I Investigate How Netherlands Deals With SO MANY Cyclists

[@NotJustBikes]

It's amazing, isn't it? I try to tell people that designing proper cycling infrastructure actually makes the city *better* for drivers (and everyone, really), but it's so hard to get through to people. Of course I know all of this already, but it was fascinating to see this through the eyes of a driving school instructor!

[@DrivingSchoolTV]

Hah you’re awesome! I was expecting total carnage and got presented with something completely opposite. NL smashed it 👌 thanks for the shout out!!

[@timothychinye6008]

Thanks for bringing me to this channel NJB

[@VipapkStudiosOfficial]

I knew you were going to comment 😂

[@DM-kv9kj]

It's gradually become my understanding that it's in fact IMPOSSIBLE to "get through to people" by trying to convince them of opinions. You might convince a few, especially younger, folk to believe an opinion you tell them but ultimately that is never going to change society. Any opinion copied or believed from others has no solid foundation and can easily be manipulated in other directions by those who run society and media/social media etc. ALL real social and systemic change has come from society as a whole learning from first-hand experience and mostly disaster. Climate issues will never be actually tackled properly until most of the world is severely suffering and witnessing obvious rapid disasters happening. Bike lanes will never become a serious thing in most countries until lack of oil forces a lot more people to have to cycle around cities. With the entire world now 100% dominated and manipulated by a global corporate technocracy with every individual mind locked into their own online echo chamber of opinioneering, this makes it even worse to the point of totally impossible. It's of course still vital for those with insight to work on the problems the best they can, to prepare somewhat for the POSSIBILITY of eventual widespread systemic change, but running ourselves ragged endlessly trying to convince people without a real clue to get this stuff is really a waste of time and causes more mental anguish and illness. Sadly, while those of us with some awareness of such issues should certainly still do what we can, we should not set our minds on the idea that we have to force everyone else to agree with our views, because we can't and that only ever causes us increasing stress and depression.

[@jeroenimus7528]

​@@DrivingSchoolTVhaving moved from Eindhoven to Scotland I feel less safe either driving or cycling. It's as if it's all learner-drivers out here (or worse). A big reason for that is that to pass your Dutch driving test you can, at the maximum, afford two minor faults. If I'm correct it's seven here (and used to be eleven until a few years ago). That's HUGE!

[@bente1057]

The bikes you saw are all actually locked! In the Netherlands most people don't use a chain lock, but rather a kind of frame lock that is attached to the bike itself. The lock works by pushing a pin through the spokes of your back wheel, making it so that the back wheel can't spin anymore. So while you could technically just lift the back wheel and walk away, it does make stealing the bike a bit more difficult. We have a saying that's basically like "you don't need to make your bike the hardest to steal, it just shouldn't be the easiest". In bigger cities or busier areas people tend to also use a chain lock and attach the frame of their bike to a pole or something (so the bike is even more difficult to steal), but not in smaller areas.

[@DrivingSchoolTV]

Ah no way I had no idea! Thank you!!

[@arjan_speelman]

@@DrivingSchoolTV One small addition to that: we all use that frame lock and if you live in one of the larger cities, you'll certainly also have a chain lock. Otherwise your bike will be gone, either in a canal or in someones backyard.

[@fritsmosselman4597]

@@DrivingSchoolTV Really enjoyed this! There's this YT channel called "not just bikes", which has vids about dutch infrastucture & bikes (and how they're used). I highly recommend watching some of that.

[@JaNouWatIkVind]

Student trick to avoid stealing: paint your bike in bright colours. Makes it easier to spot and harder to sell. Mine used to be painted in national colours.

[@thomasrealist6181]

@@DrivingSchoolTVin bigger cities like Amsterdam and Utrecht they try to get parked bikes from the big squares by offering free parking in bike garages

[@Maguramishi]

0:49 Cyclists don’t have priority everywhere. They follow “the rules of the road” but contrary to elsewhere, there rules of the road in the NL aren’t made solely for cars.

[@oetgaol]

They *mostly* follow the rules of the road 😂

[@crytocc]

They sort of don't but they also sort of do. On non-signaled intersections in urban areas, priority for cyclists is the default policy according to Dutch traffic design rules (though they are not implemented universally, and especially older areas sometimes don't follow this rule yet), and perhaps more importantly, in a collision between a driver and a cyclist, the driver is automatically assumed to be at fault unless there's reason to believe otherwise (which is different from how it works in many other places). So in a literal sense, cyclists don't have priority everywhere, but in a practical sense they more or less do.

[@Max-hw7xl]

legally correct, but even if the bike should have yielded, an accident with a car is potentially deadly so drivers are taught safety over legal right, especially when its kids of teens on bikes

[@malloott]

We don't love cycling, we just like having alternatives to the car. Never think of us as cyclists, we are just taking the fastest and cheapest route.

[@malloott]

@@vlinder0108 I get that, but I have no idea why you think it's you against me and that is exactly the problem I have with bike fans.

[@red_roy]

i think youre taking things the wrong way. a lot of people say americans love cars/driving. when most dont. most dread the commute. they just dont realise there is an alternative. so by love we mean "most preferred mode of transport". same applies to NL "loving" cycles. ofc all of NL isnt filled with cycling fanatics, its just a pragmatic mode of transport everyone uses. but no one actually means dutch people broadly love cycling. its a figure of speech.

[@philroo1]

Has cycling been politicised in the Netherlands? I.e. right wing newspapers in the UK publish articles that try to claim cycling is a bigger danger to the public than motoring!

[@jordan5898]

@@philroo1 I want to know this too

[@AstrumG2V]

​@@philroo1it got politicised in the 70s, when an American city planner came over and tried to turn Amsterdam into a US-style car-centric city. A huge popular movement sprang up to promote cycling to keep our roads safe. Mix modal travel has been the default in the Netherlands ever since. Sad to say public transportation has been under fire for the past few years or so!

[@OllieV__nl]

The thing that makes Eindhoven a good city to test this is that it's probably the most English-looking city we have. It grew during the industrial revolution to a lot of the expansion from that era uses rowhouses with no front yard and on street parking, as well as neighborhoods modeled after garden cities. The Rondweg is a dual carriageway that still has some outdated intersection designs like multilane roundabouts - common in the UK, rare in the Netherlands. Cycling routes follow the main roads, with very few "fast routes" - only a few underpasses and no exclusive bike routes, it's a big loop. From my own limited experience with traeling around there, it is still a very car heavy city. People often point to Amsterdam, Utrecht or Groningen and say "we can't do that in the UK" and they're right. They can't. The Dutch cycle infrastructure is a process of over fifty years, it shouldn't be implemented overnight, because the culture won't shift overnight with it. Dutch roads are very micromanaged and Eindhoven still is a city in transition. It's kinder to cars than many other cities in the Netherlands (don't get me started on Nijmegen). Eindhoven is a good place to look for inspiration for gradual changes.

[@raisan5989]

Thumbs up for the flag

[@raisan5989]

Come to Groningen to experience the result of "het verkeerscirculatieplan" and get an bike to experience "alle fietsen tegelijk groen. Our previous Prime Minister cycled to work often, I don't see Keir Starter or Rishi Sunak bike to work

[@wyvern3]

Yeah, was hoping someone would say this. Eindhoven is definitely behind on a lot of other cities road infrastructure wise. It does feel like one of the most car centric cities I've been to in The Netherlands. They are doing a lot to modernize right now, and some plans that are coming up would allow the Rondweg to be updated finally. At the current moment, there is too much traffic on the road, which means the capacity of the safer designs is too low. This mainly caused because you go fully around Eindhoven on motorways only, so a lot of people drive through the city unnecessarily.

[@16dutch16]

Curious to know when you last experienced Eindhoven. The improvement in cycling infrastructure over the last 6-10 years has been phenomenal. There are definitely cycle only routes now and fast routes.

[@pelle.h1809]

Waarom zie ik jou overal?????

[@vulpixelful]

A lot of drivers in the Netherlands are also cyclists, so they know how to interact with cyclists when driving. Instead of renting a car there, rent a bike...

[@Roeplala]

In stead of flying here, try taking the train.

[@mourlyvold64]

@@Roeplala ...or swim.

[@jooproos6559]

@@mourlyvold64 Really??🤣

[@mourlyvold64]

@@jooproos6559 Kom op, Joop. Ben je nou een jonge god of niet?

[@jooproos6559]

@@mourlyvold64 Ik word 0p 23 oktober 76 jaar.Dus die tijd heb ik gehad..

[@kevinsano]

The red circle with nothing in it at 4:50 means about the same in the Netherlands as it does in the UK. In this specific case, the bit of road it's next to has a contra-flow bus lane but no other vehicles are allowed to go in from that direction.

[@zmooc]

To add to that: in general, signs to your left are meant for you only if the same sign is also on the right side of the lane/road.

[@SaarRocks]

Small addition: it says "uitgezonderd lijnbussen" underneath it, which means no vehicles may enter except buses. So the sign is the same as it is in the uk, but the exceptions are written in Dutch

[@dikkiedik53]

@@zmooc except.. forbidden to turn sign number F7, that must be placed on your left side.

[@zmooc]

@@dikkiedik53 Didn't know that but obviously makes sense. Thanks!

[@davidbeakhust9797]

@@SaarRocks Also (as this one is) a bus lane will be marked "LIJN BUS" on the road. Lijn Bus I translate as "service bus" or similar, so AFAIK is not for tourist coaches. The word "Uitgezonderd" is a word you need to know as there are exceptions (Uitzonderingen) EVERYWHERE. Helpfully in a lot of places the exception (if it is a bike, scooter etc) will appear as a logo of a bike or scooter, etc). "LIjn Bus" is an exception as just a picture of a bus does not separate "service buses" from tourist buses, I was last in Eindhoven to stay several decades ago and it has changed a LOT. Even Then, though, I would rent abike to get round, but there were segregated lanes for them only on some roads. I still felt safer there than in UK. Drivers more aware of bikes.

[@SW-gf6zl]

I'm quite baffled why he keeps repeating that we Europeans drive on the 'wrong' side of the road ?? His own language clearly tells him that we drive on the _right_ side of the road - like the overwhelming majority of countries worldwide.

[@موسى_7]

The left is safer, but that's difficult to implement in Europe because it makes driving across borders difficult

[@pokedmondude]

Originally everyone drove on the left side of the road back when we moved around on horses. Knights were most of the time righthanded. So you want your dominant hand on the side of the oncoming traffic in case someone tries to rob you or your lord.

[@ralphsebregts3439]

it is even in the name, we drive on the "right" side of the road ;)

[@jolandafrijlink6103]

Not Just Bikes can give you a good insight of our road network particular about cycling. He's a Canadian that moved here and fell in love with the infrastructure and my country as a whole.

[@NotJustBikes]

Sounds like a cool channel. I'll check it out.

[@wolfetone2012]

​@@NotJustBikesyou did get citizenship recently, right? So did you stick with the Canadian nationality, or switch to Nederlandse?

[@NotJustBikes]

​@@wolfetone2012I was required to renounce my Canadian citizenship in order to become Dutch. It would have been nice to keep both but I don't care. It's not like I'm ever going to move back to Canada and a Dutch passport is more useful anyway.

[@wolfetone2012]

@@NotJustBikes guess that 2023 amendment to the RWN didn't pass then. Would have loved to have seen your dutch passport show your nationality as _canadese_

[@SgtGuarnereDD]

Living in Eindhoven and actually being a driving instructor myself here, I can assure you it's not always the way you showed it in your video. Though our road system is definitely better than it is in most countries, we've got our own set of troubles. Mainly, there's just simply too much traffic in any shape or form within our city center. If you'd be driving in the area you were at around the 5-minute mark in your video at either around 8:30 AM or 5:00 PM on a business day; you'd be shocked how different it looks.

[@Bubble-Foam]

I’m curious to know if that’s any different from the rush hour we experience in the states. Because it’s also not worth driving at those times here (if you can help it).

[@SgtGuarnereDD]

@@Bubble-Foam during rush hour, it's quicker to get from A to B almost anywhere in the city riding a bicycle than it is by car. It's worse in some cities of course, but it's pretty bad in Eindhoven.

[@cearnicus]

Yeah -_- I cycle on that bit between 5:20 and 6:10 every day. It's hell in rush hour. Pedestrians crowding the cycle paths, people cycling the wrong way, and then there's the bike couriers & other ebikers going _way_ too fast for that narrow bit of red asphalt. Once I clear that bit it's fine, but you have to be so careful here.

[@cern1999sb]

Isn't that the point? If it was quicker by car, you induce driving demand until it becomes slower by car anyway. The way to improve that is more and better alternative links, such as rail, bus, bike, tram, metro

[@lorenzorota1555]

the best thing about Eindhoven and the Netherlands is actually that you don't need to drive a car!! it's often faster to move around with the combo public transport + bike, even more enjoyable than car riding imo :))

[@lorenzorota1555]

if you want to learn more about why this is also so beneficial for people that need to drive (usually these are the people that are prioritized here), I recommend the channel not just bikes, he explains very well how most things here work!!

[@patricep2715]

Well not of you live in small villages like me in Limburg. . Public transport is next to nothing

[@Blackadder75]

only in the randstad, the rest of the Netherlands the car is still faster , let's not spread false propaganda

[@erikth1986]

@@Blackadder75 Even in the randstad, for me its 15min to work by car 1h15m by bike or public transport.

[@JaNouWatIkVind]

True. Bike routes are often shorter.

[@reneegroeninx7076]

One thing, when driving and making a turn ALWAYS look over your shoulder to check the blind spot. This is hammered into you when learning to drive in NL

[@vanDaalstad]

it is hammered in so well that I even look over my shoulder when walking, just in case.

[@Max-hw7xl]

@@vanDaalstad Opa on his E-bike doesnt give a fuck. iv seen tourists walking on bike paths get run over by assholes. iv considered it myself as a biker but opted for the "get off the fuckin bike path" yell while avoiding them when in a bad mood. Usually il stop and give a quick explanation of orange path means stay clear

[@SharienGaming]

@@vanDaalstad hah i do that as well - german driving instruction must be pretty similar in that regard 😅

[@ergii]

6:10 we do lock our bikes, but most people dont use chain locks so theyre as visible from a distance. frame locks are more common.

[@RoyvanLierop]

The "Cycle Lanes" in 1:30 are actually not cycle lanes. They're called suggestion lanes and have no legal status. It's just road painted differently.

[@starbase218]

Yeah I wanted to comment on that. The interrupted white lines mean that cars can go there, and they do as shown in the video. So there is enough space for the two lanes he’s talking about. But it’s a flexible space. Normally you do drive in the middle, and cyclists can use the suggestion lanes. The thing is, if cars go side by side, well the cyclist can see that happening and is not going to mix in with them. It works well.

[@levolta]

There is a bicycle painted on there, surely that means it's a cycle lane? Sure, cars are allowed to go on it, but I'd still say it's a cycle lane.

[@TheMerlinism]

@@levolta It's actually a cycling lane because there is a bicycle painted on there; they are only suggestive if the bicycle marking is absent. The interrupted line means cars and other vehicle can in fact enter but they aren't allowed to park or stop there, whereas an uninterrupted line means neither bike nor car can cross it. There's also red lanes with an interrupted line where the bicycle is missing; these are purely suggestive and do in fact not have any legal implications.

[@baskoning9896]

We do, always, lock our bikes with the back wheel lock, and if we dont, they WILL be stolen in under 5 minutes. More expensive bikes are chained up in addition to the back wheel lock.

[@kevartje1295]

4:50 In the netherlands that also means no vehicles can enter. This one was specifically for the roads on the left side of the sign. Under it was a white sign that said except for busses (specifically public transport ones). That road was for busses only, no other vehicles allowed.

[@Gert-DK]

Imagine, half the cars disappeared in London! The air will be much better, you will live longer, especially if you took a bike to work. Much less noise, getting around much faster (on your bike). Mayor for traffic in Copenhagen, was asked what it takes to make a bike city. He answered:"It takes guts". To the question on how to do it:"Just make it as easy for the bikes as possible. When people find out how much faster it is, they won't stop biking". 61% in Copenhagen, bikes to and from job/school each day. Imagine that in London!!!

[@bramharms72]

As a Dutchman who's lived in a city centre, I don't think this mayor is being completely honest, this is the PR spiel. We're all believers in better infrastructure here, so we can say that amongst ourselves. 😉 There's also a component of "make it more difficult for cars" to it. No matter how willing people are, you'll always have to overcome ingrained thinking. People won't find out how much faster it is until you've driven them with whip and curses to try it. 😁 And when you've driven them to alternatives you've got to keep 'em there so there's still a lot of "active discouragement" going on, because "Induced Demand" has a flipside: The more cars you eliminate from the streets, the better you make it for the ones that are still left.

[@Gert-DK]

@@bramharms72 I am not sure what your point is, but Copenhagen have build 6 new bike and pedestrian bridges over the harbour. When first and second bridge was build, they both became congested, so more bridges has to be built. The bridges made it so easy and fast for the people to reach job/school, that even more started biking. As he said:"make it as easy for the bikes as possible".

[@Blackadder75]

@@bramharms72 and then it is October and it rains all week and look! 50% of them is back in the car

[@Draregkoeliekalie]

​@@Blackadder75 imagine how congested the dutch cities would be if we were like other countries when everyone would sit in his/her car? The bike infrastructure works. Its simple as that. As a side benefit its more healthy to do and there is less noise outside and less polution. Dont get me wrong. My wife and I both have a car. I use it almost every day and there is a place for both ways of transport, but I absolutely am in favour of good bike infrastructure and good public transport.

[@roelkomduur8073]

@@Blackadder75 Even if true, that would still be 50% on bikes...

[@chipdale490]

Just binge Not Just Bikes. That'll keep you busy for a while.

[@mardy3732]

Even if you're driving on the wrong side, it's still the right side.

[@annoholics]

Het is worst en zonder "r" het is ook worst?

[@RinkieGeintie]

@@annoholicshema

[@Arjay404]

The thing about dutch roads (including bike paths) is that from the design point they are made so you can't make mistakes and if you DO make a mistake that those mistakes aren't as severe as they would be in other places. The roads themself force you to drive a certain way, which is the way that they want you to drive on such roads.

[@guidoferri8683]

Fun fact: there are cycle lanes between cities too, where in other countries you would find only highways and country roads

[@technolleke]

Shot of an intersection with traffic lights and office buildings: "Look at how nice it is here" I think that's the first time that intersection got a compliment quite like that :P

[@RogerKeulen]

The Villa park in the middle of Eindhoven is nice. The rest is a bit meh.

[@starbase218]

You don’t see it because to you, it’s normal.

[@SuperPol1981]

0:25 It's the right side because it's the right side.

[@therickman1990]

As a Dutch citizen born and raised and having taken a ferry to Harwich with my own car and driven around the Windsor area for a few days: the UK is a garbled mess, tiny narrow streets, lots of street parking to block traffic flow, the roundabouts are awfull (4 or 5 lanes sometimes without lines!), roadmarkings everywhere are a mess, road surface is horrid, cyclists on the same road as cars, a 1000 things to have to watch out for which is just a recipe for accidents. Driving on the wrong side of the road in the UK was actually the easiest of all to get used to.

[@jfv65]

The red circle sign is the same in NL as it is in UK. But there is an extra sign below it stating that it is a dedicated bus/taxi lane. Another example of splitting traffic modes from eachother. Btw emergency vehicles can use any lane they want when they are using lights+ siren. Nice to see you exploring my home town. PSV-city! Soon also to be ASML-city.

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

Hardly any bikes, do the same trip in the morning or evening when people move home or to their job...

[@abacaxiveer]

The schools, lol. We get 100 bike traffic jams here.

[@RogerKeulen]

Waiting 2 turns on a traffic light....

[@andriiwp3]

Hey Francis, I am just back from my exam and I have passed it first time with only 4 minors. I haven't had any driving lessons with instructors, but I have driven around 500 miles with my parents and watched ALL your videos. You're an absolute ace man, keep going!

[@Bramfly]

All children in the Netherlands in elementary school follow mandatory bicycle driving lessons followed by taking an official practical examination to prove they’ve absorbed the theoretical rules and are able to travel safely by bicycle. All car drivers have had this bicycle training course when they were in school as well and most drivers use a bicycle for trips in town/the city ,as it is oftentimes quicker, cheaper and much more fun than driving in heavy traffic congestion and having to look for a (expensive) parking spot.

[@youpie24]

Those exams are the cutest! Love it when i see a bunch of 11 year olds doing their best in high-visibility jackets!!

[@europeangardenflower9812]

This is not true. It's not mandatory. And children get traffic lessons at school about all kinds of traffic, not bicycling lessons. That's what parents are for. Also not all schools engage in the NOT mandatory bicycling exams.

[@jooproos6559]

Nop!Not all car drivers had this training on school.I have had the training off driving a car in something like 1980 or so.Then all this now wasn't there!The car was the king in those days.

[@DenUitvreter]

The Netherlands has the most bicycles since the 1920's and people just kept cycling while government was trying to turn the country into a network of highways and parking lots. If the Dutch had waited on good cycling infrastructure to cycle they wouldn't have gotten it. Government was following, not leading.

[@KayLouiseKelly]

They ran a successful campaign of awareness and civil disobedience following a number of tragic road deaths. And eventually government listened.

[@Gertsie]

A campaign called "stop de kindermoord" (Stop child murder) was the turning point. It steered us away from the car-centric aproach in the 60's

[@jannetteberends8730]

High school students biking to school also played a role, I think. There were already cycle paths and parallel roads (ventwegen) along busy roads.

[@DenUitvreter]

@@jannetteberends8730 Yes, but there were streets and crossings to avoid cycling to primary school, and to get to high school we all had to take a detour to the back of the school too instead of crossing a road, with cycle lanes, to the front entrance. The already existing service roads/ventwegen, ironically the product of building roads for cars next to small existing roads, did indeed help as well as the many cycle paths build privately (ANWB) for recreation and the paths besides the canals for the horsed that pulled the tow boat. But most was 30km streets cycling between the cars, cycle lanes are actually beneficial to cars in the sense that they can do their own speed in a more orderly piece of the road/street.

[@jannetteberends8730]

@@DenUitvreter agreed. In the cities the situation was often worse than between cities. But one of the things foreigners are amazed about, is that the cycle paths continue in rural areas. My point is that part of it was already there. If I remember correctly, the ENWB, in the early years, was often focused on just the things you mentioned. The discontinuities in cycle routes.

[@jota47]

Love to hear you like the traffic arrangement. Some things are not as good as you might think at the first glance. Don't assume your bike will not be nicked when leaving it unlocked. Certainly more expensive models are recommende to be locked with a normal bike lock and a chain to fix it to a pole. 🚴

[@parmentier7457]

Then you have to go to Almere city. Almere is a city with 230,000 inhabitants and was created in the 80s from the drained inland sea. It is a bit like the Milton Keynes of the Netherlands. Because Almere is a new city, pedestrians, cyclists, car traffic and public transport are strictly separated from each other. It is even the case that during driving tests, driving is not done in Almere because the city is so safe.

[@dimrrider9133]

And its the most ugly city in the Netherlands LOL

[@ingridwatsup9671]

Usually the slower you are, the more right of way you have in The Netherlands!

[@yerrie1908]

No we use locks on the bike, but there is a simple easy lock for quickly going into a shop, if you leave your bike for a longer time and over night we use big chains too.

[@jybuys]

We use ring locks a lot in NL. Lock attached to the rear of the bike and locking your rear wheel only. And maybe a second chain lock.

[@edarkys]

7:00 please do not take a plane just to drive around for the day! That is a terrible idea! Greenhouse gas emissions do not need that kind of additional boost! The rest of the video was nice.

[@lisawensink6906]

Yessss!!! Love it! When I was driving in the UK with you it was something very different than what I'm used to😆

[@DrivingSchoolTV]

Haha hey Lisa! Now I’ve been on your roads I have no idea why you wanted to drive here 😂

[@lisawensink6906]

@@DrivingSchoolTV Hahaha I think it’s just best to drive in all kind of circumstances 😂

[@windroid_user]

I remember that vid haha. I dunno how practical tests are conducted there (even though I was born in Zeist lol) but you showed great intuition in choosing lanes and your positioning, despite the shit signs and markings we have in the UK😂 So yeah well done!

[@TheJoaveck]

4:50 That sign was ment for the 2 middle lanes, wich are bus lanes. The white sign underneath it is an exclusion dign. It says 'Line busses excluded'

[@autohmae]

Little surprise for drivers around the world: more alternatives to cars means less cars on the road, which means less congestion and means nicer driving experience. You definitely need to try cycling in the Netherlands as well. Especially if you can find someone who can guide you a bit with some tips: like get an rented e-bike.

[@collectioneur]

I also drive around the world, but usually in Streetview and in Great Britain I find those zigzag lines everywhere very confusing...

[@Michiel_de_Jong]

If you don't drive on the right side only the wrong side 's left.

[@ingridwatsup9671]

😊yes!

[@Pykenike1]

it's even called the RIGHT side.

[@ferryvantichelen6521]

Just imagine all these cyclists suddenly taking a car instead. What a shitshow that would be. That's why it's important for a nice car-driving experience to invest in car-alternatives. The more people that ride a bike, the more space for you and your car. Also, say hi to the people at the Pink for me.

[@captainchaos3667]

You don't have to imagine. Just look at any British or American city. 😂

[@crytocc]

About the bike locking: most people *do* lock their bikes, though often only with a wheel lock, and many bikes have combo locks where you open the wheel lock and an optional chain lock with the same key on the same 'base unit'. And unless you have a fancy bike, theft is much less of an issue when a 'new' second-hand bike can easily be found for anywhere between 50 and 300 EUR.

[@john-r-edge]

From the UK, now NL resident, keen cyclist, and also driver. Comment as a driver on NL road markings - I miss "cats eyes" particularly when driving in the rain at night. Other thing here which takes some getting used to is a style of junction on urban motorways which I never recall seeing in the UK. This is when there are (as part of a larger intersection) two two-lane highways which are parallel, all cars going the same way. Those highways are then brought together for a distance of a kilometer or so to make a four-lane highway. Within that touch zone drivers can shift between the two original two-laners both left to right and vice versa. This means that the overtaking (left) lane of the right two-laner is brought in contact with the slow (right) lane of the left two-laner. That needs good observation and manners by all drivers for it to work.

[@arjankroonen4319]

Having been to the UK last summer I couldn't agree more... UK road layout/signage is a nightmare.

[@Maya9396]

I just saw in a English newspaper a picture of a new roundabout, unbelievable. So unnecessarily complicated. I really don’t understand why people don’t look at countries who do it properly. The same for bike lanes. If you do it the right way it works.

[@Lintary]

The ammount of research that goes into Dutch infrastructure design is second to none and it is always changing taking onboard new lessons as we go. Quite often when I see footage from other places or am there to vissit I am just shocked at how bad things are, seems like a lot of places just do not care and because of that the number of accidents is much higher. Granted it aint perfect here, but that is why we keep updating the regulations as we learn a street last done in the 90s is a lot different from one done today.

[@joelhoeve]

The sign with the red circle and nothing in it does mean no entry (not only for cars, but also no cycling). The one you point to has a sign underneath saying busses are exempted, since that lane is a bus lane!

[@jeroenimus7528]

Btw, I cycled in London from Victoria to Paddington station back in 1998. If you're a proficient cyclist it's doable and safe. Except that in order to be safe you needed to sometimes break the rules and jump a red light. (Basically cross the moment cars are halted but pedestrians are still waiting for the red.) As I understand things have improved quite a bit since then.

[@basscharenborg6441]

4:50 Here too it means No Entry. But the vandelised sighn underneath says tranlated to English: "scheduled buses allowed"

[@michal2708]

I have one fundamental question for you. Why did you record all the film sitting behind the wheel? Can you ride a bike?

[@womenfrom0202]

That road system is hard work. When a road needs to be renewed, the design is updated as well. Meaning, if the bicycle path is to small, the whole road is redesigned to make it saver. It’s work in progress, but when it’s done it works.

[@chelseashurmantine8153]

6:37 that person who’s planning to turn waited for the cyclist

[@-_YouMayFind_-]

That was a buses line (Buslijn) which means regular cars can not go on it and is specifically for buses. There was a word on the road too there.

[@meticulousgeek]

Thank you for the kind words about our road infrastructure!

[@thirsk3]

I had lots of trouble finding nice cycling routes and running routes on my holiday in England, but I love the politeness in England and that also makes things work on the mixed use roads.

[@ClassyJackBF]

As a Dutchman I never thought I'd ever hear someone be so enthusiastic about driving around in Eindhoven. Makes me appreciate what we have a lot more, thank you :)

[@shingshongshamalama]

It's infuriating to see drivers complain about how road design like this would make driving worse and they just have no idea how much better it actually is. It doesn't just make everyone else safer, it genuinely makes actually driving nicer.

[@NinaW1n]

All those bikes are locked, we just dont always use chain locks, we use smaller locks that are attached to the bike. Plus people use their cheap 'city bike' to go to a store or the train station, we use the more expensive bikes for longer commutes.

[@CDN_Store]

A reason we dont have segregated cycle lanes all over London is because the mayor doesn't have control of all the roads. The painted lanes or batons are the cheapest option, and some councils won't get behind, increasing the network in ways which see gaps between the cycle highways. Pedestrianised Oxford is a fine example having been rejected by Westminster Council since Ken Livingstone was Mayor.

[@swaffelkonijn5166]

I'm from Eindhoven and I can show you a few absolute deathtraps for both cars and bikes but by and large the infrastructure is quite okay here nowadays. Thanks for visiting, hope you had fun!

[@CamiloSperberg]

He that is where I worked! That deep purple sign at 3:48 was about a month ago hahaha I probably have footage from my dashcam on the same day hahahs You should have tried a bicycle as well, to have first hand experience how it is like: all Dutch drivers are also cyclists after all :)

[@Justinb2]

Its beautiful 😭 So well thought out for everyone to get along and share.

[@monkeymode5652]

To give you the opposite perspective. I live in the netherlands, but lived in London for a year during my study. Like you said. If you cycle in london, you dont value your life. I always stuck to the single bicycle freeway that is kinda dotted around the city. But mostly, I used the Underground to get around. The London Metro stations deserve just as much praise if I'm honest. Although I am not sure how people got around before smartphone route planners as it can be difficult to navigate. One thing I do praise about london's cycling infrastructure however is the bicycle rental stations. Similar setups do exist here with scooters/mopeds, but because there aren't proper stations around, people just toss them onto the sidewalks, littering the cities. Having to rent and return bikes to dedicated stations not only makes it easy to find a bike to rent, it also keeps the city tidy

[@P1nkR]

Nice driving there! Keeping the crossed out sections of the road clear every time.

[@remkodevries2950]

I love It ..Only they drive on the wrong side off the road. Only GB does that.

[@DrivingSchoolTV]

😂😉

[@موسى_7]

Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan

[@cecilecorpuz5735]

I'm an American now living EINDHOVEN and there are more one on one bicycle accidents, my ex landlord was one of these cyclist that was in one of these accidents, he ended up with broken ribs and punctured lung and a twisted leg, he ended up tangling with a cyclist coming from the other direction, another friend crashed and ended up with a broken collar bone and my son got hit by a car that went through a red light while making a right hand turn, he faired pretty well but his bike was a total lost. I myself tangled with a police car while I was on the bicycle lane, one day I was heading home, while riding in a designated bicycle lane without any notice a police car driving in the bicycle came blowing me thus making me crash into some bushes, I guess he was responding to a call and there was a line of cars blocking his path, so I guess he decided to use the bicycle lane. One thing to note, one of the biggest problems that cyclist will have and that will be with young kids and their FAT BIKES and scooters, they will come blowing right by you without any consideration of the other users of the bike lanes, they will drive them as like that they will own the bike lanes, concerning the FAT BIKE situation the Netherlands are now drawing up new laws for the use of FAT BIKEs which are greatly needed. On the other hand, EINDHOVEN is currently dealing with being over crowded with bicycles and bicycle users, I had some conversation with several members here who are from a bicycle advocacy group, they were telling me that they are concerned about the bicycle problems that we are already having here in EINDHOVEN, I then mentioned and all of the new construction that has been happening and with the building of more flats and Apartments which is in the thousands upon thousands more, you'll be also be in need for dealing with the extra bicycles that will be using up more space on the bicycle lanes here in EINDHOVEN, not only that there will be lots and lots of EX PATS arriving as well to live in these new buildings and I hate to say many of them will be driving cars as well, perhaps more so than riding a bicycle, one of them looked at me while scratching his head and said we are talking about our current problems. For me this is a no brainer mostly due to this area as being BRAIN PORT PARK the High Tech region of the Netherlands that also includes ASML, 75% of the EX PATS that I will speak with will work for ASML. End game, growing pains.

[@DrivingSchoolTV]

That’s actually so interesting to hear it’s not at all a perfect system. It looks a lot better than what we have but i guess it’s never going to be perfect

[@lexburen5932]

Thanks to the EU and open borders. We have no border control anymore. and everyone can just come in.

[@spaceremains]

The lanes and cars all look like an appropriate size for getting around. I live in Toronto where everyone has to drive a tank for some reason.

[@jeroenimus7528]

Every time I see footage it feeks like people aren't driving, they're hanging on for dear life hoping their tank is going in the right direction. 😋

[@nerysvanbeurden8434]

Its so weird to see someone driving and commenting on an area where you go all the time 😅 nice video!

[@Irsu85]

The red circle white background indeed means no one can go there but that one you pointed out had a white sign under it with something that I couldn't read which prob said something like uitgezonderd lijnbus, which means that that sign doesn't count if you are driving a lijnbus Also, bikers don't have priority everywhere in NL, they only have priority on the hoofdnet fiets, but to be fair the hoofdnet fiets is generally really dense

[@stormveil]

Actually there are places in England that are starting to build little separate bike roads/paths. "Shared use" pedestrian/bike ones have been around - but rare - for a couple of decades at least. But it all takes time and the Netherlands have been building their network out for 40+ years. So if we keep going the UK will be great by the time we're 60!

[@luffysugoi]

My mom had an old Nissan Micra. We got hit with an electric tram and pushed 15 meters into a pole and both me and my mom stayed safe. That thing was tiny and saved our lives vs a massive tram. Completely totalled, of course. But did exactly when it was meant to do: Drove well for the better part of a decade and kept us safe.

[@bentels5340]

Glad you liked my hometown! The absolute number of cycling deaths annually is actually higher in The Netherlands than it is in the UK by (roughly) a factor of 3. Part of that is that the percentage of regular cyclists is higher here and also the absolute number of cyclists is higher. Also, over the last few years we have been seeing a sharp increase in the number of deaths among people aged 75 and over, which is probably due to the meteoric popularity of e-bikes (on which you are, sneakily, much faster than on a regular bike).

[@jorickjoetoep]

Says: road not big enough for 2 cars, whilst 2 cars easily pass eachother on a road that is fit for 2 semi-trucks. Your allowed to drive on the bike part of the road. But keep in mind bikes have the right of way on their road.

[@Mesofs9]

On which side of the road were you driving? Not on the left, so you were in the right and correct side of the road.

[@misstammaar]

I life in Eindhoven (you drove almost next to mine house) and its most of the time way faster to go with the bike to work, shops, friends etcetera.

[@pianistsdream]

I have lived here for 37 years and just accept things as they are, which is generally great. I cycle and drive. Sometimes bikes and cars to share the same road and it is not always a good experience if you are on a bike. On the highway, you will often find those middle lane drivers refusing to stay right in the 'slow' lane. But generally you are right it is a very safe place, but alays lock your bike, it will be gone in less than 5 minutes!

[@yerrie1908]

Not new to me, I pay a lot of tax for all that maintenance and cleaning, but I do I have to say it always makes me proud everything is clean and working and you notice it immediatly when driving into the netherlands

[@lordgandalf22]

We use built in locks and some lock it with a cable for longer periodes. And most bikes arent the most expensive bikes.

[@royturner2957]

Not much traffic either. People use bikes for short journeys, so less traffic congestion. Also great public transport. Car ownership in Netherlands is similar to UK, but more options other than car, so less traffic, and better if need to drive.

[@starbase218]

Cyclists don’t actually have priority everywhere. It actually used to be that motorized vehicles had priority over bikes at intersections with otherwise equal priority, no matter which direction they came from. This was changed somewhere in the 90s I believe. But still, on regular intersections, cars and bikes are equal. However, the infrastructure prioritizes safety of more vulnerable road users. And if an accident happens between a car and a bike, the car is guilty by default. Because if you’re in a big metal cage, you can take risks more easily.

[@emielverschuur8395]

In the Netherlands, cyclists and pedestrians have the right of first refusal, which means that if an accident occurs between a cyclist and a car, the car is always guilty until proven otherwise, so as a driver you are extra attentive to pedestrians/cyclists.

[@henrischutte1968]

Slightly different: In case of an accident between a bike and a car, the car driver is, not depending on who caused the accident, always at least 50 % liable for the damages to the 'weaker' cyclist unless he can prove extreme carelessness or intent.

[@DenUitvreter]

It's actually trifold. The burden of proof is on the car driver. He has to prove the cyclist was exceptionally in the wrong, as operator of the far more dangerous contraption he has to anticipate erratic, immature and even drunk cycling. If he proves all that he's still at least 50% liable as it his choice of vehicle that causes most of the damage. Two cyclists colliding usually doesn't cause much damage.

[@petertenthije]

My dad was a police officer. In his many years of work he recalled only one incident where the car driver got of without the blame. The bicycle driver, drunk as a skunk, fell off a motorway overpass and landed in front of the car. Had the car been there seconds later, it would have been the car’s fault. The logic being the driver would have had enough time to swerve or brake given the local conditions and speed limit.

[@wrightwoodwork]

The problem in the uk as most people dont cycle they temd to not understand what to do. Last year in Geneva when i noticed they had velo parks and thought how much space it safed over having cars

[@DrivingSchoolTV]

Ah wow I bet Geneva was lovely. You've been to loads of places ! Where was your favourite?

[@wrightwoodwork]

@@DrivingSchoolTV it's hard to say a favourite. Geneva definitely felt the safest. Where milan was stunning but head on the swivel. Thailand is extreme poverty or extreme rich next door. Italy is stunning and can be done cheaply I'm off to lake como today to cycle and watch a pro race. I'm definitely not fit only done 3 weeks training. Saying that having a bike or licence opens up so many places and you don't need to stay in the tourist places. Getting a licence is about experiences you make

[@the_real_Wieniet]

1.48 is not a cycle pad. but a suggestion pad. That red means that cyclists must ride on it, but cars, can use it also.

[@Psy12358]

our motor vehicle tax in the Netherlands is also very high, that's how we afford paying for those nice and well designed roads

[@basscharenborg6441]

Funny how the algorithem works sometimes. I live in in Eindhoven, and I have to say that yes, there are many great and safe bicycle paths and highways, but threre are still exeptions. For the longest time, a small part of the Eindhovenseweg: a major road between Best and the city centre of Eindhoven, was a 2/2 50km/h four lane road with narrow cycle strips. Recently it has been upgrated to 1/1 for cars, and 1/1 for cyclists on both sides of the street each protected be a wide median.

[@harm7602vicount-Visconti]

The sign means only dedicated vehicles may go there. Busses and taxis in this case.

[@wilsistermans1118]

The Netherlands is building the cycling infrastructure for 50 years now. Busy four lane streets are transformed into two lane streets with two cycling paths. Wide roads are optically made narrower to reduce the speed of the cars and give space for cyclists. As you noticed driving to a Dutch city is quite easy and the roads are not packed with cars as London is. Cycling is often the fastest way of transport within a town and a good cycling infrastructure make it safe, encouraging people to use a bicycle instead of a car. Parking a bike is much easier (and cheaper) than parking a car. On one parking space for a car you can park 8 to 10 bicycles! On the road (driving/riding) a car takes the same space as six bicycles! So each person who takes a bicycle instead of the care makes more space available. If in Londen a quarter to one third of the people leaves the car and takes a (electric) bicycle, the roads would look completely different. The traffic yams would almost disappear, streets are less noisy and the air quality will improve. As a bonus everyone will reach his or her destination quicker. The Netherlands has the advantage of being very flat. In hilly cities cycling is much harder, but now there are electric bicycles. The electric bicycles makes it possible to follow the Dutch example of cycling infrastructure in every city. Road design has become kind of an art. Starting from measuring the traffic flow. Creating routes for different kinds of traffic and encouraging people to take a bicycle instead of a car for short trips (6 km or 4 miles). Making bicycle routes shorter and car routes a bit longer helps. Copying the Dutch infrastructure won't work. That is the result of 50 years, with two or three iterations on most places.

[@Dnserror88]

Funny to see your perspective. I live in Eindhoven and drive the roads shown in the video every day.

[@starbase218]

Je beseft niet hoe goed we het in Nederland hebben als je denkt dat het normaal is. :)

[@hanktsui2000]

Gotta show this to Doug Ford in Ontario, Canada, who's provincial government in an effort to combat car congestion, will be passing legislation that will mandate bicycle lanes (a municipal responsibility) that take away car lanes be evaluated at a provincial level.

[@jeroenimus7528]

"The war on cycling" is, just like all the other variations of "culture war" or "identity politics" pushed for one reason only. To rile up enough people they forget about what really matters" a society that's more equal and fair for everyone.

[@dudeonbike800]

Two words: "Controlled Chaos" And it seems to work just fine. Thousands of cyclists mingling, intertwining, crossing paths, merging and everything else and they do it so well. Ten days cycling in Utrecht and despite riding in, among and around thousands of cyclists for that time, we didn't see a single crash. As someone whose specialty was technical criteriums, I was immediately impressed with the Dutch on two wheels. Like riding in a 1,2, Pro peloton. Kudos to the Dutch! *AND IMPORTANTLY:* The Dutch weave in and out of pedestrian traffic ALL DAY LONG. *NOT ONCE* did I EVER observe ANY pedestrian getting pissed off, shouting, or accusing the cyclists of "Almost killing me!" (You hear this from Americans all the time.) And this is despite the cyclists riding in the "dismount, pedestrian zone" areas. Even the motorized scooter riders, far more aggressive, were never accused of "almost killing someone" in my experience. And no one on two wheels hit anyone. Chill out folks, cyclists won't run you over - unless you act like a morAn and suddenly jump into their paths!

[@jooproos6559]

Its not only in Eindhoven!!Its everywhere in the Netherlands!😄

[@hahafalseflag5090]

Glad you see how beautiful Netherlands bike network is

[@MoraqVos]

1:54 "There's one thing about driving in Europe", mate YOU are European, the UK is a part of Europe.

[@samekh82]

As an American who gets skittish about driving in Canada (What the hell do flashing green lights mean?) I appreciate this video.

[@myrthezelle438]

The round sign with the red border and white in the middle means the same. But it was for the bus lane that is on the left of you. The little white sign underneath it probably says ‘uitgezonderd bussen’ which means except buses. The thing I hate most is that other people, foreigners, say that we are so dumb by not wearing helmets. And now that I watch more video's about cycling in other countries, I can understand that thought. Yes, of course it is better to wear a helmet. But our cycling culture is so different to countries where other roadusers aren't used to cyclists. I believe you put up a newspaperarticle about people who died cycling in one year, which was over 400 I believe. (I rewatched that bit and now I see that it is over 3 years. Our numbers are higher in those 3 years, but still, we cycle more) In 2022, 291 people were killed while riding a bicycle here. Still too much, but if you compare how much we cycle versus the numbers in Great Britain, it is pretty good. I'm still very curious about driving in London. Might come over in the spring to experience that :)

[@DrivingSchoolTV]

Ah thank you! I thought I was driving through a no vehicles section but everyone else was doing it so i carried on! It totally makes more sense to jump on a bike and not wear a helmet over there. If your road isn't shared by cars you're not going to get hit by cars. it's so genius! You should definitely come to london for the experience you'll appreciate netherlands so much more haha

[@ChristiaanHW]

i did a quick search and an official UK site says that in the last years the average amount of cycling was (roughly) 4.7 billion miles. in The Netherlands the latest number is 15 billion km. so to make the numbers fare that's 7.5 billion km for the UK and 15 billion for The Netherlands. but the UK population is 70 million people, while The Netherlands has 18 million. so if we account for that difference. 70 / 18 = 3.9. so we multiply the amount of km cycled in The Netherlands by that factor, 15 x 3.9 = 58.5 billion km cycled. so if we make up for the population difference people in The Netherlands cycle about 12 times as much/far as their UK counterparts. so by taking theses numbers in account it's obvious there are going to be more people getting hurt (and even die) while cycling in The Netherlands. but if you divide those accidents by the amount that is cycled The Netherlands is way people on a bicycle.

[@ronaldderooij1774]

@@ChristiaanHW And in Anglo Saxon countries cycling is often only done for sports, so they cycle with much higher speeds.

[@johanwittens7712]

0:51 no they don't. Cyclists most definitely do not have priority everywhere, even in the Netherlands. That even a driving instructor has this misconception, granted a British one, is kind of worrying. Cyclists have priority often on smaller roads and streets. But the Dutch use a clear road hierarchy, and on roads designed for motorised traffic like ring roads, feeder roads etc, and even most major roads for cars in cities. cyclists most definitely do not always have priority. More often than not they actually don't on those roads...

[@MarceldeJong]

People in other countries only think of those sports types that only cycle for recreation, when they hear “cyclists”. They don’t realise that the bike can also be used as a form of transportation. Which is why you get NIMBYs against cycle lanes and separated bike paths, like in those posh neighbourhoods in London. We also have those wannabe Tour De France riders, who can be a nuisance, but most bike users here are just going to work, or the shops, or the bar and then later home again.

[@pieterschadron3644]

Next time you could rent a bike to truly experience traffic in the Netherlands. Unfortunately a two party first past the post systems prevents decent infrastructure, no long term planning and implementing a decent traffic system. Therefor I doubt you will ever see something similar at home. Best regards.

[@jaaput]

Next time you can also try some walking and experience the truly threatening behaviour of cyclists towards pedestrians. I totally agree with your opinion on the current British system of democracy: it is almost by design guaranteed to increase polarisation. And as a result it decreases the success-rate of long term investments, like infrastructure. They should get rid of it.

[@petero8893]

For God's sake don't drive in the wrong side of the road. Drive in the right side like all the others

[@Anaesthesia9311]

2:50 Sorry mate but you couldn't be any further from the truth i live in Eihdnove and i commute through that rode your passing through at that time frame daily and the speed limit there is 80km and if you're in a bit of a rush and you wanna go a 100 or more there are always someone camping in the overtaking lane or believes he's serving you road justice no matter how much you're in a rush. The only way they move out of the way if they're being forced by someone with road rage issue or being overtaken from the right side. i've even had situations where the road there is pretty empty so i go 100-120km/h and the police pass me with 140km/h or they flash someone to move out of the overtaking lane when it's busy. So dutch people in general are notorious for driving on the fast/overtaking lane.

[@FhVW]

Yeah we don't leave our bikes unattended, Especially big cities, I double lock it, frame lock & chain lock.