday and will be at the NEC Resto Show itself on the Saturday & Sunday. You know my interest in these events very well I think! Will you be there? Is this going to be an opportunity to actually meet in person? Do let me know and I can then email you directly. I sense this may be history in the making!

[@davidsomething4867]

My own way is to drive every road like I don't know it in the sense not to get complacent i.e. try to drive to the guidance in Roadcraft and follow the highway code and you shouldn't go far wrong. Great points and advice in this video, awesome. Not driving so close that you have to focus on the vehicle in fronts brake lights, watching crossroads and junctions, look into the distance not jus the car in front, etc.

[@autisticdrone.]

I tend to drive the same as you in the making progress idea, you are very right in my opinion, No need to rush about just to make progress. I prefer to drive safely and hang back and give myself more time to observe the road ahead. When in built up areas, I do tend to assume someone is going to do something stupid like pull out on me, i’m only surprised when they don’t as there are so many impatient drivers with fast cars or white vans.

[@chriscunningham1348]

Thank you for another great video . Since watching your videos I have tidied up my driving skills

[@BenjaminThomas_PVT]

Get your Sponsored job visas, drivers licence test bookings and more. I will guide and counsel you throughout the procedure. You can see the name written above....

[@CustomiZe_]

In terms of the progress, I've always seen it as 'don't inconvenience anyone else'. If you want to do 10mph under the speed limit you can but don't do it in the middle lane say. On single carriage ways its different because doing the national speed limit on single carriageway is quite scary, I often find myself saying there's no way I'm doing 60 down here its too fast. However I know older family members have been taught by their instructors to always be on the speed limit and that they need to get to it as quickly as possible, not to hold anyone up.

[@Andy_ATB]

'Making progress' and looking for and executing overtakes is what puts me off doing real life Advanced training, despite reading Roadcraft and watching well known You Tube channels....

[@anonymousinternetuser7519]

Making progress 25:30, that's insane, if I want to sit in the left lane at 40mph in a 60 say behind some slow cars with a clear overtaking lane next to me, I don't need to "make progress" Obviously my occasional speeding when I want to go fast is a different story...

[@leeholden8658]

Car with extra power: yes,I got our CRV with the well known VTEC. I’ve only had it kick in a couple of times as I’m usually well below the speed when it kicks in. But knowing it’s their when needed is good to know. For a first time driver it was only around £30 extra for insurance between a 1.0 to a 2.0. Just insured our CRV for its second year and my insurance went from £950 (8k miles,fully comp, legal cover) to £825 (10k miles,fully comp, legal cover and RAC breakdown inc national recovery) I really think my driving has improved a lot over the last 12 months and a lot of it is due to watching your videos.

[@elric6084]

'Good Save' by remaining in your lane at 26.00 - Sat Nav's are a curse and a blessing. This happened to me once when I was driving abroad - I had just picked up a hire car from an airport. I left the airport carpark and immediately entered an underpass - where the Sat Nav lost it's signal. Unfortunately, at the same time the two lane road split into two directions in the underpass, as I slowed to observe the signage at the far end of the underpass the traffic behind caught me up in both lanes - it was then that I then realised that I was in the wrong lane. I also decided to remain in the incorrect lane as the vehicles behind began overtaking just as the road split in two. I took a bit of a detour, but eventually the Sat Nav brought me back onto the correct road and we got to our hotel in one piece.

[@cactusbase3088]

26:15 - Shows even very advanced, experienced drivers can loose focus and almost cause an incident. That BMW was approaching you mighty fast when you suddenly signaled and almost moved into their path. This is a great example of what you subsequently said about satnavs causing confusion and potentially rash decisions. You signaled at exactly the same time as checking for traffic coming up behind you. The BMW had to moderately brake - enough to cause it's front end to dip slightly. But the main thing, thankfully, is that you decided to abort the maneuver and continue along the same road. I imagine this part of the journey would have been edited out if you had decided to move to the right hand lane. It is great that you have left this in though as it is a perfect demonstration on how quickly things can go south when distracted or confused.

[@jamesvdv0]

In the last 9 years driving an EV, I find myself not always pressured to make maximum progress, particularly on long journeys, because this just means poorer range an more charging stops. I find this style of driving more relaxed as a result.

[@georgecromar4094]

Some good points raised. Some obvious omissions too. 4mins 31secs the van blocking the whole pavement increased the chances of pedestrians in the road. 17mins 15secs Ashley mentioned the possibility of cyclists coming out from behind the vehicles queuing in the oncoming carriage way. But earlier Ashley commended the HGV for leaving a gap behind a Bus, when the focus should have been pedestrians/cyclists moving out from behind both the high-sided vehicles. I dont what DVSA state about making progress. But in Advance Motoring, Making Good Progress little to do with road speed.

[@stevie-ray2020]

Although your point about indicating is true, I still consider being in the habit of always indicating is a much better technique, otherwise chances are that I'll forget when my intentions are most needed to be seen! Also, Aussie cops are a bit more particular about using indicators!

[@thedoctor007dfw]

Agreed re power when required. Last week, I pulled out onto a roundabout with nothing coming from my right. Once committed, some guy emerged around the corner at the speed of sound 🙈 I only have 185bhp but it is more than enough to get out of tricky situations, especially with the DSG gearbox. I just accelerated effortlessly out of harms way. I wish people would slow down when navigating roundabouts.

[@christopherdooley9324]

I agree with your comments regarding making progress, there is often no reason to and to cruise at a lower speed is perfectly acceptable.

[@dogastus]

I tend to drive 50 - 60 mph on a dual carriageway or motorway because, as well as your 'progress' point, I get good economy with my petrol consumption. I can often achieve 50 mpg doing that which is quite satisfying.

[@hamshackleton]

I had this same problem with the Instructor when I was going through my bike training, after having been driving assorted four-wheeled vehicles for years - he was forever badgering me to go for it, saying I'm not aggressive enough. It was ok for him, he was on a 650 he rode every day. I was on a puny 125 on knobbly tyres, and it was early spring, so the roads were damp at best, and icy, sometimes, so I was slithering about a bit! The only bikes I'd used before were pedal-powered. Anyway, I passed the test, and afterwards, the Examiner asked how I'd managed to stay on the bike after a particularly sharp bend that proved to be black ice! (he was in a Range Rover) - I replied "good luck!"

[@hhtrichard]

Great video as usual. 4:56 notice you blocked off a possible right turn for the red car, I would have stopped further back so they could make the turn if necessary.

[@emmabird9745]

Hi Ashley. Speed limits are maximum not minimum. Driving at 45 in the 60 uses less fuel and makes less polution (two things we are being exhaulted to do. Ok for learning to drive then you need to be able to cope with the higher speeds and testers need to see that demonstrated, but for day to day use , take it easy, less stress and so on.

[@peterthompson9854]

Does it? Different engines work at different efficiencies at different speeds. What you say may be true for some cars, not all. What does use less fuel is less brake usage, and this is easier at slower speeds.

[@emmabird9745]

@@peterthompson9854 Hi Peter. What you say is true, in general terms. We are, I believe talking about 50 and upward speed limits. There are very few vehicles more economic (in fuel terms) faster than 50. Aero drag increases as the square of speed so once you exceed your vehicles optimum speed (usually the peek torque rpm), your mpg drops. Faster also means more tyre wear (cornering). I absolutely agree about braking reducing mpg and that is an argument for hybrid or electric with regen. Returning to the point about the authorities and tests, they have to see that you can manage the "making progress" but they should explain or emphasise that they don't mean everyone should drive right up to the limit and that in normal driving safety is more important than speed.

[@RicardoPetrazzi]

My opinion of the IAM and 'make progress' stuff is basically - when it's appropriate and that is entirely situational and should not be a default thing to do.

[@edgarsliepins5680]

Ive always been a big fan of yours ever since I've come across wiv your channel. Thank you ever so much 4 wot u r doing educating all off us and let the God bless ya m8 ;)

[@BenjaminThomas_PVT]

Get your Sponsored job visas, drivers licence test bookings and more. I will guide and counsel you throughout the procedure. You can see the name written above.

[@kevinbarker3366]

I always advised drivers who were training for an advanced level test to "drive to what you can see ". It's down to concentration and observational skills. Some driving instructors were reluctant to get up to the national speed limit when it was perfectly safe to do so!

[@Stallzyx]

Yeah but also I guess prepare for the worst case scenario or look as far ahead as you can while also scanning close distance and keeping eye on distances to those behind. There's only so much you can do in terms of concentration or observation if you're going around a corner with limited or no view

[@kevinbarker3366]

@@Stallzyx always drive at a speed so that you can pull up safely, on your own half of the road well within the distance you can see to be clear! That may mean getting the speed down from national speed limit to 10 mph 1st gear for the hazard. You've a lot to learn!

[@stephenhill8790]

When I did my advanced motorcycle, my police examiner only mentioned my not doing 70 on the dual carriage way I was keeping it at 60 (it was a national speed limit) , his advice was if the road is clear and it is safe to do so always try to make good progress within the limit

[@PedroConejo1939]

I see no reason whatsoever why it should be a problem travelling at slightly less than the speed limit if other traffic is unhindered and free to overtake you. As others have said, saving fuel and reducing pollution are Things now.

[@steamhammer2k]

If you approach standing traffic by slowing early you can check if anyone behind is day dreaming and not slowing as they will gain on you rapidly thus giving you the chance to manage the situation before it becomes and accident.

[@Onsafaari-101]

Come to east London and drive please..... situations change every little second here...

[@brianchristensen1475]

That was really interesting! Not least because you drove about 60% of my Daily commute. The "Mistake" you made (26:25) is typical there, I think that is a really badly designed junction and ! would have been interested in your opinion on the merge to the right as its quite short and badly sighted from both sides, you have to be really careful there at rush hour. The question about progress also interests me as I am considering doing the IAMS course as a Motorcyclist having recently passed my tests, but the progress thing puts me off a little, its easier to pass on the bike certainly, but doing so safely and at reasonable speeds is another question. 50 in a 60 zone? I'll sit behind thanks, 10MPH is too little difference to make it worthwhile in my opinion. Loving the Vids and you have improved my driving, thanks!

[@thegingaman]

Ashley, it would be fascinating to see you create a video series where you take advanced driving lessons and record your sessions with the instructor, just like you do with your students. As a viewer, it would be intriguing to observe your journey as a driving instructor going through advanced training. I haven't taken advanced lessons or the test myself, but I'm genuinely interested in seeing how you progress and how your thoughts might evolve during this process. This could be an excellent opportunity for both you and your viewers to learn and compare standard and advanced driving techniques.

[@ashley_neal]

I can teach this already 👍

[@peterthompson9854]

@@ashley_neal but you are often critical these institutions but to the best of my belief, have never experienced a course. Your opinion must therefore be based on second hand accounts and hearsay. A great many of your views align with theirs, would it not increase your integrity to get some first hand experience before continuing to criticise?

[@ashley_neal]

IAM promised a course after one of my deluded driver videos. They never followed up their promise.

[@peterthompson9854]

@@ashley_neal Well that's poor, I suppose they are a volunteer organisation, but they should do what they say. I guess you chased them up and noting happened. I recall you saying in one of your videos you were thinking of doing the course. It is a really inexpensive way to get some driver training, even if you don't agree with everything they push (some of it is a bit old fashioned).

[@frazermountford]

I was also curious as to Ashleys view on Advanced Driving Courses which i interpreted as mixed. I have done one and i improved no end and is inexpensive to do but i can understand the opinions. Ashley did highlight a point in his reply though thats accessibility of such courses and enticement to do them is very poor. And id argue that for any want to improve driving (apart from these videos). I indeed would like to have a refresher.

[@adinigel]

I think in any testing situation, the examiner needs to see that you are still in full control when making progress. When outside of testing then being a little more relaxed can be beneficial. However, we still need to be aware of others who may wish to get passed. I certainly find that keeping to 55/60 on motorways makes a big difference to my fuel consumption!

[@TheVanderfulLife]

I'd still love for you to get eye tracking glasses, or approach a company to lend you some...it's one thing hearing what you're doing but be very cool to see how often you check mirrors, how early you pick up road signs, what distance you look ahead and how much notice left and right you pay

[@amyk9813]

Progress is *always* paired with restraint and there's a very fine balance. In advanced, you must exercise both and you can only do so where you're absolutely on top of it

[@kenbrown2808]

regarding the "making progress" survey question, I agree that there are people who believe the objective of driving is to overtake as many people as possible. if your driving examiners are handing out demerits for not pursuing overtakes, I can see where that would build that mindset. for me, I'd rather be behind someone whose pace is a little slower than mine, than be behind someone who doesn't maintain a pace at all. although if another driver's pace is slower than mine, I will ultimately overtake; but I'll wait until I can do it with minimal drama. as for having the power on tap - I've driven subarus, and yes, having power available to put on a burst of speed does add an option. it's not always the best option, but sometimes, it is.

[@smilerbob]

I would be marked down loads on every drive I do for not making progress. My car is 17 this year (almost legal drinking age 😉) and got over 143,000 miles on it on a standard 1.6l petrol engine. I’m not going to push the car for the sake of progress only to put unnecessary stress on the engine in the older years of life for the car. On the roads over here, the vast majority of time the vehicle you have just overtaken will eventually come up behind you and wait at the same set of red lights

[@kenbrown2808]

@@smilerbob mine is 21 with 280K.

[@smilerbob]

@@kenbrown2808 My old one was 14 with 252,000 when it went off to the scrappy (2.0 tdci) The engine was still golden but someone didn’t stop behind me when I let a police car out of a side road with blues and twos on. I miss that car, comfortable and economic But I have had other go at 7 years with less than 60,000. They don’t make them like they used to

[@raymondbenjamins5884]

Regarding progress: if I'm on a dual carriageway and it's not too busy, I'll always just go the speed limit. I always stick as far right as possible (I'm in the Netherlands) and overtake when needed (and safe to do so). If it's busy or a single lane road, I'm more than happy to just sit behind other traffic and go a bit slower. To me, making progress is nice if it's clear and safe to do so (and up to the speed limit, I'm never speeding anymore), but honestly, most trips people make are short enough that going a bit slower isn't going to make much of a difference anyway. I'd rather just relax and enjoy the drive than get anxious and annoyed at people going slower. I used to be pretty much the other way around (always speeding, always getting annoyed at slower traffic), but I'm glad I changed my mindset. It's just not worth it and driving in this manner is so much more relaxed and enjoyable.

[@raymondbenjamins5884]

There actually was a time a few weeks back when I was driving to work and I got "stuck" behind a lorry doing 65 km/h (on a 80 km/h road). That road is about 20 of the 30 minute journey, but even doing 15 km/h less resulted in me being maybe 1 or 2 minutes later (and that's mostly because of several small roundabouts the lorry had to take very slowly and accelerated slowly). If I had wanted to overtake them (even if possible with all the traffic from the other direction), it would have been a stressful journey, due to constantly looking for a gap to overtake, and it wouldn't really have gained me anything.

[@fetzie23]

Having learned to drive in Germany, I can vouch for driving faster being more tiring. A casual trip down the Autobahn at 100-120 kph (~65-75 mph) is nothing like gunning it at 160-200 (100-120 mph). You really do notice the difference in how much further ahead you need to watch the traffic. 70 mph is about 30 metres per second. 100 mph is about 45. That means you need another 3-4 car lengths of distance just to cover the time it takes to hit the brakes if necessary. You need to be so much more aware of somebody pulling out in front of you like that van did at the end of the video. Not only that, but with the recent increases in fuel costs, sure you're saving time, but is that time saved worth the extra money you sent flying out of the exhaust pipe? Not only that, but the couple of minutes you save for an hour of driving at (or slightly above) the speed limit as opposed to ~10% under it can and will disappear as soon as you're forced to stop at a junction. So you get home a couple of minutes sooner, but you do so knowing that you will be more stressed and tired from having to pay more attention to everything, more frustrated because people are getting in your way and stopping your progress (and because you maybe saw the tell-tale flash of a speed camera that you didn't notice in time), and more out of pocket by constantly pushing for progress forwards because you're burning 10-20% more petrol. And if you're more stressed, tired and frustrated then you're also less likely to see the kid running out from between the parked cars in the residential area close to home.

[@Plimp92601]

Great video as usual Ashley. I have followed your advice over the last few years, and find driving so much more enjoyable. Would love to see a video on extremely heavy traffic. I was once queuing for an island in Bristol and it was gridlocked. All rules out the window, and giving way to the right was just impractical. Drivers would just have to filter in where poss, and I had the thought, what would Ashley's advice be here?

[@grahamnutt8958]

I think that you were slightly biting your tongue when cursing the SatNav but - unlike Jon who later got a mention - at least you only have one whilst he uses two 😂. I tend not to use SatNav as the directions are frequently inaccurate or issued too late for a safe manoeuvre. I usually try to preplan a route to take me - if in an unknown area - to a point that is close to my destination; maybe then resorting to the tech if I have not got a decent map. As someone that used to undertake Courier work inside the M25 it was - before SatNav was a viable driving aid - imperative to have the detailed London A to Z map and it kept me out of trouble (mostly). That is where a Drivers Mate was useful - if he or she could Navigate. Although it is useful to know the area it can, frequently, lead to complacency. Familiarity breeds contempt hence the reason why many RTC's occur within 1 mile of your Home address. Hazards can; and often will; occur with little to no warning 😢. Stay safe out there.

[@heros2110]

Regarding 25:05: As a foreigner, i am not sound about details of traffic regulations in the UK. But i can say that in Switzerland, traffic can be quite intense. I adapt my speed to the amount of motorists and take their impatience into account. I always try to keep a delta speed for others to pass while still making progress in terms of space. But so many times, there is just no point in always, permanent aiming for the maximum speed allowed, because it is just clogging up everything. And i do like to have peace of mind in traffic, because i have an intense job and i don't need further load on the heart. Be safe.

[@Stallzyx]

Actually, it seems like after the first few minutes these are also sort of unknown roads for me too, despite learning and taking two tests in the Northwich area but I guess more centred around the town centre, Hartford, Rudheath and Lostock. The narration driving is very useful and maybe it's something we should all incorporate in our own driving or maybe I should get my instructor to try go through with me as I believe it's part of advanced driving or ADI courses

[@rchuggs4603]

Yo James 😊

[@Stallzyx]

@@rchuggs4603 hi

[@harbor.boundary.flight]

I know that route very well - I’m not surprised that you missed the right turn on to the bridge, it’s so poorly signposted and you always see cars darting across last second - I avoid overtaking there for that reason.

[@bethollie2836]

I don’t mind what speed anyones doing on a dual carriageway as long as they’re in the correct lane, doesn’t bother me at all. If it’s a single carriageway and they’re doing say 45-50 when it’s perfectly safe to do 60 I would overtake if there’s a suitable place to do so. My exception to overtaking is if they’re a leaner or on a P plate - in that case I do like to keep back, no point in making that new or leaner driver have to think about something else when they’re already stressed.

[@Stallzyx]

00:08 I thought this looked too familiar lol... just behind you is the corner where I went over the kerb it at the end of my first test turning right :( I've just been driving on unknown roads yesterday and turns out the area you cover in this video actually may be where I used to drive quite a lot, so not as unknown for me :D The M6 exit off towards Northwich though had completely changed when I took it yesterday as I've not been passenger on a motorway journey in many years and was my first motorway drive. I was expecting to have to go round that huge roundabout and instead it was like a few sets of lights with a bend

[@barrymurton8988]

What are you going for instead of the Tesla, an other ev? Love this video!

[@jazzx251]

This mirrors my own defensive driving style. I'm a musician who often relies solely on his Sat-Nav ("Serena") to venture into the unknown - postcodes that have never been seen before, even by the residents who live in them! Every time I get into my car - there are two other imaginary people climbing aboard, plus the computerised navigator, Serena. There's the "Captain", who issues orders "78 degrees to Starboard! Hold Position at 20 Metres! [to the car in front] And there's the "Spotter", "POLICE spotted 100 metres!" or "Obstruction front!" or "Caution! Feline target ahead!" or "Cyclist collision warning, breaking red light!" The chain of command goes "Spotter" - "Captain" - "Helmsman" (me - who executes the instructions coming from my two alter-egos) When I'm on country roads, I go into "Rally mode" - which means I execute the orders of my teammates to the letter, using the full road safely for visiblity around corners. And I check Serena for sharpness of upcoming corners. The Spotter will often say "Medium left leading to sharp right! Don't cut!" in Rally mode. In Rally mode, there is no captain ... the spotter is given permission to issue orders, which I, as the helmsman, will execute immediately. It sounds crazy and strange - but it gives my lethal vessel the military command structure it needs as we venture onto unknown roads, or London! 39 years of driving without an accident, or getting caught by the police/cameras, shows that my system works - for me, at least. My driving instructor loved the way I talked to myself - "I can see exactly what you're thinking, it's great!"

[@geoffreycodling8071]

I find some of the paint markings on roads terrible, bit of a bummer if you don't know the road you're driving on.

[@davidknight5863]

I liked your comment if in doubt hold back or abort if you are not sure , like example where the road narrows and you haven't the room to go round a parked car. I always look right first ,then left , then right again because that is where the contact will come first. I find it unnerving when I see a car waiting to enter a main road to my left and I'm on the main road and he's looking left , because I'm the first thing he will hit , I sometimes think has he seen me because I haven't passed you please look at me and then check left and right after I have gone. The same basics as the green cross code.

[@matt-ko4cc]

Hi Ash, regarding your point around 1:50 in about making sure sunglasses are easy to put on when driving. What would you recommend in my case where I need normal glasses to drive, but also have prescriptive sunglasses that I switch between. I obviously can't just have them on my head so I normally just take my glasses off, put them in the well then take the sunglasses when in an area of low risk (at lights or stopped if I can). However I still always feel like this is dangerous and there must be a better way?

[@stevie-ray2020]

I found that fit-over Polaroid sunglasses are a much better option, as I'm not juggling two pairs of glasses!

[@DrRusty5]

I very frequently drive roads I don't know. Towns and Cities are the worst. I will drive slightly slower and allow plenty of time to reach my destination. Anticipating the arrangement of junctions can be difficult. If I make a mistake I just carry on along the route I end up on and find a place to safely turn around or re-route.

[@Rover200Power]

I also turn off any music/radio if there is a complex looking junction that I don't know coming up.

[@freddiekb1004]

At 26:16 ish would you have committed to pulling out into the 2nd lane while there was that car approaching (if you thought that was the correct way, which I believe it was in the end)? Or was the overtaking car a part of your decision to stay in your lane?

[@mkcdavies]

It looked a bit tight to me, I suspect the approaching car would have been slightly spooked by the signal which was put on and then cancelled.

[@MatrixFuse]

At the end of the day, no one merging onto a motorway is going to stop dead at the end of a slip road. Eg, if the police ever pull you on a motorway, they will always tell you to use the hard shoulder to pick up speed prior to merging. If there's no hard shoulder, likely it's a smart motorway, and the correct procedure it to call highways England to put a temporary lane block until you've merged out of the emergency refuge area. So truthfully, my mentally of merging onto a motorway from a slip road with no hard shoulder is that I'm merging regardless of any 'stubborn drivers' because there's no way in hell I'm being stationary at the end of a slip road with traffic zooming past at 70.

[@beardyface8492]

The whole rush disguised as "progress" thing is why I decided against an advanced course, if I ever do do one they're going to be hearing "Taking it easy to eliminate some emissions" a LOT, they don't like it they can shove it where the sun doesn't shine.

[@paul756uk2]

Slowing early is like creeping rather than hopping in traffic queues. If you do it you find that everyone else behind does the same.

[@broadsword6650]

Progress means travelling at the correct, safe speed for the circumstances, and not holding up other people unnecessarily. It does not mean travelling at maximum speed at all times, constantly overtaking.

[@rufusgreenleaf2466]

I think my biggest fear when driving is an area i don't know. I don't travel to places i can because of this unless i've seen the route on Google maps first so i know what to expect.

[@Jonc25]

I'm not allowed to get my van that dirty.😄

[@kenbrown2808]

conversely, the Mrs is always berating me for letting my daily driver be that dirty, but there's always that tradeoff between getting things done and taking the time to wash it. she's the type that tells me I work too hard and need to take a day off, and when I tell her I'm taking a day off, she gives me a day and a half of tasks to do that day.

[@Jonc25]

​@@kenbrown2808 You are not alone Ken.🤣

[@davelinkson1]

Back in 1998 when I bought a new Honda motorbike I qualified for a motorcycle appreciation course (MAC) with a Police motorcyclist, in a group of 3 riders which was great but he wanted us to overtake all the time when safe, and said to me why didn't you overtake more often? my answer was, I felt I was going at a good speed for the road and because I didn't want to overtake...I think he just wanted to show what my new bike was capable of..

[@johnlenon5052]

I would appreciate a video on reversing and how to judge the distance you've got between the back of your car and the other object or car behind to make sure you don't hit it. Especially when you don't have a car with a rear view camera.

[@richardharvey1732]

Hi John, found your comment as I was listening to Ashley and perhaps I can make a useful suggestion. Because my two vehicles have quite different magnification of the door mirrors and only one of the have a beeper which is useless anyway because it goes on continuous when there is still a foot to go the only way I can be sure of the gap is to get out and have a look!. The basic idea is to go as far as you feel ok , look for a moment or two in the mirrors, fix that in your mind , get out look at the gap and try to relate that to what you saw in the mirrors. This does not work straight off, it can take quite a while for your brain to do its work, it is not there to help you! and certainly not in a hurry, in the end you should find that you become more familiar with the dimensions of you vehicle, eventually it becomes part of your spacial awareness in much the same way as you always know where your feet are without looking at them!. This recipe carries no guarantees of course, just because it works for me does not mean it must work for you and you cannot do it all the time!, just every now and then when you have a few minutes to spare perhaps give it a go. One other trick you might like to try if you have a co-operative assistant is for another person to stand at the rear of the vehicle while you reverse, they must be able to see your face in the door mirrors and hold up their two hands facing the mirror, while looking into the space, then as you slowly come backwards they have to close their hands together to match the size of the space, when I do it for others I always cheat a few inches with my hands closer together than really necessary. This technique also has the potential to help with gap familiarisation. The key point is always to take plenty of time and let your own brain do its own thing!. Good habits always take more time to learn!. Cheers Richard.

[@rufusgreenleaf2466]

In simpler terms get someone to help you if you can to start with, then when you are parked have a look at what reference points you can see. Use them for next time. For me i use my reverse sensors but for observations i can see the back corner of my car in my side mirrors and with practice i know how much gap i have from the obstacle.

[@BenjaminThomas_PVT]

Get your Sponsored job visas, drivers licence test bookings and more. I will guide and counsel you throughout the procedure. You can see the name written above....

[@ankledsquid]

as for progress, i think it is an interesting point you make, but in my opinion, if it is safe and reasonable to do the limit and overtake, why not? provided you can get back in to lane 1, with plenty of time, i don't personally see any reason not to, unless you're hypermiling or something

[@CloverVideo]

I think this term "making progress" is misunderstood. It doesn't mean to hurry to cover ground it means to accelerate to a given speed safely. People often think that it means moving quicker ie your making more progress.

[@markwright3161]

I think they focus on making maximum progress in the test because you will use it at some point so should show you can do it safely, even if the test scenario/drive doesn't require it specifically. Many more people could pass the test if they pootled around for an hour and a half, but then have an incident when they try to drive quicker post passing. Imagine the police didn't do any training above the speed limits. There's no need to do 100+mph during their test/training, there's no fleeing criminal after assaulting someone, etc that needs to be caught. Not testing the officers to the maximum however means when they need to keep up with a criminal they're all the more likely to be involved in some kind of incident from not having experienced travelling at those speeds before. The test should be one of the more difficult drives you need to make to ensure that you're a capable enough driver for at least half of the future driving you will face, so if you are going to be making maximum progress towards work, during a weekend drive, etc you should prove you can do that safely under test conditions first. Personally I make maximum or close to maximum progress more often than not because I don't have that many reasons to drive longer distances due to working on the farm I live on and the way my brain works I find there's not enough stimulation from a slower drive to keep my attention on the surroundings properly, something I more regularly find issue with while in the tractor that maxes out at 20 mph when on quiet roads.

[@keithdenton8386]

Remember. If you care to drive, drive with care.

[@cactusbase3088]

29:00 - fantastic bridge!

[@gav2759]

I bet there are many of us watching, thinking, "yep that's how I do it". The problem is the momentary lapse. The odd time we make the wrong choice. It's a human thing and the roads are full of other humans making their own occasional wee errors. How forbearing we are is the real measure.

[@rufusgreenleaf2466]

What we need to understand is not all mistakes on the roads are intentional, some are regretted mistakes and i think what makes the situation better is if we practice to seek out these potential hazards and dilute them back to zero.

[@TimpBizkit]

When excessively fast drivers say "I'm a good driver". Knowing how to set a quick time around a racing track doesn't make you "good" in terms of public roads. Race tracks have good surfaces, no parked cars on the side, no people coming the other way, no potholes or sunken drain covers, and no junctions or lights. Also if you come off the racing track, you are unlikely to hit a tree, house or telegraph pole, and instead will be slowed down by a nice patch of thick gravel.

[@radishpea6615]

I got to 4:35 and wondered why no mention of the van parked at an angle with the turning on the right. Even watching a driving instructor drive with commentary is it possible to cover everything? Did Ashley consider people coming around the van as a second or to later people are seen walking towards it. If Ashley moves to the right then there is the risk from traffic coming from the side road. By all means watch the video but also look for your own hazards, do not just think only those mentioned are the ones to consider.

[@bobbyladd]

My satnav has had a couple of issues on the Runcorn side of the bridge both leaving and approaching. The fact I got fined for going over the bridge on opening day, when there weren't any clear signs on how to pay, has always made me hate the damn thing anyway.😄

[@MetalCooking666]

Is the point with IAM that they want to see that you *can* make ultimate progress if needed, even if that’s not what you should be doing all the time?