Courtesy on the Road - Necessary and Polite or Dangerous and Forbidden?

[@AtomicShrimp]

*Priority in the first example* - Yes, in theory, the green car has priority over the purple one, except not really, because the blue car shouldn't have stopped. The driver of the green car may now feel an obligation to likewise offer courtesy to the purple car (in my experience, this is most common, because the green car driver realises cars behind them might not stop to allow purple out). Point being: the whole situation is a mess of uncertainty - neither purple or green can be sure whether blue's intent is for them; green can't signal purple without potentially confusing blue; purple can't be sure whether to pull out because green does have priority and so on. The point is, once you depart from normal behaviours, all bets are off. *Leaving junctions clear* 4:33 It is not mandatory in the UK to leave junctions clear in slow moving traffic (unless there is a yellow hatched box or 'Keep Clear' markings or other signage). Highway code rule 151 states 'You *should* allow access into and from side roads, as blocking these will add to congestion' - the 'should' wording means this is a suggestion, not a mandatory rule. In other words, the Highway Code here codifies necessary courtesy.

[@asciivision]

This is what I may have been remembering when I said before that we're supposed to assume a keep clear zone. Good to know it's actually there. Very well on the DVSA for thoroughly codifying the 'shoulds' so that other drivers can know what to expect.

[@skellious]

While SHOULD is not mandatory, it IS used in court when resolving fault for traffic collisions so its not exactly optional either if you want to avoid being found at fault.

[@Zolbat]

in germany, keeping a crossing clear (enough to ensure crossing traffic) is obligatory. I like this rule

[@kieronparr3403]

Pedestrians have the right of way at any road junction

[@user-mv5zt8qd9l]

"Should" is *not* a suggestion. It means "do it unless it isn't safe or reasonable to do so." If you fail to drive to any rule and an incident were to happen, you'd still be held accountable for it, regardless of if the act is directly criminalised in and of itself. Thought processes like this add to the self-entitled driving styles that cause too many problems on the road.

[@BroonParker]

As a non-driving pedestrian (and only an occasional cyclist), I often find myself both endangered by drivers apparently being courteous by stopping suddenly then glaring at me to cross the road. It's a weirdly passive aggressive attitude and sometimes even worsens for pedestrians with mobility issues. If you try to wave them on to avoid a tailback or other hazard, they seem positively affronted which rather exposes the lack of courtesy in their "courteousness". I'm generally happy to wait until traffic clears but these types regularly ensure that it never can. A simple but timely video. Thanks for this.

[@saschamayer4050]

Exactly my thoughts. Drivers: PLEASE don't do this! 📛 Please let me wait until the road is clear! 🚷 I have had a narcoleptic issue 2 times in my life. If it would happen while crossing the road and a car drives into me I'll either get severely hurt or die. It's not worth the risk. Just drive and let me wait. Thank you! 🙂👍

[@jakerockznoodles]

Absolutely agreed. Drivers can get very hostile if you don't respond to their "kindness" the way they want you to. At which point, have they really been courteous at all?

[@richard-gn3es]

Ive had this happen more times than i can count. Ive even had situations where ive had to wait for the other lane to clear. And the original "nice person" that stopped gets bored and lurches forward when the assume im not gonna cross. All round better to only let someone cross when you can see all is clear on all other lanes etc.

[@jpnrndr7983]

Sometimes you get old people who you think are slowing down but they just fucking rev up.

[@solid_snake9708]

Its because as a driver we have to make a choice on are you going to step out or not and it obviously will get different reactions from different people. And mostly the people who see you waiting are making a choice to stop as they feel you may step out (made worse by people looking at phones and the new laws). They stop and you wave them on and it results in a situation were both parties probably feel they are in the right and thats why you get bad looks. Maybe dont stand so close to the road is a way to stop this but then would anyone be able to cross the road who knows. Its also a good thing to remember and look out for that some drivers follows the laws and rules of the road to a tee even when it may cause an accident. Example: If you turn into a road that it 30mph but only for 10ft and then the road is 50mph for miles some people will do the 30mph till they hit the 50mph and i see this catch people all the time who turn after the the 30mph car and expect the car to be getting up to the 50mph speed. Again thats how you should act but you can apply that example in a few more scenarios

[@nicholash.7656]

I've always heard it is safer to do what is expected of you, rather than do something "kind" .

[@selph8278]

the road operates on selfishness

[@nickelion1760]

@@selph8278 The road operates on rules, not selfishness

[@looksirdroids9134]

@@nickelion1760 No. It SHOULD operate on rules but it very clearly doesn't.

[@looksirdroids9134]

What's always safer is not being a giant moron on the road, which most people don't seem to understand.

[@yarpenzigrin1893]

@@looksirdroids9134 Around half of the population has double digit IQ. How else do you expect them to behave on the road?

[@benguest209]

I have been taught (though not sure if it is in law or just courtesy) that you don't stop in front of a junction. Seems like blocking a junction can only cause more problems than it solves, whereas allowing someone out of a junction (except for when in a slow moving area or there is visibly no traffic) just seems like it takes longer than it would otherwise

[@Lewufuwi]

I'm a big believer in driving PREDICTABLY. I won't stop courteously when it is not absolutely necessary, as you've illustrated. My mum drives much like the blue car in the first example and I always do that involuntary side door grip when she stops randomly to let people out of junctions who do not have right of way. Another anecdote, one time recently I was leaving a car park. I had to cross three lanes of traffic to join the side of the road I needed to be on to go home. The three lanes I was crossing were empty so I stopped before the road I was trying to join and waited for the cars to pass. The very last car in the queue braked heavily to let me join, there was a completely empty road behind them for as far as you could see, it was totally unnecessary. As he broke hard, he was flashing me constantly, but based on the speed he was doing, I wasn't comfortable pulling out in front of him, so I was just going to wait for him to pass. He came to a stop before I eventually pulled in front of him and I realised... It was my best mate! When I got home, I gave him a call and told him we were driving alongside one another and he said "why didn't you go when I flashed you?" and I was able to tell him "because you were driving way too bloody fast for me to do so!". It was quite therapeutic, you don't often get to to tell aggressive road users your feelings like that! haha

[@werdna4577]

The fun one, which is kind of related is when people /think/ you're queue jumping - I grew up on an estate which formed a kind of U shape with a busy main B-road. Often during rush hour, when there was a jam, people assumed that if you were pulling out of the furthest forward (from their perspective) road, you had pulled into the estate via a different road, and were queue jumping. They would then deliberately block the T-junction to punish you for your perceived crime against queuing - sometimes I wanted to stick my head out of the window and shout "we actually live on this road!"

[@OhSoUnicornly]

The best solution I've seen to that (though it unfortunately makes the residents' lives a little more difficult) is for the government make only one side open and make the other side a bus/taxi/bike lane. Everyone learns they're forbidden from popping in there as a shortcut, and that people coming out have only one way to go.

[@custardstuff5178]

I have a similar situation where I live, a dual carriageway that narrows into a single lane with an explicit zip merge, heaven forfend you actually USE that zip merge though, you're expected to join the queue half a mile back.

[@MrSexyBryce]

@@custardstuff5178 that’s weird, the rule is just one and one

[@custardstuff5178]

@@MrSexyBryce People seem to invent their own rules and one of those is "zip merging is queue jumping"

[@EightOneGulf]

Had an accident similar to the first scenario you showed. I was the green car, and someone stopped and signaled. I waved as a guesture of thanks to the blue car. The purple car and me started driving. All of the sudden the blue car T-boned me. She claimed she never saw me even though in my experience we had direct contact. Officially I was in the wrong because of course I had no right of way, which caused me issues with my insurance. Luckily because she came from a full stop the impact wasn't that big so nobody had any injuries, but the cost of damage to cars unfortunately is not cheap

[@tarakivu8861]

Always have a Dashcam!

[@ChrisSmith-ts8tw]

@@tarakivu8861 That wouldnt have helped because he didn't have the right of way and had no way of checking the blind zone the other car came from.

[@ster2600]

You have right of way if you're on the main road turning into a side junction, over someone coming out of the side junction.

[@Francois_Dupont]

@@ster2600 i think he said that the courteous car who stopped, STARTED DRIVING AGAIN and slammed into him as he was turning.

[@TheSabaton1]

how did the purple car had the right though? they were also driving while there was traffic on the main road they were joining

[@tobiastzfanya3949]

I used to routinely run into the problem you showed with the pedestrian on my way to school - one car would stop to let me cross but the cars in the other lane would still be going past. And then I felt bad because I wasn't taking the first driver up on their politeness. It was nice that they were trying to help a kid cross the road, but inadvertently what they were doing was pressuring me to walk into moving traffic.

[@tylerdejong6930]

I totally believe this philosophy of driving. Be predictable behind the wheel, not nice. Well, be nice... but only to a well-defined, mutually understood extent.

[@MrSexyBryce]

Yep, as a motorcyclist people following the rules makes riding so much safer

[@robynw6307]

All very logical and correct (from an ex driving instructor's perspective), except for the "who goes first" question in the first scenario. The right turning vehicle has right of way over the vehicle exiting the side street. Having the oncoming traffice stop courteously to let things move shouldn't affect this law. Therefore the right turning car would logically go first. The issue then arises as to whether the stationary vehicle/s will remain stationary long enough for the car exiting the side street to move. This is actually where the danger is.

[@AtomicShrimp]

Exactly so. In practice, everyone assumes the other one might start moving again and so the car pulling out is left to move first

[@alameachan]

For your beneficial courtesy example: Where I live you have to make sure that you can clear crossings _before_ entering the crossing, both to prevent deadlocks and enable emergency vehicles to traverse the crossing. Granted, everybody is a bumhole and blocks the crossing anyway, but it _is_ in our code.

[@Christopher.E.Souter]

It's the same in Australia.

[@lc1138]

Same here in France.

[@MaurycyZarzycki]

Ditto in Poland

[@SingleTheShot]

Learning to drive in the UK and i thought it was recommended not to block junctions here anyways yep, rule 151 of the highway code recommends leaving a gap, so someone can do exactly this, however it is only a recommendation and not enforced lol

[@symetryrtemys2101]

I think the most dangerous thing about driving is that people seem to forget or are oblivious to the fact that they are legally undertaking a potentially lethal exercise. For many people in the UK driving the car is an everyday thing which has the risk of trivialising the danger of what you are about to do when you sit behind the wheel.

[@artistknownaslisa2850]

Great comment!!

[@vgamesx1]

It's trivialized even further in the US with everyone driving massive cars like SUVs and trucks everywhere, small, lightweight, efficient cars generally aren't a thing, at least here in the south.

[@PandemoniumMeltDown]

Taking for granted their entitlement... sounds like something a karen would naturally do... Antidepressants do have a tendency to make people not give a crap about most things concerning, which is, for me, quite concerning.

[@marciamakesmusic]

@@PandemoniumMeltDown ???

[@PandemoniumMeltDown]

@@marciamakesmusic What?

[@WalkingTrashcan]

Well explained. I’ve been forced into some dangerous situations as a cyclist due to courtesy. I’ve also, due to courtesy, put others into dangerous situations. Ive found that it is mostly because the courteous person’s focus is directed away from surroundings and onto the courteous act.

[@gavinminion8515]

Funnily enough, your first example happened to me yesterday. Neither the driver turning into my road, nor the driver who had decided to stop and let me out (maybe?) could understand why I was very careful about pulling out.

[@i_am_just_trying_to_animate]

As someone who is currently studying for the practical driving test and is confused about these unspoken rules of driving in the UK, I’d be delighted to see more videos on this topic! Love the way you explain and illustrate your points.

[@Weekzey]

Until you pass your test, I’d ignore the “unspoken rules”. They will likely make you fail if they came up during your driving test.

[@mouf725]

​@@Weekzey Agreed, I recently passed and I still make a conscious decision to ignore flashing and whatnot because a) it's confusing and I'd rather just follow the normal rules and b) I still have my P plate on so it would probably look a little silly

[@AllenKll]

There are no unspoken rules. Either it's a law, or it isn't. anything else is preference, not rule.

[@Croz89]

@@Weekzey Generally I'd advise to never give up your priority on a driving test, but you should accept other drivers priority if they give it to you and it's clearly safe to proceed. I did so on my test and received no faults for it. In fact, you might receive a fault for hesitation if you don't.

[@alansmith2892]

The "unspoken" rules and such are really just cultural ways of driving, usually more specific to the local area like a particular stretch of road. e.g. "I know on this roundabout most drivers will drive in that lane, expecting this lane to go there even though the road markings don't suggest it". There's also more general driving culture to learn around the UK which summed up is "be polite". Though no one can tell you what all of this is, you'll pick up all the strange mores as you begin to drive fully independently without an instructor. You'll also be free of the pressure from an instructor or tester too! Advice for the practical: Be calm and collected, don't stress it. Be prepared to fail and learn from any mistakes. I would say assume you'll fail on something minor and the test is a just a learning experience. The worst thing you can do is second guess if you've failed or not during and trying to watch the tester for hints of you making mistakes, becomes self-fulfilling. Good luck and all that.

[@morbvsclz]

Interesting to see the different rule sets as a German. I think most of these situation could happen here as well in reality, although they have a rule in place to prevent them. It is for example not allowed to enter any junction area, if you are not sure you have the space on the other end to clear it. So like an invisible yellow box at every junction. Same goes for level crossing etc. I only drove in the UK for a few days on a business trip, but the sheer number of roundabouts was astonishing. I've read that this partially due to the lack of general priority rules. Here for example the car looking to join from the right (would be left in UK) always has right of way, unless otherwise indicated by a sign (usually give way sign for traffing wishing to join in combination with priority road sign for the traffic going straight on).

[@Rawrqual]

Same here in Sweden! "Blockeringsregeln" basically says that you shouldn't stop anywhere you would be in the way of crossing traffic.

[@raraavis7782]

Ah, if only that rule was actually enforced at least occasionally and fines given. Because most people in rush hour city traffic do not follow it and as a pedestrian|bicycle rider (in the city anyway, I do own a car for weekend activities) both the honking and the cars blocking bicycle lanes are beyond annoying.

[@ShaCaro]

We have a lot of roundabouts in the Netherlands as well, or at least my area. They cause less congestion than traffic lights, and thusly in recent years a lot of lights have been replaced.

[@zaixai9441]

@@ShaCaro Yeah, I drove in the Netherlands and there were a lot of roundabouts. I didn't experience much congestion on them at all. It was a weird getting used to giving way to bikes going around the roundabout, but overall it was a very enjoyable experience.

[@matthewjbauer1990]

I know that in the US, depending upon the situation, you could get a ticket valued up to $400 + taxes and fees for blocking an intersection.

[@JoshuaDay]

I've found that in my 11 years of being a road user on both motorcycle and in car, being courteous is almost always the wrong answer. I've been in many more dangerous situations where people have thought they were offering convenience than when people just go about their business, and I'm made to find the opportunities for myself. I suppose it changes somewhat depending on where you are in the country but living in a suburb of Birmingham, I feel sticking as strictly as possible to the rules usually results in the most safe scenarios.

[@Clifford_McKinsey-Lynch]

In heavy traffic, I always keep very close to the car in front. In that way, no b'stard at a junction can pull out in front of me

[@EvieAnne1812]

I was taught to drive by my grandfather, who taught people how to drive busses im New York City. His advice on this was to always be predictable, not polite. The road has rules for a reason, and being polite is a great way to cause an accident because it causes people to be unpredictable.

[@major_melon2583]

Infrequent driver from Germany here. Some of the expected outcomes described in this video don't sit right with me. I don't know much about the UK highway code, but from what I know of the German version things are pretty clear to me. 1:30 - Who is being signalled? The next in line. If Blue gives up their right of way, Green and Purple should just behave as if Blue's lane is free. In that case, Purple would still need to wait for Green coming from their left, so Green is the one to start moving. Anything else would involve even more meddling with the right of way. 4:33 - I heard your explanation, and I saw your pinned comment. Over here, keeping junctions free is always mandatory, for the exact reason you demonstrated. No matter the exact layout, you aren't allowed to enter a junction unless you are sure your exit is clear. It's a rule over here, but one that is sadly disregarded all too often. Still, all in all an interesting insight into the mind of another driver. It's good to have a different perspective at times.

[@AtomicShrimp]

See the pinned comment - leaving junctions clear is not mandatory here - it's advised that drivers should do it where possible

[@Donorcyclist]

Thank you for this PSA. I lived in Texass for a few years, where driver's were either overly courteous and gave away their right of way (causing confusion, anger, and delays), or lacked any courtesy or sense of rules of the road (causing confusion, anger, and delays).

[@Pirochiro]

My pet peeve is when cars wave you, as a pedestrian, across the road in front of them. I would much rather walk behind them when the road is clear, and not in front of them where I am at risk. Obviously worse when there are multiple lanes. And my "favourite" is when it's dark and they are trying to wave me across while I cannot see them inside the dark cab, behind a reflective windscreen. More often than not I find myself looking away from them so they can't even attempt to do it.

[@OldQueer]

I was walking over a 2 lane slip road leading onto a roundabout yesterday. Some lady stopped early to let me cross, but was completely unaware that another car was approaching at some 40mph in the other lane. She was irate at the fact I wouldn't cross and ended up shouting "pay attention idiot" out of the window. Nothing seems to induce road rage more than declining courtesy. I often wonder how many accidents have been caused by unpredictable courtesy. I hope no one minds, but I'm giving a small unaffiliated plug for 'Ashley Neal' for more safe driving content. An excellent channel that should be mandatory watching for many road users. I'm certainly safer on the roads because of him.

[@Peet790]

I think the most important rule when driving or riding a bicycle on the road is to be predictable. You can be the greatest asshole on the road but as long as people can anticipate what you'll do next, everyone can adapt. The moment you decide to do things unpredictably and on a whim, everything falls apart, no matter how kind you're being.

[@wheedler]

I've learned not to trust anyone to use their indicators/turn signals and I've had a lot fewer near misses as a result.

[@mihohobaba]

One of my main bugbears is this. When one lane on a multiple-lane road is closed (say, for roadworks) it is generally considered to be the "courteous" thing for everyone to get out of the lane that is closed ahead, often leaving hundreds of yards of unused road before the crunch point. People just ignore the Highway Code on this, which says you should use all the available road space and merge in turn at the crunch point, thus reducing congestion. This is not "queue jumping", it is following the guidelines in the Highway Code.

[@AtomicShrimp]

Agreed. Further trouble is caused by busybodies who merged early and try to enforce everyone else by aggressive driving

[@mbryson2899]

In my particular bit of California drivers tend to fill all the available pavement and zipper merge at the very end. It's the most effective use of the road, both mathematically and in actual practice. I have heard that in other parts of the state it upsets other drivers, some of whom will deliberately block the practice. And gods help you if you try skipping ahead in my native Chicago.

[@TheThursty100]

And then no one let's you in at the crunch point because they believe you're the asshole, causing the traffic jam to get even worse. I had someone come to a complete stop on such a lane and I thought it's just part of the Traffic jam, there was a whole Kilometer of usable Road in Front of that car. Someone stopped in the middle of an empty Highway road, to merge! Drive to crunch point an merge. One car from the left, then one from the right, left, right, left, right. In Germany that's called zipper procedure, like the teeth of a zipper. You're supposed to do it that way, and you still have clowns like mentioned above that merge way to early and don't let others in at the end. Thanks for making the jam worse!

[@BeaHindebars]

I agree, it's infuriating.

[@Marenthyu]

Reisverschlussverfahren ^_^

[@XamRei]

We had a similar argument with the "priority to the right" in Belgium. What was for me the decisive argument is the fact that having courteous actions allowed on the road (despite going against the law) actually force people to be always focusing while driving instead of blindly relying on rules that everyone is supposed to follow at all times.

[@BIDP-]

Do you have any thoughts about cars stopping for pedestrians without a junction on a double road? As the pedestrian in that situation, I am looking for a gap in traffic to cross but a car stopping for me makes me feel pressured and I would much rather just have them pass quickly and walk behind them.

[@grafzeppelin4069]

If that happens to me, I just turn and start walking down the sidewalk / strip / shoulder in the direction of the oncoming cars. Once the "courteous" driver goes on his way, I'll start waiting again for an opening to cross.

[@windows95leon]

It's incredibly awkward, but since my being hit by a car I simply step back and indicate I am not crossing even though they stopped. I don't care how annoyed they get, I'd rather they were annoyed than myself injured again.

[@mabamabam]

Even sometimes at crossings. If its just one car it often takes longer for them to slow down and for me to be sure theyre going to stop, than it would if they just drove through.

[@Zebra_M]

As I see it, being *predictable* is often far more important than being courteous. Stopping for someone when you have the right of way creates ambiguity and hesitation, and suddenly they have to be very cautious and focussed to adapt to the new situation you created. In your example at 1:30, if both blue cars had just moved on, then just two seconds later the intersection would simply have been clear and everyone could safely apply normal traffic rules. I see this a lot in my city. That said, if the road is so busy that gaps don't exist, it is definitely worth considering letting someone pull out in front of you... as in your examples, haha.

[@itskdog]

I once had a lorry stop for me on a Pelican crossing when they had the green light and I had a red man. I stayed put despite their continued handwaving.

[@fromthegamethrone]

Sorry for second comment 😅 Loved this video. I was always taught that if you're going to allow someone to take priority (remembering the priority is only ever given never taken) you should do it by driving positively. In the examples given, instead of coming to a stop and allowing the person to pass, you would ideally have slowed down long before then junction, increasing the gap to allow the two turning cars time to make their own decision on whether to go or not. As you rightly mentioned, sometimes people feel like they have to go when we incorrectly flash our lights at them.

[@JakeMcaulay]

One thing that annoys me on the road is what I call unnecessary kindness. Something that is nice but ultimately would of took longer than the driver just continuing on. Like letting someone cross the road when there's no vehicles behind you... what's the point it takes longer for you to signal the person across the road and what not.

[@JewTube001]

I had someone do this the other night. They tried giving me way into a roundabout when there was no other traffic around...so they just slowed us both down for no reason.

[@JakeMcaulay]

@@JewTube001 I've had this happen a lot and I'm just sat there thinking "why just go you have right of way... do you not understand how roundabouts work".

[@TheThursty100]

Had someone in a round about give me a signal to let me in and she was adamant about it. I'm still sure to this day it was an insurance scam or something, because if she had then hit me with her car that would've been 100% my fault

[@DaedalusYoung]

As a pedestrian, I once was waiting at a traffic light, when a car decided to be courteous and stop, despite having a green light, to allow me to cross the road while my light was red.

[@muntyvalera998]

Hey Mike, it's great you touched on this subject, I've had driver's in front of me doing an emergency/ sudden brake just to let a car come out of a side street, it annoys the hell out of me because I have to do an emergency/ sudden break and the car behind me and so on, for some reason it's been happening alot more recently.

[@Wyattporter]

So, in short: Necessary: occasionally Polite: depends on perspective Dangerous: often Forbidden: not really

[@MagnaLynx21]

I got 50/50 on my theory and 68% on my hazard awarness recently and this pondering was much more helpful and realistic than any of the revision apps.

[@lovepeace5845]

Well done. I also got 100% on multiple choice recently, and 89.3%(let’s call it 90%) on perception. I just wish current drivers had to retake their tests periodically, many couldn’t pass a test these days.

[@mikethedigitaldoctorjarvis]

@@lovepeace5845 I agree to that,when i had my forklift licence for ten years,you had to re do your test every 3 years !

[@Bigkrisp_Man]

@@lovepeace5845 Much agree, I wish drivers were made to retake tests every so often

[@collinmclaren6608]

For the multiple lane example. In North America (I'm specifically Canadian, but it can probably apply to the US as well), multi-lane highways and city streets are prevalent, and for the most part it falls on the person pulling into said multi-lane street to wait for an opening in traffic so they can safely merge into it. This is mostly the case for plazas or small back country roads. Majority of the time we have intersections with traffic lights

[@lachlank.8270]

You even explained what Pelicon meant, bless you Mr Shrimp 🤣

[@nicolek4076]

This is why I never, ever flash my lights at someone. If I'm giving way to someone, I stop and stare at the person I giving way to. This takes an extra couple of seconds and the ambiguity generated makes everyone a little more cautious. BTW I'm a retired driving instructor. As for box junctions, please remember that the rule is NOT "you may not stop in the box". The rule IS "you may not enter the box if your exit is blocked". Too often I encounter people obstructing traffic because they don't know the rules.

[@graywolf2694]

I never flash because a few years ago there was a string of gangbangers who would do things purposely to get you to flash them, then they would follow you to your destination and do illegal things, as some kind of initiation right.

[@dutchdykefinger]

looking at them , and perhaps making a hand gesture "you first" does the trick :D

[@cantsay]

You described my Dad's driving to a T. Overly and dangerously courteous. I'm glad I'm not the only one frustrated by overly courteous drivers. If I can get my dad to watch your video, this may be really helpful!!

[@mooing_cowmilk]

4:46 huh, that is called courtesy, that is the legal requirement in Canada, blocking the intersection in most cases is illegal (turning left is okay for a car to wait in the middle of the intersection given they got there where it was green). Edit: is applies to all intersections regardless of lack of markings

[@ohmydinosare]

As a pedestrian there is little that gives me more anxiety when crossing the road than one driver in the first lane stopping to let me cross when the drivers in the second lane are still passing at speed and there is no space in the middle to comfortably or safely wait if traffic either side is moving. THey look at you epectantly, it would be rude to stay where I am after they've had the decency to stop for me, but there's nowhere to go once I've passed them. Even thinking about it to type this is making me a bit antsy, and I am indoors right now.

[@Matt-ig7mg]

In the past I have crossed into their lane and then just waited blocking their car until the next lane is clear 🙂. I wonder if it makes them angry 🤔

[@electrichen6243]

It's very much down to using common sense, constantly observing and thinking, the teaching of which is sadly lacking in many teaching instructors today. Too many drivers switch on the engine and switch off the brain. You are in charge of a lethal weapon.

[@workaholica]

That's the reason I usually don't appreciate "curteousness" in traffic. Most of the time it is quicker to simply obey the existing rules than having to negotiate my way through every single intersection because some other road user wants to be nice. Plus, being courteous to the traffic in front often means being antisocial to the the ones behind you. (I stole that one from a driving instructor on KZbin).

[@grbadalamenti]

Once I spot a pedestrian crossing the street, no matter if on a crossing or not I slow down and I scale one gear down...ALWAYS. Just honking at them without slowing down might frighten them and cause them to take a false step and fall right in front of you when it's already too late to stop or avoid them.

[@Ohwhale79]

Great video! I live in the US and my city has a pedestrian right of way law, in which pedestrians, even when jaywalking, have the right of way on any and all roads. Unfortunately this is also a college town and we have a lot of out-of-towners that are unaware of this law. Commonly when someone is trying to cross the road (even [and usually] within an actual cross walk) one side of the road will stop and the other will continue to go for some time. So the poor person is just standing there either on the side of the road or in the middle of the road waiting to finish their crossing. IMO we should have signs indicating that pedestrian have the right of way (we do have crosswalk signs but even on the 15 mph roads they are ignored) but unfortunately we don't, so a game of chicken with cars and pedestrians usually ensues. Honestly, I chalk it up to Americans just generally being jerks. (Myself excluded, of course) 😅😅😅

[@PlayaSinNombre]

This is the result with non-standardized rules. Both sets of people, the locals and the out-of-towners are “correct.” They are following the law as they know it…

[@Ohwhale79]

@@PlayaSinNombre Lol no. Not knowing a law doesn't make you correct. It makes you ignorant.

[@Ohwhale79]

@@PlayaSinNombre also it is the law to stop for someone in a crosswalk all over America. LOL

[@PlayaSinNombre]

@@Ohwhale79 I said it was “correct”, not that it was correct. Also, I never said it was legal, because ignorance of the law is no excuse.

[@PlayaSinNombre]

@@Ohwhale79 this is true, with some minor exceptions around traffic lights. However, in most places pedestrians are forbidden from occupying the road outside of crosswalks.

[@neonufo8039]

my notion is: dont drive nice, drive predictably. if it comes to a gridlock like in the last example, usually there will be enough room between cars to turn into your exit.

[@Minifig666]

I could have sworn not blocking a junction whilst queueing was a 'MUST NOT' rule, not just a courtesy thing. Rule 151 does mention it but not as a law. Thanks for this video, a well balanced take on the issue as expected!

[@RaunienTheFirst]

Yes, it's a should not a must. Meaning it's best practice but not a legal requirement.

[@GreatFootball1]

Here in Uppsala, Sweden, there’s a huge biking culture. By law, if there’s no other yield signs, on a regular pedestrian crossing the car doesn’t have to yield for bikers. The problem is that a lot of bikers either don’t know this or don’t care, so the cars here stop a lot for bikes. Me and my partner argued about this if we, as bikers, souls cross them or not. I argued that with good foresight you should see if the car is slowing down for a stop and therefore going by the norm and crossing would not only work, but would not disturb traffic flow as biking across is quick and mainly not cause confusion and somehow cause an accident (by for instance half-sopping and waving, doing this dance when none really knows who should go). She argued that, well, it’s not legal and it’s also abusing the courtesy of drivers which she didn’t like. Also she found it much safer. I went as I went for a while and eventually I made a change of mind. I started to often go off the bike and walk the crossing, as I noticed it barely being slower, but also legal and safer, as not all drivers stop in courtesy. But it’s still not all black and white, there’s a lot of grey zones like when the car has stopped for others should I cross then? Usually I do, but sometimes they’ve already crossed when I reach the crossing, should I go off the bike now? I’ve made my own principle that if there’s any hesitation, I go off the bike, as that’s what’s simply safest and even a small risk isn’t worth the few seconds you save. Stuff like this always looks so more different in practice than in theory, which makes it so interesting IMO

[@dutchdykefinger]

here in the Netherlands theres a huge biking culture too haha it's a very good technical question, the answer in the Netherlands is also the same as it is in Sweden. you don't get priority of way sitting on a bike in front of a zebra crossing, you have to explicitly step off, and stand/walk next to the bike to get legal right of way. so yeah, good call, when in doubt, step off the bike so make a clear indication you have intent to be walking across, at least that way you did your due diligence in traffic. sure, there is an argument to be made for crossing quicker and therefor being in the line of "fire" for a shorter timespan, but it's probably not a good idea to surprise/startle people coming in too hot either.. which kind of undermines a bit of the being faster. here in the Netherlands car drivers are pretty damn used to the antics of cyclists, they're everywhere, and it usually doesn't end in disaster, but i wouldn't presume on that everywhere ;) it's not really worth dying over, even if you would be in the right, like the man in the video said, who is in the wrong doesn't change the fact you just had a traffic accident that probably could've been avoided. here's another grey area: when you're riding a horse, you're legally considered a "driver", and cars technically shouldn't have to yield on a zebra crossing, but it's not really all that practical to dismount the horse all the time for every crossing, so equestrians are a bit of a grey area, and not all that common, so it is almost bound to create some confusion with some drivers, so a good few of them will probably decide on yielding. pretty sure the same goes if you were to ride a zebra in front of the zebra crossing, but automobilists are probably even more likely to yield there, just to watch a zebra pass a zebra crossing and laugh their asses off :')

[@lukasvondaheim]

Your secnario with the two Tvjunctions is why I love that here in Austria you are, by law, not allowed to enter a junction when you will have to stop in it :D

[@faritkamalov6567]

I agree. And I am pretty sure it’s a rule everywhere in Europe at least. This gridlock is possible only if people don’t follow this rule. Nothing to do with courtesy.

[@-vhydra-1252]

@@faritkamalov6567 yep definitely illegal to block access to roads here in Belgium

[@seraphina985]

Yeah it is merely a should rule in the UK's highway code which means there is no specific law covering that particular rule. Doesn't necessarily mean that you wont have issues if you cause an accident or other incident while not following it though. Doing so can be considered evidence of driving without due care and attention, it would probably also help in a prosecution for the offence of obstruction of the highway in the event gridlock does result. The highway code doesn't specifically state this but since all drivers are required to demonstrate knowledge of it's guidance to qualify they are also expected to follow it's guidance, thus not doing so is evidence of driving bellow the expected standard for a competent driver and is likely to go against you if accused of one of the more general driving offences.

[@ModernDayKnight03]

I've seen this a lot (U.S.) when it comes to businesses and roads in large cities. Some people stop right in the way of another road for a light, or in front of a driveway. It definitely takes some forethought and awareness to stop before impeding traffic is a problem. Just one more reason why distracted or impaired driving is so dangerous, costly, and of course, illegal.

[@Electrowave]

I agree that flashing lights to let someone know you are giving way to them can be hazardous but I am also guilty of doing this, usually to prevent a stalemate of confusion. As long as we're all moving slowly in these circumstances, and are aware of the dangers, we should be OK. The biggest problem we have where I live is when a small road crosses the main road and cars approach at the same time from both directions on the smaller road, wanting to turn right.

[@absolv9259]

When I was learning to drive a couple of years ago, I was a very nervous learner, and it was only made worse when cars around me would do things not normally expected. People would see the L plates and either decide to be more courteous than they would be of a car without L plates - or decide to have even less patience than they would normally and overtake or tailgate me (my instructor made sure I was always going at an appropriate speed so that wasn't the issue). I would also get a lot of impatience from drivers behind me who would honk their horns or even yell at me when I took a moment to pull out at a junction or roundabout. My instructor even said that when he was taking the car between his students, he would face a lot of difficulty from other drivers who acted differently than normal when they saw the L plates on the car. The courtesy and rudeness were equally frustrating, because both made it a lot harder to predict what other drivers were about to do.

[@alethealenning3809]

I love how a unfortunate scenario was presented to you and you addressed it in an informative and educational manner rather then rant about bad drivers. Communication is always key.

[@ifaiful]

“Flashing your lights on your car means only one thing; it is to let another road user know you are there. Do not use you headlights flasher for anything else and never Asume it is a signal to proceed.” From the Highway Code Uk. Infact this was read aloud by Eamon Holmes on a failed Itv pilot show in 1997 called Reduce Speed Now.

[@NEPAAlchey]

I've had people wave me through, on a 2/2 lane road. The lane next to them still had freeflowing traffic and it wasn't safe, so all he did was stop a lane of traffic and cause those behind him to change lanes making the odds of a opening worse. At most I let people merge into my lane and leave space for turners as given in the positive example. I think it should be written law not to block intersections even where not marked.

[@HaybaleMelon]

I really don’t like flashing, I always feel pressured. I understand the gesture but I just wish people wouldn’t bother Also the Highway Code changes need to be more publicised as I don’t think everyone knows about it

[@AtomicShrimp]

Yeah, the pressure can sometimes make people act unsafely in haste to comply

[@edgovan1]

This video just dropped. How did you have access already? :)

[@robchissy]

@@edgovan1 they use patreon

[@robchissy]

i ignore them flashing lights, unless i see it is 100% safe to move

[@edgovan1]

@@robchissy I didn't think Atomic Shrimp used Patreon

[@CGR89]

“Drive correctly, not politely”. Driving correctly is predictable if everyone is going by the same rules. When you vary from those rules and create unpredictability or ambiguity you’re creating a dangerous situation.

[@TheThursty100]

4:35 that's courtesy in the UK? As far as I know you're not allowed to stop in those crossing in Germany, i.e. what you described as courtesy, is the law on Germany. Or maybe my driving instructor just told me this? Doesn't stop people from driving into the crossing during a traffic jam where it's clear they won't get over and Sometimes when there's a traffic light involved they also do it, now sitting in the crossing with the red light behind them. Great job! Also, if you don't go, EVEN during slow moving traffic, people might honk at you, as if a few car lengths matter somehow

[@Kaonashineko]

For the first example, in aus that’s part of the driving license test is the sequence, green would go by our road rules because they are on the main road and have priority, if you are entering a main road you must give way to all on said road. Very interesting the UK does not have such things!

[@AtomicShrimp]

The main road has priority in general, but the scenario here is not explicitly defined. In general, it tends to be the person pulling out who goes first because the person on the main road offers courtesy

[@firstsurname9893]

@@AtomicShrimp An Australian driver interprets those double dashed lines that the purple car is behind as a Give Way marking, making the situation unambiguous to us.

[@technoman9000]

@@AtomicShrimp I see what you mean. To whom are they offering the courtesy? Therein lies the rub...

[@AtomicShrimp]

@@firstsurname9893 That's what the lines mean here. What they mean and what people decide to do are two different things.

[@Kaonashineko]

@@AtomicShrimp oh yes for sure but it’s a fine copping law or you’d fail your learner exam here rather than courtesy, but all laws can be misconstrued in the end and what people will do; in the end is their own decision and that is a very true fact I agree!

[@SY6Dave]

I can give an example from yesterday of courtesy going wrong. I was joining a motorway, I had assessed the traffic conditions and spotted an appropriate spot where I could get up to speed and merge in behind a vehicle. I started along the slip road, but that driver who I was planning on merging behind decided to "courteously" slow down so I could get in front of him. He didn't flash his lights, so I didn't realise what he was doing. But I had not got enough speed up to get in front of him before the end of the slip road because that was not my intention, so as a result he basically ended up coming to a complete stop to let me in, whereas if he'd just carried on as he was and let me worry about merging, it would have been far less dangerous. It seems very common here that people already on the motorway feel obliged to help those on the slip road to merge, but it very often ends up hindering the situation. It's my job as the one on the slip road to merge, and my merging decision relies on the consistency of the drivers already on the motorway, so by the other people trying to "help" by slowing down, they're just making things worse by changing the situation that I had already assessed and prepared for.

[@MogalyBogal]

I don't drive but as a pedestrian I hate cars stopping for me unless it's completely nessessary. If a road isn't super busy and I will probably only be waiting a few more seconds after you've gone, stopping for me slows both of us down!! I've had the two lane senario happen a few times and on two separate occasions I can rememeber had a car honk at me because I carried on waiting instead of walking in front of them and directly into the other lane of moving traffic.

[@audeforcione-lambert4293]

The thing I hate the most is when I'm on my bike and people let me go first on an intersection with stops. Yes, it is inconvenient to stop and start again on a bike, but I'm also very squishy and if I deviate from expected behavior I risk getting in an accident. I'd rather everyone just follow the law.

[@InstaSim6]

A little rhyme I follow is "If it helps with flow, let them go". If there's a backlog of heavy traffic with a queue ahead and a junction turning onto the road on the left, there's no problem with leaving some space to help clear the junction. I also follow the merge in turn principle of one car comes out of the junction followed by a car on the main road. If there's a junction to turn into ahead of me with queueing traffic beyond the junction, I stop just before it so anyone turning in can do so safely without causing much inconvenience to cars behind them. However what I don't do is stop unnecessarily to let people in or out because that can cause confusion and can sometimes even be flat out dangerous. I think a lot of drivers would do well to follow these principles in all honesty. Sometimes courtesy is nice but other times you need to be assertive.

[@Bovineprogrammer]

Not related to safety, but one thing that really annoys me is when someone decides to be "courteous" and let you out in front of them at a junction... when the road behind them is clear. This has happened to me a number of times and the extra time it takes them to slow down, and me to realise they're slowing down to let me out (followed by checking to make sure that's what they're actually doing and not just stopping for some hazard I missed while paying attention to them) means it's actually taken me more time to join the road than it would have done had they simply ignored me and driven as usual. Both flashing and waving people across are usually bad because it hurries people into taking action without checking their own safety - obviously you shouldn't be responsible for their safety but there are better ways of showing your intent. Generally I will let someone out of a T-junction if they're turning left (or right and there's no oncoming traffic), and traffic in my direction is moving slowly, and there are lots of cars behind me too. This way I know that when I stop to let them out, they can go without having to wait for other openings (although there's still the risk of motorcycles and cyclists overtaking), I'm not stopping suddenly or unexpectedly, and it also maximises benefit for the person turning while minimising losses for everyone else. But I think the biggest cause of accidents in this scenario comes from chancers who think that because you let the car in front of them go, they now have right of way to push in behind them. No mate, I let one car through - if I let everyone coming out through none of us are going anywhere. Someone behind me will likely show you the same courtesy, but it should be given to you, you cannot forcibly take it. This often leads to people driving much more aggressively which kinda negates the whole courtesy thing in the first place - and unfortunately, it happens even during the necessary courtesy situations shown in the video. Speaking of which, I've been in the middle of that exact situation before. We were sat there for literally an hour. A few times I saw someone who was blocking the junction behind me try to clear it by realising they were one of the causes and shuffling themselves around before driving down the junction, because the cars behind wouldn't reverse to let them go back. Each time the car behind would then force their way into the exact same spot and wonder why the traffic didn't start moving again.

[@saka75g]

1:42 I find it really strange that you say it's normally the one waiting to pull out that goes first, yes if it's a narrow junction the other car in may let them do so to make it easier for them to turn in, but in terms of actual right of way, the car turning in has priority.

[@AtomicShrimp]

Yes, but the norm is for the car with priority to offer courtesy. That's the point.

[@saka75g]

@@AtomicShrimp I guess it's because you asked "which of the two vehicles is being signalled?" To which case, it's obvious to me the one with right of way is being signalled. If the one who has been given way also decides to give way, they must know they are giving way. Leaving a gap for the other car to come out is a clue of their intention, so I can only put the confusion down to people not paying attention. I have to say though, I wouldn't consider giving way to the car coming out to be the norm unless it's a particularly awkward junction.

[@AtomicShrimp]

@@saka75g fair enough. I suppose the point is that as soon as the blue car stops and flashes its lights, we're off the map. That's not supposed to happen and we're into the territory of nobody being sure what is supposed to happen.

[@alittlebitofkatie]

Another comment, but I just wanted to thank you for saying that arguing who's fault an accident was doesn't mean it has not happened (1:22 ish). When I first started riding my motorbike, I was told to ride like everyone else on the road was trying to hit me off. At the time I thought it was a very pessimistic view of other road users (having been a car driver for many years by this point), but I quickly realised that this attitude was vital for my safety. Because if somebody else makes a mistake and doesn't see me, it doesn't matter that they were in the wrong if I'm dead on the tarmac.

[@alittlebitofkatie]

Sort of related: the motorbike test definitely leans more towards safety than 100% sticking to the letter of the highway code. For example, in my motorbike test I was overtaking a slower moving vehicle on a dual carriageway. As I came up to overtake them, they clearly realised that they were going as slow as they were and sped up to 70. If I was driving by the highway code, I shouldn't have gone any faster, but I needed to come off at the next junction and to make that happen I would've needed to have braked hard to pull in behind it to be able to come off in time. So instead I sped up, made the overtake, with enough space for my examiner to pull in behind me safely. I didn't even get a minor for that, even though I speeded, because it was the safest thing to do in the scenario.

[@axelblablabla]

Very interesting insight, in germany all junctions are to be kept clear if traffic blocks you from exiting it, only exception being for making a turn that crosses traffic in the opposing lane Also by german highway code in the first situation one of the roads would have been signified as a give way road for the intersection, meaning the driver from the road with right of way would turn first if someone stops to let both cars go

[@samdouglas32]

A much safer courtesy is deliberately making a gap approaching busy intersections in traffic. Provide an opportunity, not an obligation.

[@jakerockznoodles]

Exactly, proper courtesy is creating space where it's useful and when you're not really making much/any progress anyway, rather than stopping for some gesture that many people around you may not even realise you are making!

[@annikenlien5565]

The roundabout near my locale Tesco at uni doesn't have zebracrossings. No idea why as nearly every unistudent goes to that Tesco. This means you either have to wait ages for there to be no cars, and then run to make sure you make it before a car comes speeding by (and yes they do drive really fast!). The best option is when some nice cars stop so you can walk across without having to run. It is also really annoying when people don't use their signal lights, or even worse, when they use the wrong signal light! I wish we didn't have to do this, and the council just put in some crossings, there is one but it is a bit far away, and it doesn't account for people coming from another road (which means I still have to cross at least once).

[@Ixarus6713]

The block our house is on has literally zero zebras, sooo... how am I meant to cross if jaywalking is illegal? 😂😂 Guess I'm stuck!

[@AdamMansbridge]

You can email your local council and put your case for a new crossing there They will never add one of no one asks

[@Linnet09]

In my part of Canada, the local city council has introduced some roundabouts, fortunately, most of them aren't in my area although one was set up on a trial basis. I found them absolutely terrible for pedestrians because of course they don't have crosswalks, the traffic whizzes around really fast, and there don't usually seem to be pedestrian crossings nearby.

[@Kuro_Reaper]

I have my first driving lesson on Wednesday, you uploaded this video in perfect timing! Thank you. :)

[@Tsnafu]

Your outro music just reminded me of the "Rush" track "In The End" and it made me happy. Off to binge on Rush now - thank you

[@scottbelcher9026]

Very well thought out!!! Thinking things through and sharing them is a great thing! When I’ve taught someone to drive I give them all sorts of scenarios to think about!!!

[@TheVanderfulLife]

My annoyance is those often letting others out haven't the awareness they need to do it safely - they haven't checked for motorbikes, haven't realised there's no cars behind them, come to a sharp stop etc Ideally if you're gonna let someone out of a side road in flowing traffic, decide this early on and ease off the accelerator, growing the gap between you and the car Infront letting them take the chance, if they wish to, and proceed on past if not

[@ShadowLuchs]

4:46 Interesting, that this is considered courtesy. In Germany, this is not courtesy, but actually required. The driving regulations specifically say, that you are not allowed to stop where you would block of a junction or road access. This means that in this scenario, you would need to have the foresight that the car in front of you will stop and would force you to stop inside the junction, thus you must stop before the junction. This is expected from drivers. EDIT: Watched a few seconds more now :) So Britain often has markings in these sitatuations. For the curious, in Germany, there are no markers, the rule mentioned above simply applies to every junction.

[@LeesaDeAndrea]

Key to safe driving is keeping your eyes on traffic. Be on the lookout for possible hazards. Pay attention. Follow traffic rules.

[@philpinto]

I think the real problem we have in this country and probably other countries is the absolute lack of common sense amongst the majority of drivers out there.

[@Japan_Malaysia]

Unfortunately, women don't have (any never will have) any common sense when driving.

[@Laralinda]

In Germany it's part of driving test: keep side roads or junctions clear when there is a traffic jam. With the headlight flashing its quite the same: you are not allowed to use them as a sign that you will give way to the other person. In narrow streets where parking is allowed on both sides, if it is not clear which car had the obstacle in the first place and both drivers come to a stop, you have to decide who goes first. If you then don't use flashlights both would stand there forever ;-) I also give a sign on the motorway to oncoming lorries that I will slow down and let them into the space in front of me. It is not necessary, but makes things easier.

[@TheThursty100]

And then the lorry drivers tap the hazard light for a single blink as a thank you, I love that!

[@christiangrey3645]

I bet John Warosa is the kind of guy who lets everyone out at the junction - since he is a man of god...

[@ayanabeltaine]

After recently returning to the US from Argentina, I've been pondering the same. In Argentina, you assume that the car with the right of way is going to continue to do so. It felt dangerous at first, but after thinking on it.. you know what to assume is going to happen, and ultimately I think it makes it safer.

[@royston1928]

I like you Atomic Shrimp. Good ponderings.

[@simonbealing]

I got told off after my mod 2 motorbike test for letting someone out of a side road on my left whilst waiting in a queue of traffic at a pedestrian crossing last year. The examiner gave me 101 what ifs and told me I shouldn't have done it as "i" could cause an accident. I've been driving a car for over 20 years and it just seemed normal behaviour but he was not happy. I suppose i could have been causing a dangerous situation for those not driving with due care and attention but they have to drive their cars, not me. All i was doing was presenting them with an opportunity. If someone offers to let you out at a junction you still have to pay attention to other traffic, not just blindly trust them that it's safe to pull out. There should definitely be more yellow boxes at junctions though:)

[@wiyandriluwisto3973]

2:00 There is a similar T-Junction on my daily route, and as a motorcycle driver in a country full of motorcycles (pink one SEA country) I always do the split lane thing. There are times when I almost get hit (or hit) because of it. Most of the time though, I always remember these words "There is a reason the car at the front stop, so you should too" and I realized I just saved myself from going under a giant truck, or hitting an expensive car.

[@phyphor]

As a motorcyclist thank you for including the risk to us when people do unexpected "nice" things. The roads are already dangerous but bent predictable is safest for everyone - although as a rider I have to be aware of the fact that much activity is often unpredictable.

[@femkeyt2635]

These are really interesting examples to think about, thanks. Hope you do more videos like this, very thought provoking.

[@ianbutler1983]

It usually only takes one or two instances of entering an intersection and being unable to clear it (thereby blocking traffic when your light turns red and the other light turns green) for people to learn that you should not enter any intersection without being pretty certain you can clear it for people to learn this lesson. All the angry stares as you sit awkwardly blocking everyone is uncomfortable. I think it is lesson all drivers learn.

[@rogink]

I'd be interested in Mr Shrimp's take on a crossroads, where drivers approach on the side roads from opposite directions. No problem if both are turning left, as long as each are indicating. Both going straight ahead, makes it less clear as no indication is needed. For clarity I'd like some indication - maybe hazard lights? If both drivers are indicating right, in most cases common courtesy will mean the first driver to the junction gets priority. But if one is turning right and the other isn't indicating...

[@flyingshards595]

I really like and appreciate these videos. It's always fun to hear people's ideas when they are willing to "show their work"!

[@Jane-oz7pp]

As a pedestrian and bike rider, courtesy almost always means I nearly get hit by a car lol

[@robertstead8713]

I used to live and work in the same town and on those roads over the years you get to know the areas that require courtesy to operate. I then started working in London and commuting by car and I very quickly learnt that courtesy in any form has a noticeable negative effect on you being safe and on time.

[@swedneck]

In the example with the elderly pedestrian crossing the road, i'd very confidently say that the fault is with the road designers. He felt that was the best place for him to cross (i can absolutely imagine the distance to an existing crossing being dreadful for an elderly person), and the people designing the roads should have kept this in mind. All countries generally need way more crossings on any vaguely high traffic roads, it's kind of nuts to expect all pedestrians to walk hundreds of meters out of their way just to be able to not die when crossing the road.

[@alexandrastevens8892]

Very good example of the way we mostly drive in the UK It's time that L and P plate drivers were shown these types of scenarios to show what can go wrong or not

[@lauran3244]

To address the first example: this wouldn’t happen in the USA as the car on the main road would have right of way. That way if the oncoming vehicles signal to let them go, it’s obvious who goes first. If we could somehow meld European roundabouts with American traffic laws it would be ideal. Ps thank you for your videos I watch them every night without fail and have done so for 2.5 years. You are an incredible content creator and your narrative style is phenomenal. Thank you for the hours of entertainment.

[@zephyros256]

Afaik in plenty of European countries the side roads also have lower priority from the main/ongoing road (the pavement is part of the road, so turning off or on a road also entails giving way to pedestrians walking alongside the car part of the road).

[@explosivelybrilliant]

I was taught to always drive predictably. I feel like that's always better than courtesy as far as safe outcomes go.

[@Sam-nx5ch]

I have been on this soap box for so long and I am quite happy to now yield my soap box to you.

[@ruinfox4108]

Seen this on Ashley Neals channel a way back, hes a british driving instuctor / youtuber very goood at what he does, he basically explained everything you did and your right, its sort of tricky especially if your genuinely a nice person, i dont drive myself but im no stranger to these types of stuff either.

[@Elektronaut]

Very interesting topic! I do most of my commuting on bicycle (around 4.000 km a year, and around 2/3 of that on inner-city bicycle paths or streets). Often it's unexpected courteous actions that cause confusion. What I mean for example: When I come to a halt at a stop- or give-way sign at an intersection I expect other drivers to go on an not signal me to continue. This does not happen when I'm going by car. Maybe it's just that many cyclists blow through the intersection? Or pedestrians that wait next do a crosswalk, wait for me to stop and the gesture me to continue. This happens also why driving a car. One thing comes to mind with the first example you gave. I don't see where the courtesy of the driver from the left makes it worse. I can see the same dangers when the flow of oncoming car from the left stops an both waiting drivers start moving at the same time.

[@recklessroges]

I remember driving in New Zealand in the 90's where they had a rule that if you are turning into a side road on your side, you have to let any waiting oncoming cars that are also trying to turn into that side road, to go first. It made perfect sense when explained to me, and I almost always forgot during the few occasions when it happened. I wonder if it has been repealed or has spread to other countries.

[@ellaquin]

Interesting, I like the visuals you used, did you animate them frame by frame, or use some sort of program?

[@matthewjbauer1990]

I live in the US. I HATE it when my left turn is blocked by a car. I HATE it even more if my left turn is blocked causing someone else's left turn to be blocked. There is a left I now bypass on my way to work because it is always blocked by cars stopping in the middle of the intersection. When I would try to make that turn, it was always a 50% chance whether or not I would have to leave the center left turn lane queue and go around instead of making the left. All because cars are blocking that left turn. Also, there's a gas station I stopped going near work (during rush hour) because I'd have to wait on someone to let me in and out or risk waiting "forever" for a gap in traffic. My dad, a "high value auto insurance adjuster" taught me how to drive and taught me never to block driveways, intersections, rights, lefts, or businesses on purpose. He always told me to stay behind the intersection when in doubt.

[@minijimi]

Here in Canada, there is little to no courtesy on the road. The rules are: 1: Me first, me next and me again. 2: Get out of my way. There is lots of road rage and aggressive driving here. If you are not going 20km/h over the limit, you are in the way. The difference between England and Canada is night and day. The reason is that the infrastructure here is such that is you don't have a car, you are walking for hours to get to your destination. In the UK, the you can get around without a car. Shops are not too far away. Roads here are built on a grid system, and most in town roads are stroads (street-road combination). Roundabouts have been recently introduced here and most people do not understand how to use them, usually by not giving way and changing lanes while on the roundabout. I would rather drive here in Canada though. So to conclude, courtesy on the road needs to given when there is clear communication between all parties.

[@LisaLovesFugglers]

I'm not a driver or a cyclist, so I can offer no real feedback as such on the video content (other then it was informative!), but I do love how your outro music matches the theme of your videos! I look at the titles, as well as enjoying the music, and it all makes sense!