Viewers Mistakes #8 | Flash To Crash

[@ashley_neal]

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[@josephmarsh8235]

Hi Ashley, there's something I'd like to ask Ashley, its about CARVERTICAL 3:21, when you check out a vehicle can you check out vans, motorhomes, private reg plates and cars shipped over from other countries too? And also, how much is it thanks?

[@ashley_neal]

@@josephmarsh8235 That’s one for a future integration 👍

[@josephmarsh8235]

@@ashley_neal ok Ashley 👍

[@smilerbob]

Disagree slightly with the dog owner getting a grade D, in my humblest of opinions it should be an F or even a U as the dog should have been on a lead *and* secured to the fence / gate while the owner was navigating through. As a dog owner myself I never, ever have the dog off the lead around roads. I often hear other owners make excuses like “He is well behaved” or “She has never run off” and the classic “He always comes back when called” 🤦‍♂️

[@ditch3827]

Definitely an F if the road was "designated" and that would then be an offence under section 27(1) of the RTA 1988 "A person who causes or permits a dog to be on a designated road without the dog being held on a lead is guilty of an offence." It is the council that decides whether a road is 'designated' or not

[@15bit62]

I agree completely. I have a dog, and in situations near roads like this i hold her at about 1m of lead.

[@chrisnumnuts8671]

pluss ban them long leads there a trip hazard

[@Paws4thot]

@@ditch3827 OK, i accept your premise about a "designated road", but how do I tell if My Road, Anytown, SomewhereShire is a designated road?

[@ditch3827]

@@Paws4thot You have to ask the council. The safest thing is to assume every public highway is designated. Better to keep your dog on a lead on an undesignated road than the let your dog lose on a designated one and risk prosecution or accident. If you let your dog loose on either type of road and there is an accident then you could be liable for any damages, even if your dog was not hit as you broke rule 56 of the highway code and that would count against you in any civil proceedings. If the car swerved and to avoid your dog and hit, say, an oncoming motorcyclist causing him severe life changing injuries, then the claim against you could well be very substantial and might not be covered by your insurance.

[@TheJase8566]

1st one F. Just blazed on ahead into the danger

[@Maddmank]

Like a typical cyclist

[@sidefack]

Cyclists always bravely ready to die for the cause.

[@jackwatsonepic626]

The first clip If I was a cyclist I would have stopped and let the lorries passed first, then proceed.🇬🇧

[@junglized]

@@Maddmank I'm a typical cyclist and I don't do stuff that. On the other hand I've been in a situation when a driver didn't have a skill necessary to drive a vehicle too many times. But I know not everyone is the same.

[@PedroConejo1939]

Agreed. Wagon wheels and cyclists make jam. Stay well clear.

[@kiradotee]

7:13 he gets an A for immediately putting the handbrake to reduce any potential further accidents. 😂

[@15bit62]

Yeah, i noticed that too. Shows how ingrained some habits can become

[@andrewlong6438]

I would give him a B because he didn’t push the button in when he applied the handbrake - hence the ratchet sound. Like many drivers today - probably only uses it when he’s parked up or wrapped it round a barrier!

[@MartindalexC]

@@andrewlong6438 you don't need to push the button in when applying it, if anything it's more advisable to not press it in so the ratchet mechanism doesn't accidentally skip a notch when releasing it

[@i3d3]

@@andrewlong6438 the button on the handbrake is to release the ratchet. If you're only intending to apply the handbrake, you shouldn't/don't have to press it. That ratchet will survive a 100 years longer than the car itself even if you never press the button. The wear on it is negligible.

[@gingernutpreacher]

But he didn't press the button in so it made the click sound

[@itsyaboydanno7143]

That 1st cyclist is living on borrowed time taking chances with huge vehicles like that

[@ottermanuk]

Wagon was very obviously inching to come out ... 2 wheels or 4 I'd be giving him plenty of space and hanging back. Don't think the camera does it justice how close the cyclist almost got whipped by the end of the trailer. F on the cyclist for sure

[@philipjames3526]

Yeah but we have to take care of the less vulnerable

[@Tom55data]

As all road users it is better to just slow down and let the traffic to flow, even if the other is in fault, that way trouble avoids you. Just imagine if it was a car and not a bike, just slow done and little time is lost. It is called defensive driving and riding.

[@shm5547]

Agree, the cyclist should not have continued into that gap. Stupid manoeuvre, I would have been straight up on the pavement when faced with that. But watching this again, I think the lorry driver saw the cyclist and just decided to go, the tell-tale is the fact the lorry driver initially keeps away from the kerb and leaves a 'cyclist sized' gap (in quotes as the gap is not adequate). I get this all the time, where a driver will pull out of a junction on the right when I'm approaching on a bicycle, as they think it's ok if they straddle the centre line. It's not. What the lorry driver hasn't seen, is the oncoming lorry. But instead of realising their stupid mistake and just stopping, they shut the door on the cyclist. All so the oncoming lorry driver doesn't have to slow down too much. I'm afraid I don't agree with Ashley's over-apologetic excuse finding for this lorry driver. They put a cyclist in danger due to impatience, incompetence and inconsideration.

[@Jabarri74]

@@shm5547 Either way on my bike I dont mess with HGV's its a fight you'll never win just back off if you need to and like you said if the path is clear abandon the road altogether

[@FFVoyager]

9:50. I never react to people flashing their headlights. I wait to make my own decisions. They might not be flashing to give me 'priority', they might be flashing to warn of their approach. They might not be flashing at all - but have headlights on and go over a bump and not be making a signal. They might, as in this case, not consider the implications of what they are doing.

[@i3d3]

Same here. When someone flashes their lights to let me go, I still wait for other signs they're letting me out, like their speed. Once they're slow enough, I have time to check the other direction before moving off

[@willipthe2nd]

Accept their courtesy but not their judgement is the rule I go by.

[@Landrassa1]

Or, as has happened to me, I might be flashing you to tell you to turn your bloody lights on in the dark.

[@dalemr2]

That first one is like seeing an alligator with its mouth wide open, walking upto it and putting your hand in there. What the hell goes through people's heads?!

[@johnbooth5199]

When i see people trying to justify things like that, i'm most interested in why they think it's a good idea, rather than what they say. People just accuse me of whatabotry, though. I'm interested in the thought process, behind it.

[@Jabarri74]

Car drivers do it all the time thinking their little metal tin will save them. It wont vs an HGV as for a mere mortal on a pushbike the minute you think you can ride like that against an HGV might be your last

[@BaalsMistress]

What goes through their heads? The lorry.

[@theGreenChangeling]

5:40 Giving the viewer and youself an 'E' for playing Vengaboys made me laugh. Thanks Ashley!

[@lordbungle6235]

Ashley should have given himself an F for sharing it. 🤣

[@ukeleleEric]

Definitely need more of those sort of comments.

[@jugglerjim01]

You were generous to the dog owner, that's an F all day long and into the middle of next week!

[@ASplendifirousMan]

That dog owner gets an F from me, don't think he could have done worse if he tried. Lucky to still have a dog.

[@goodyeoman4534]

I also think it's really reprehensible to be so irresponsible. He could have killed his own dog just by being stupid.

[@DavidSmith-fs5qj]

His body language said it all, couldn’t care less.

[@wrightwoodwork]

I once got caught I'm a similar situation except I ended up killing the dog. The only difference was kids had been encouraging the dog to play chicken. There was a hedge with a gate and the dog coming running out as I was just starting to go past. I hit the brakes and by then I had already hit the dog. The owner come down and told us what the kids had been doing.

[@robdavtay]

Under the Road Traffic Act 1988 it is a criminal offence for a dog to be on a designated road (ie. a public road) without being held on a lead.

[@chrislaing7153]

Same here - 40 metres from road bring dogs to heel. 20 metres from road pop on the slip leads. My dogs ar my life and what he did was totally irrenponsible. FFFFFFFF

[@naferemix]

Just like we have the risk hierarchy of road users we should have a hierarchy of vehicle difficulty. If you see a bus, coach or lorry trying to complete a difficult manoeuvre and we’re on a push bike or in a small car, just hit the brakes and let them finish. I don’t want to think about how much I’d probably struggle on 18 wheels.

[@wrightwoodwork]

If we see an issue arising in front of us and we can do something about and make it non event regardless of the vehicle we are operating be it a bike or lorry. Just because we have the so called right of way it doesn't mean we should not adjust to the situation

[@TheJase8566]

@@wrightwoodwork so much this

[@clivewilliams3661]

You don't need a hierarchy just common sense.

[@TheJase8566]

@@clivewilliams3661 would you kindly elaborate exactly what that is please. Do go into detail

[@clivewilliams3661]

@@TheJase8566 A hierarchy implies a strict list of priorities but on the road sometimes it is more important to allow others to have priority depending on specific circumstances. In the clip shown the artic ought to have had priority to ensure a clear road that would benefit others. If trucks were at the top of the hierarchy then if the Portuguese truck were a car with a horse box say, the trucks on the road would have the priority over the car and trailer, which is wrong. It should be common sense that the horse box trailer is a quite difficult one to manoeuvre and has to be driven slowly and needs time to perform the turn. having a common sense approach means that the systems are flexible to respond appropriately, also you should not need to experience the specific vehicle to understand the limitations.

[@DSAVAGE92]

Viewer at 7:00 is brave for sending that in, Not sure I’d ever want anyone seeing that if it was me.

[@ashley_neal]

It's a great learning clip to show how easily things can go wrong! Respect to my viewer!!

[@ZachAsaD]

@@ashley_nealhow did that actually go wrong? Seemed like it suddenly just spun out of control. I wonder what would be the best way to control it?

[@FFVoyager]

@@ashley_neal that wasn't easy - they had to work at being so bad to cause that. They had to accelerate into a closing gap beside the blue car, hoping it was not in the wrong lane and about to try to go round to another junction then brake because the silver car wasn't doing 40 mph round the roundabout and boot it hard on the left as they exit in order to get the front to tuck and crash.

[@kiradotee]

​@@ZachAsaDI think it's either fast acceleration and ice on the road, or too fast of an acceleration for driver's abilities. But I'm also puzzled.

[@xerone10]

@@ZachAsaD He accelerated pretty hard into the turn, and then backed off the gas which transfers much of the weight to the front, away from the rear tires. This, in conjunction with the fairly sharp turn and what looks like a damp road /low temperature causes the rear tires to break traction. He then took way too long to start countersteering and when he did, he overcorrected massively.

[@robg521]

3:02.. dog walker, you hear this all the time “get you dog on a lead mate… reply - nah he’s ok he fine” Then the dog causes a fight or runs out in traffic. 🤬

[@user-mv5zt8qd9l]

And even then, some leads still don't do it. I had a careless dog walker let their pet on a long lead run straight out into the road right in front of my car during someone's second driving lesson the other day. I'd hate to see what they're like looking after a child near the road.

[@ibs5080]

At around 5:15 why anyone would emerge straight into Lane 2 of a dual carriageway... plus not rapidly get up to speed is beyond me. I didn't even see any upcoming right turn that the red car might have wanted.

[@123MondayTuesday]

He probably thought the Venga Bus Was Coming in Lane 1 mate

[@raymondbenjamins5884]

Yeah, there wasn't even anybody in front of them they might have wanted to overtake. It's quite scary that some people on the road seemingly don't think at all and just do whatever.

[@iamjoestafford]

This happens to me all the time on the M6 at J18 and J15 - even when there is nothing in lane 1, people do 30-40 on the slip road and then join the motorway swinging immediately into lane 2, and then sit there at 50-55mph oblivious to everything else around them. It drives me mad - what goes through their heads?

[@shaun__3]

@@iamjoestafford So many people get confused with the J15 sliproad - it's actually unbelievable how many people can't read the road and realise lane 1 is fine and you don't even need to lane change. Then other people behind them pull out into lane 2 at 45mph. But yes, it all comes down to going 40mph on a sliproad, which is my biggest pet peeve on the motorways.

[@ibs5080]

At 8:07 with the scooter hidden behind the oncoming car. This is a good illustration of why it's not a good idea to do a very rapid "follow through" on another vehicle the very instant that its cleared your path. Bear in mind also the other vehicle might be towing a trailer.

[@TheGiff7]

Agreed. Always wait until the other vehicle has fully cleared the junction.

[@goldilocks913]

A friend of mine had a woman drive into the trailer of his wagon and drag on a roundabout. When the police came she said my friend was covering for his mate who must have run off- she thought the trailer was another lorry!

[@Fazer_600]

Motorcycle testing trains you to hug the left hand side of the road making a left turn, which would make you less likely to be seen. Obviously following distance was the main problem with this scooter rider but hugging the left of the road compounded it.

[@markgambrill]

​@@Fazer_600is this the modern view? I find it hard to believe you would be trained to ride anywhere other than primary in this situation. Following distance was clearly the main factor in this instance.

[@stevenwoodman1032]

Yeah scooter could have been further back. But car driver did just pull in when the other car had barely crossed the line.

[@kenbrown2808]

regarding the second one: if the car ahead is braking for no apparent reason, there's probably a reason.

[@320iSTWEdition]

8:55 This is THE reason why i have stopped doing this altogether. I hold back and create space and if the other driver don't get the hint, it is their problem.

[@Vikface1978]

You say that but when it’s dark and raining heavily then it’s hard to tell if the car letting me out (ie you) is slowing down. Especially as some people slow down to leave a gap (they are on their phone or sat nav) then fasten up again.

[@320iSTWEdition]

@@Vikface1978 Easy solution.... don't drive out then. You just have to wait longer and be patient..... i had situations where i had to wait several minutes. It can be unnerving but can't be helped and ALWAYS cheaper than a crash caused by impatience. Plus your argument isn't any more valid because "it is dark, rainy, snowy, icy, whatever" outside, you are just making excuses for yourself to not take responsibility in case of a crash. If you make the wrong decision and you crash, it was your fault. Learn from it and make it better next time (got some experince with that too). If you're unsure if it works, WAIT longer!

[@ibs5080]

At around 6:20 this is a very good example of why it's often a good idea to hold your ground in lane 2 when approaching an on slip even if you aren't actually overtaking anything. I think some drivers worry about being a lane hog in this situation and move back to lane 1...and as per this clip, they shut down the options they have. And as per this clip, be aware that if you move from lane 2 to 1, there's a good chance that someone from lane 3 will move to lane 2. Hence you won't have the option to move back out again.

[@Sam-gf6ue]

This is my view as well. I never move into lane 1 when coming up to a slip road merge. I also wont move into lane 2 from lane 3 if there are vehicles (especially lorries) in lane 1. I will only move back once I have passed the merge point and seen it is clear.

[@ibs5080]

​@@Sam-gf6ueYes totally agree about holding off moving from Lane 3 to 2 in this situation as well.

[@konradc12]

What you stated actually happened in that video. A car in lane 3 moved into lane 2, was about to pass the cam car. Then there is the other issue of drivers joining the motorway and going straight to the overtaking lanes, as in the other video.

[@paulqueripel3493]

There's also the chance that the car that was behind you in lane 2 will just accelerate so that it's now beside you. A lot of drivers seem to hate having a gap in front of them.

[@olivertunnah3987]

Whilst you are right that most people should and would hold their ground they haven't done anything wrong in terms of the law. The Volvo however is accelerating into a closing gap and should be the one to hold back. So in reality the viewer did nothing wrong.

[@NwaHp3]

7:11 sticks the handbrake on. had me rollin🤣

[@richtourist]

@7:12 you can hear the driver remember to set the hand-break... whenever you 'park', always set the hand-break and ensure the vehicle is in neutral.

[@markhamilton7289]

In defence of the red light jumper there are many junctions with far too many lights and way too much street furniture which can cause confusion….and don’t get me started with lane markings only on the road…fine until there are cars sitting on top of them and you can’t see which lane goes where. The foreign habit of having an overhead gantry is safer. (I know junctions sometimes have a sign at the side showing lane info but these are few and far between)

[@jaycee330]

Agreed. The US always has above-road lights (and side lights depending on the view - say from around a curve) and it's never in doubt when you have a stop or go.

[@robbutterill1426]

the speed that car was doing, given the fact the 3 lanes clearly marked straight ahead and all the other card were stacked back, i think he could have done better on the approach. i do agree on your statement of there being too much info on the street furniture

[@RichO1701e]

People who move from lane 2 to 1 right at a slip road annoy the f**k out of me! People emerging are trying to assess LANE 1 already, why make everyone's life harder.

[@keith6400]

7:35 Is what I call crossing the line of oncoming traffic, even if you think there is none, instantly after your view becomes available without any thinking or observation time. You only need to hold back a car length or two seconds for a stress free turn off.

[@smilerbob]

The last clip reminds me of an incident I had recently where a driver stopped to let me out of a side road where we both were turning right (like in the last clip) but the road was two lanes each direction. I refused to leave as there were still cars coming along in lane 1 that were then moving to lane 2 to pass parked vehicles. The other driver didn’t look too amused that I rebuffed their wishes to let me go first but I shall not emerge unless I am safe and happy to emerge

[@ianmason.]

One of my pet hates is drivers who try to be 'nice' and quickly switch to 'nasty' if you refuse to substitute their judgement for your own.

[@smilerbob]

@@ianmason. Indeed. I was even polite to the other driver pointing out the cars already travelling along the road to which they initially responded with another wave of “after you” so I just shook my head and mouthed the word “No”

[@1over137]

7:00 this is why I take every opportunity to 'test' the grip and learn how the car behaves when it is no longer "stuck" to the road. You can hear when he gets back on the power the revs spike. Sounds/feels similar to the clutch slipping. This is an instant indication the rear wheels have lost traction. Your response must be instant. His response is a bit delayed and so he ends up in a pretty deep slide to the left. His correction while late may have saved him, but he was too slow to remove the correction when the rear end grips up, he may also have lifted and/or braked, causing a back-lash fient motion slide the other way ... bannanaed into the barrier. It should be noted that you do not need to driving like a bell end for this to happen. Ice, frost, oil, cow shit, horse shit etc. etc. Can all cause this unexpected. It is also a good idea to keep the TC + stability controls ON. Too many people think it's an insult to have them turned on and even go as far as pulling the fuse. Trouble is, if you do not intend to power slide, there is no determent to having them on. By "opportunity" to test grip, I mean by disabling those systems and delibrately putting the car out of shape. The opportunities are very rare. An empty car park, private land, track day, friends farm, outdoor event parking. When it's snowing or icey

[@aspzx]

Thanks for this. Based on the clip, apart from too much speed, what do you think was the main cause of the tail sliding out? TC disabled? Oil on the road? Bald tyres? Or simply accelerating while turning at 40mph?

[@jaycee330]

​@@aspzx Too fast exiting and overtaking the car, with a lift-off effect on the rear tyres. The roads were proabably a little wet (from the windscreen wipers running) and tyres were probably worn.

[@MrFuckwit999]

@@aspzx The driver.

[@aspzx]

@@jaycee330 I didn't notice the windscreen wiper. Makes a bit more sense if the roads were wet.

[@PaulFisher-uj9vb]

Quite correct, ideally learn car control on a race track and don’t play games on public roads. Learning car control skills can be useful in winter weather and perhaps it should be included in driving lessons as a matter of course. Btw I’m aware that Ashley teaches winter car control.

[@jkd91]

I've had instances before were a cars flashed to let me out and i ignore it, they've then hocked their horn as they drove past in anger because i didnt go, id rather wait for the road to be clear than speed out after a flash.

[@stevenwoodman1032]

Yeah i was really annoyed you didn't go actually 😆

[@diabeticdave7840]

@@stevenwoodman1032 This gave me a few more chuckles than it should have

[@stevenwoodman1032]

@@diabeticdave7840 😆 need a few more laughs in the comments. Very serious business usually!

[@gunnern1]

I've gotten a lot better at NOT flashing after beginning to watch this channel. Now, I mostly just open up a space ahead of the intersection. Though I still occasionally flash where a side road joins a one-way, single lane road.

[@MRoderick89]

Ashley you deserve that E for making me bounce round the house to Venga Boys 😂

[@abt833]

I would have given the flasher an F too for flashing when it wasn't clear, they will kill someone one day if they keep flashing without thought. Instead slow down earlier and show a gap for other car to take when safe.

[@PedroConejo1939]

Yep, just pull up short and the intention is clear. Then the other driver can decide what to do, and when.

[@clivewilliams3661]

Never flash an instruction and then its up to the other driver as to what course of action they take.

[@ficklepickle5357]

This is something to get out of the habit of doing, I do it rarely and only in say a car park when going slow

[@robg521]

5:32.. Year ago my colleague side swiped a milk float where the float came out of a side road doing about 10MPH onto a dual carriageway [low speed 40 reducing to 30MPH area] and drove straight across the 1st lane and into the outside lane where my mate was going past. When asked why he came straight across instead of joining the inside lane he said that he needed to turn right at the next roundabout [which was about 800 yards away up the road 😳🙄] He then added it was his 1st day at work in his new job and never driven a milk float before.

[@ibs5080]

Reminds me of that Benny Hill song "Ernie, And he drove the fastest milk cart in the west".

[@ibs5080]

I never understand why some folks feel the need to get in lane "too early" when there still plenty of distance to do so. Granted you don't want to leave it too late either and it partly depends on the volume of traffic. But I think some folks feel if they don't get in lane as early as possible, they won't be able to later. I often see folks merging onto a motorway very early on when the slip road is very long.

[@douglasreid699]

in most cases where someone flashes the lights to let me out, i shake my head to say no, dont go and wait for them to continue to move out the way, it is amazing how many of them get angry or annoyed that i say no to them and want them to continue, i dont understand why the feel that way or even sit there for a while to insist i go first. sometimes i am in my van, other times i am on my motorbike, most of the time i feel they are wasting time as they are usually at the end of a queue of traffic driving past and if they continued it would of been quicker than slowing to a stop to let me out.

[@theyouofyesterday6254]

Late comment, but I find this when I'm waiting to cross a road and the last vehicle in a queue stops to try to force me across. It's pointless and actually just wastes everyone's time. I know they think they are being helpful, but the aggressive insistence when someone says no is really not needed!

[@jdmsnowmonkey7913]

Regarding the final clip - I feel with a lot of the instances Ashley's shown whereby the flashing of the lights leads to a near-miss, the problem wasn't the flashing itself, rather it was that the car who flashed let the other car out at a dangerous time, with high risk around them. In this case, the viewer let the Fiesta out when they didn't know whether or not the oncoming car was also going to let them out of the junction. If the viewer could've seen that the oncoming driver was also letting the emerging car out, the flash of the lights wouldnt've increased risk in this instance. I do appreciate it is a case-by-case basis, though.

[@johnschlesinger2009]

Many years ago, I was on my motorbike after dark, saw a car in a junction on my left, I flashed my headlight, as the Highway Code states that the purpose of flashing the lightnis to inform other road users of your presence. The car pulled out. I've never flashed my headlight in the ensuing thirty plus years of driving/riding.

[@halfrhovsquared]

7:10 - Even after wiping out, at least he had the presence of mind to apply the handbrake.

[@j2w1_lub]

7:01 im starting to realise how common lift off oversteer is edit: i should make a lift off oversteer compilation

[@The_Noticer.]

Thats why I drive a sedan-sized car (shorter vehicles are more susceptible) with independent rear suspension and premium tyres.... Torsion beam rear lukewarm hatches, oft with tyres long overdue, just skid off at the slightest provocation. Not that I'd do the stunt this driver pulls, but my vehicle would not have LOO'ed there.

[@schnozz87]

7:40 ok this one interests me - i really don't like how close scooters/motorbikes sit to the back of cars, if they're behind me they often sit so close behind I can't see them clearly in mirrors and surely their view is obstructed too... A friend told me he had riding lessons and was told to do this by the instructor which I found crazy. Can any bike rider tell me what the thinking is here? Is it just following close so you can quickly filter round when there's a gap? It seems risky to me.

[@TheWobblyFace]

Flashing headlights: Was nearly caught once when one driver exited at junction one me, I had only gone over a speed hump (full road with one). Keep up the good work Ashley.

[@KXXULADavidOC]

Hard to believe the cyclist in the 1st clip didn't hold back and actually cycled up so close to that big lorry 😨7:02 Knew what was going to happen there 😬 wow that scooter really was so hard to see, didn't spot him at all 😨

[@MrDifferentusername]

As a learner, I love those videos. It's giving me almost live experience in different situations. Great lessons.

[@TheAkashicTraveller]

I've made that looking at the wrong set of lights mistake before. In my opinion the F goes to the junction's designer. There are systems to prevent drivers in parallel carriages from seeing lights that aren't for them, it should be a requirement that they're used in these situations. Well probably also an F at least an E for the driver.

[@1over137]

Spotted a car leaving the petrol station last night with no headlights on. Gave them a curteous blink of my lights. Carried on past a car halfway out of the exit who pulled in behind me and blasted me with their full beam. It took me a while, but I believe while I flashed at the car already exited coming towards me, the car leaving behind them going in my direction thought I'd flashed them out!... In their eyes I then proceeded to "slam the door I opened on them". Another reminder that flashing headlights for any other purpose than to say, "I am here." has many cautions attached. Not least is.... how many times have you accidentially flashed someone out of a junction... into their doom ... and the other driver catches it and you wave sorry?

[@lmaoroflcopter]

If the other car is halfway out of the exit why did you continue past? You drove straight into danger (that you caused with a flash) just like the cyclist in the first clip.

[@BigDavie2000]

When I was a lot younger I was waiting at a bus stop late at night when I see a car approaching on a side road with no headlights on. Inside the car were two young ladies looking like they were heading out for a night out. As they stopped at the give way line I gave them the hand gesture signalling that they need to turn on their lights, namely fists to open hands several times. They must have misinterpreted my signal as the pair of them looked at each other then as one lifted their tops giving me a full display of their 'headlights'. After a moment of appreciation, I shouted over to them "Thanks, but your lights are still off.". Cue the pair of them in fits of laughter as their light came on and they drove off.

[@SteveOnTheInterweb]

I still occasionally afford the courtesy headlight hint, but turn off the light to turn it back on again; twice. This will not look like a "you can go" flash, and may just look like I suddenly remembered my lights.

[@purgruv]

7:23 "It was at this point he realised he had F'ed up"

[@nrosko]

7:03 remember doing something similar in my youth, luckily managed to drive out of the ditch with no damage.

[@mikebni]

8:30, shocking speed in the conditions.

[@ibs5080]

Ah yes the videos where we get to grade from A to F. Sending my well wishes from CDN to UK. 🇨🇦🇬🇧

[@kiradotee]

Is it not CND?

[@ibs5080]

@@kiradotee A lot of folks think that actually but CND is Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. And many folks think it's CAD but no, it's officially CDN. The nationality sticker for Canada is indeed CDN in the same way that it's UK for Blighty, though previously GB. On a side note CAD is occasionally used for Canadian Dollars though sometimes also CDN $.

[@ianmason.]

@@ibs5080 Surely it _ought_ to be CDA for"CD, eh". Try not to be too much of a loonie while you're spending them.

[@ibs5080]

@@ianmason. Haa, some Canadian humour there I see! I know you and I have exchanged dialogue before but remind me, are you Canadian too? Or spent some time in Canada? Because it's most unusual for someone on a UK sourced channel to be this familiar with Canadian terminology.

[@ianmason.]

@@ibs5080 I've friends and relatives in Canada - Vancouver, Kelowna. Toronto ans Moose Jaw.

[@locojambo]

Flash crash happened to me. Traffic was backed up on the lane I was crossing so I edged out into the middle of the road looking left. A car flashed, I didn’t look right so I set off as a van came across the front of me (with nowhere to go). The van driver was a carpet fitter with a big barrel of glue in his van if that makes it any clearer.

[@jaycee330]

7:18 "It was at this moment, he knew, he 'F'-ed up." C'mon, Ash, you know you really wanted to quote this.

[@ibs5080]

Well now Ash, I would never have thought you had a "Cavalier" attitude when buying cars in the past! Just a little Vauxhall humour there.😊

[@ianmason.]

I'm surprised he could "A Ford" it.

[@ibs5080]

@@ianmason. With that kind of humour I think we need to "Escort" you out so that we can "Focus" on the serious stuff! 😀

[@nicksh1990]

I hold my hands up, I do flash people to let them go, but only if I feel it's safe for them to go. If something's coming the other way, I either wait, or just don't. If I'm waiting to turn in, as the car at 9:30 was, I'd simply hang back from the junction, wait for the car to pass, let the waiting car out, and then turn in. Also, Ashley, I think you deserve a U for getting Venga Boys stuck in my head!

[@DashCamSheffield]

Last clip. Nice drivers can be as bad as bad drivers. Changing the priority of the road is not always a good thing. In that clip, what if someone was behind the Fiesta when they were forced to stop? Could easily get rear ended as they reacted. I do get what they wanted to do, allow the car to go as they were turning, but this could have been done just by leaving appropriate gap. I'm not saying don't be nice however, but be aware of the surroundings. Stopping/slowing for a red light, fair enough, but what if someone behind decides to overtake/go into another lane? I'll also add, the quick flash of the lights, its a useful tool, but be careful who and how the message is given, for example, you've flashed to let peds cross, but you were actually letting someone pull out

[@jamesmitchell7129]

Love how the guy that ended up in the ditch put his handbrake on, I don't think that was going anywhere anyway mate

[@andrewnorris5415]

I could see that coming a mile off with the rear end of the truck. Should not have gone near there and certainly braked a lot earlier. So many cyclists die from articulated trucks. Maybe Ash could do a dedicated video on it to educate people. Especially now that he has a HGV licence? It could save lives.

[@johnbooth5199]

Considering it is a major cause of cyclist fatalities, in cities, it's worth doing. Despite all the incidents, people still insist on "taking their right of way", over a turning truck. Even when the truck's got a speaker blaring "This vehicle is turning left", they'll overtake on the inside.

[@leeholden8658]

I had to brake just yesterday because someone flashed to let another vehicle pull out. Little did they know there was a cyclist on the same side of road (but riding on the pavement) who took that flash for himself putting him in my firing line. Good job I was alert. Maybe I can send the footage in

[@kiradotee]

Please do send it

[@leeholden8658]

@@kiradotee I think I did it right. It was a large file and had to send it via Dropbox. Hopefully Ashley received it

[@foxrabbitnhill6330]

8:29 is Junction 15 on the M1 at Grange Park Northampton, like recognising places

[@shm5547]

2:00 never swerve for an animal; domestic, wild or farm. It might sound harsh, but to swerve toward oncoming traffic could cause far more damage. Only take evasive action that is safe, such as reducing speed and braking (if no vehicles close behind).

[@simoncarswell3515]

While you are correct, it's one of those situations that's easy to say, harder to do. The instinct to avoid is incredibly strong.

[@QiuEnnan]

5:44 I was proper obsessed with this song when I was 11! Wow!

[@shm5547]

8:14 as with cyclists approaching a junction, a motorbike rider should also take up a primary position towards the middle of the lane. Hugging the gutter reduces your visibility.

[@arkadye]

I once saw the Venga Boys live after my Student Union booked them to play the end of year event. They were surprisingly good and I was also surprised to hear they had more than two songs. But Ashley, you were very generous to the viewer-cyclist in the first clip, in my view. They put themselves in mortal danger and there's no mitigation whatsoever for missing a vehicle that size.

[@kyranthez927]

6:57 the power of lift off oversteer!

[@Chalkie1983]

Respect to the viewer at 7:10 for sending it in and owning the mistake. Sorry it happened to you and I hope you, and others, have learned from the clip.

[@ThreeLetters3]

9:00 I was in the position of the car that was emerging. Safe to say that I am never ever doing that again without checking both ways are clear. Thankfully no one was hit, just a few beeps and gasps

[@jarq19]

1:25 - the lorry driver got his hand out the window - either to say 'sorry', or to tell the cyclist not to proceed on the N/S.

[@kiradotee]

7:00 is that because of ice on the road, Ashley? Or you can get that with quick acceleration even in warm and dry conditions?

[@NICKYVTEC]

Lift off oversteer, the driver lifts off the accelerator mid corner and the back end stepped out. In a rear wheel drive car it can be like applying the brakes to the rear wheels only as the engine braking slows the rear wheels.

[@TheGiff7]

Either a panicked attempt to correct oversteer or a patch of spilt diesel.

[@lars357]

As @NICKYVTEC said lift off oversteer. But it probably happened due to slippery conditions be it ice, very low temperatures when wet or a patch of diesel on the wet road. Seeing the what looks like snow on the side of the road is an indicator of cold weather, and the colder it gets the less grip you have. So on a warm day nothing would have happened but ultimately the whole situation has been made much worse by the aggressive driving. If there was ice and he drove like the other cars it might have just made the car slide a bit to the right and be able to drive on like nothing happened.

[@PedroConejo1939]

Sorry, dog owners, I don't take avoiding action for your pet. Too many people end up badly doing that. The police can sort it out if the animal gets hit. I know well that junction at Locko Road in the last clip; there's often a long queue waiting to emerge onto Morely Rd, and drivers like to be helpful. If I've learnt anything from watching this channel, it's not to flash people out.

[@jl-xs6ud]

Just about to go mountain biking, now I'll have that music in my head all day. Thanks

[@kenbrown2808]

props to the viewer who got the F for holding his hands up and sending the clip. (edit: viewers)

[@Life_Through_The_Camera_Lens]

With the flash clip, it’s not just the driver feeling like they have to move as soon as they see the flash, it’s also the driver being to focused on the car that flashed, not looking the other way

[@stephenconlin1840]

1977 I failed driving test, one of the reasons was when the instructor asked me when another vehicle flashes you ! What would you do? I replied the driver being polite and letting me exit a junction or whatever!! When in fact it’s a warning to let other road users know they are there!! The end of your vid perfectly highlights the unwritten rule of days gone by 😮

[@petehiggins33]

Sadly you were correct and the tester was wrong. He was saying what it should mean while you were saying what it actually means.

[@Plexipal]

That clip of the guy doing 40 mph round an island and then immediately crashing made me laugh. He gets an A.

[@jameskole3584]

Had a similar situation to the one with the dog, but in a residential area just after negotiating a corner, so speeds were a lot lower than on a main road. Dog not on a lead jumped out in front of me. Don't know if they swerved last second or if they did end up under my car briefly (was small dog), but luckily they didn't get hurt. Got a few cats near where I live, always make sure I have them in sight while driving around them. Only when I know I have passed them safely I know I don't have to worry too much about them.

[@bulwinkle]

Never ever move into a closing gap, you will always come second.

[@robg521]

6:15, how about the small red car who immediately pull in to box the camer in. He equally failed to see that there was going to be a problem and made the situation worse.

[@PedroConejo1939]

Drivers of small red cars probably want to get out of the outside lanes of motorways as quickly as possible. The full-time residents make them most unwelcome.

[@JamieLucaZ89]

This is why i never flash anyone or when get flashed i ignore it most of the time.

[@rossmurrayfam1568]

Atleast the person that got into the ditch, put his handbrake on

[@rutube007]

Like if you hear "my viewer gets an F" in Ash's voice in your ear everytime you make a mistake while driving. And "my viewer does well" when you ensure best flow for everyone.

[@MetalFan10101]

9:41 This has actually happened to me before. I was in the same situation as the viewer. I had flashed my lights to let the other car know I was willing to let them out. They emerged without checking the other lane and it almost resulted in a collision. In my defence, they should of checked before moving off but ever since then, I have been very careful about flashing anybody to go unless I can see myself that it is completely clear. Sometimes you just have to do their observations for them I guess.

[@sa00287]

I thought flashing was to let them know that I will let them out so they can focus more on the other direction. I didnt realise people thought it would mean that it was clear to go!

[@WiggumPI007]

I think you could of given the boy racer that binned it an F+ for applying the band brake

[@traindriverdan]

08:30 Why in the UK do they not put arrows on the red and amber traffic lights as well as the green? It would make it a hell of a lot clearer as to which traffic lights apply to which direction.

[@Lysimachus]

When I was learning to drive, my instructor told me that flashing the lights for communication with other drivers was wrong. I didn't catch on why until I saw the last clip here.

[@Kj_Gamer2614]

5:40 The Vengaboys is an absolute wild choice of music to have when driving lol

[@daughterofthestars08]

I GASPED about the guy at minute seven. He absolutely shouldn't have been accelerating into the other cars or cutting anyone off... But also that interchange seems really badly designed?? His lane had a 'go ahead or turn left' arrow in it. Then very shortly after, it has just a go-ahead arrow, which the car in front of him does go off to the right. But it's very clear the lane does split into two and go both directions -- but immediately the bypass shrinks down to one lane with no warning that would allow a driver to realize they need to merge-in-turn. Bonkers!

[@robertleem5643]

Not happy Ashley - After watching this video I walked through into the kitchen singing the Venga Boys song, my wife then started singing it then shouted at me, I blamed you

[@DAF.driver]

I’ll give you an A+ for this video Ash, no matter what your music preferences are. 😅

[@10xZ00M]

Clip one is obviously on an industrial estate, where artics are to be expected, and best kept clear of. I was cycling away from work following an artic out from our site, I didn't try to get ahead. As the vehicle swung out onto the road, a 'bathful' of water was flung from the trailer top, right onto the 'cyclist zone'.

[@cordite7207]

Hey, its a questionable choice of music for sure, but I'm not sure being able to name the musician AND the title is any better!

[@boahneelassmal]

7:00 one word: deserved 9:30 I flashed someone out during my driving lessons once. My driving instructor was not very impressed. Good advice: don't flash people out. this gives them a sense of urgency and safety at the same time, forgetting to double check for cyclists, peds and general other traffic causing situations as seen here. Just hold back and communicate to the driver via your own positioning on the road of your intentions.

[@kenbrown2808]

the only time I will "flash someone in" is if it's a queue, and I am in the near lane with someone waiting to turn into my lane. and then I flash while I am a few cars back, to get their attention and then build them a gap to emerge into. (I.E. if there is someone waiting to turn left onto the road in the UK and I am coming from their right)

[@paulcollyer801]

1st clip:- I both ride & drive (up to that monstrous size)! (Riding not so much due to lack of time.) I never cease to be amazed at how so many will happily enter dangerous areas because they Can, when it’s just easier and far safer to ease off. Fair analysis. Point to note, that tacho time pressure hits hard. The firm I am employed by (can’t call it work lol) are quite supportive but we’d still get an infringement interview. (I’d do a print out x 2 with manual entries on both explaining going over hours; had to three times as I stopped after 4:29 hrs & it’s clicked over to 4:30 once stopped and thus the computer thinks I drove Over that. NOWHWERE safe & legal before I stopped each time.) Aint nuthin wrong with We Like To Party; bangin toon 😂😂 & I knew it before you said lol. A5 entry crash? Love how the cammer applies the handbrake…. Play fair Ashley, make the F an E for the Handbrake Neutral being followed… 😂😂😂😂 Fair comment on Obs at lights (red jumping), though I’m always giving good obs even on green, cos RLJs cause crunches & crunches mean more insurance premium even if you weren’t to blame. As always, beautiful analysis. Excuse my silly SOH

[@mattwardman]

At 07:00 onwards what is that "national speed limit" followed by "warning cycle route crossing / joining ahead" road setup about? That seems completely bizarre for a LHA to put in place. The national speed limit should be *after* the cycle route, whatever it does, just for basic safety. Where is this - I can't read any of the signs.

[@XclusiveAaron]

First clip and already ridiculous, you see a lorry coming out and don't slow down. Brain cells = 0

[@gavjlewis]

@5:12 I was less worried about the red car and more worried about the white SUV doing exactly the same. But even so I would have come off the gas and covered the brake and the car would have started to slow. But I would have done this even if they had gone into the left lane as you never know if they may change lanes later. A closer match of speed reduces the risk and gives more time. Obviously neither of my cars have any of this emergency braking systems. So it's not in my head that they will save me. I think sometimes this increases people's risk tolerance as they just think the car will save them.

[@oneandonlyjaybee]

Flashing to allow people across junctions may seem well intended but is frought with danger. Dont do it. Just leave a gap and let the turning vehicle judge whether they want to go or not. If traffic continues from another direction you can then just get on with your own progress without feeling like ypu have to honour your invitation. Its safer for everyone. Leave a gap if you think it's going to be of use and allow traffic to flow. If not, dont but never flash. There is a fuel station close to my work on an urban dual carriageway. The amount of people who, in the opposing right hand lane stop as their lane is slowing for the roundabout flash to allow vehicles to turn in, only to cause an accident because the left hand lane is clear to the roundabout and the traffic isn't slowing is unbelievable. I've often sat there waiting to turn in watching drivers who have flashed me getting frustrated and gesticulating because I'm not going until i know its clear, rather than immediately reacting to their flash. Whilst it's well intended, flashing puts pressure on people to go, either because they believe you have assesed it's safe for them, or because they dont want to appear rude.

[@simoncarswell3515]

I wouldn't say don't do it. I would say there are three conditions that need to be met before flashing: 1) Can I flash without unduly holding up both myself and the traffic behind me? If yes, go to 2. 2) Is it clear that there is only one vehicle I'm flashing at? If yes, go to 3. 3) Is the road clear in all directions for the flashee to proceed? If the answer to all these questions is "yes", then it's fine to flash.

[@jameskole3584]

The one on the motorway I was similar to a situation I had recently. I finished overtaking on just after the exit slip road. Slight distance to the entry slip road so I moved into the left lane not wanting to lane hog. Someone with slow emerge entered the road and didn't pick up speed. Someone in the middle lane started closing the gap and refused to move the outer lane after I started to indicate. The car overtaking was poor for closing the gap and not moving to the right, the person emerging could have done more to pick up speed or slot in behind me, but at the same time, given the right lane was empty, I could have stayed in the middle lane until after the entry slip road and not inconvenienced anyone. No harm done, but all 3 of us could have done things differently to make that easier for everyone.

[@saundersdachicken6197]

Viewer at 7:05 should have been given a W.....

[@eurosonly]

I wonder where the culture of flashing started out and what driving schools say about it.

[@ianmason.]

In my experience it started to become common during the late seventies and by the mid eighties it had become the norm.

[@shaun__3]

Flashing lights is fine in some circumstances - in my estate there's a long road where cars park either side and so it ends up that you travel down it in the 'middle' of the two lanes, and often get meeting situations where one car has to pull into a gap in the parked cars. Everyone here just knows that flashing means they will wait in the next spot. I'd also say that driving schools aren't always perfect and all-knowing. The way instructors get you to reverse bay park shows all you need to know. They get you safe enough and get you test ready, but you don't need to listen to their words as gospel after passing.

[@vonpupees]

2:27 what is the opinion on the driver turning? I was taught not to turn in that situation (the classic car pulling out from side road that may or not stop) as it could lead to a worse incident?

[@ibs5080]

The clip at around 7:05. As someone else commented, I'm surprised the viewer actually sent this in! Way too fast on the roundabout and with no allowances for another vehicle to suddenly change lanes across the cammers path, something we've seen in so many other roundabout clips. Then barely managing an overtake before it goes to a one lane slip road... and in any case too fast to even maintain control on the curve.

[@Matthew-bu7fg]

7:20 for the most polite outburst of a posh viewer of all time

[@eddiemaylor2716]

The cyclist in the first clip was taking a massive risk putting themself that close to the lorry, especially as they could have held back 10 yards and been much safer.

[@danieltesfaye8517]

Voice crack at 3:39 are you alright Ashley?

[@ashley_neal]

Had a cold since Boxing Day and it's still going!