Retired colleague was passenger in plane accident, he banged his head on the top of instrument panel. Enough force to dent it. He was early 90's age, quite fit, he slowly went down hill next 6 months and died shortly after the D-day reunion in France. He wasn't wearing the diagonal strap becuse his shoulder was stiff to reach around.
Some people are just stubborn I think, they can see in their mind the belt loosens, but they won't, I mean, I only did it once waaaay back when first learing & the belt was giving me serious jip, but ever after, I just got a technique down to easily loosen it off & align the lap section so that no serious restriction of movent would occur, you know, different clothing choices & all. Some probably just don't think about things cos phobic of learning something.
The rule allowing it is a hangover from the introduction of compulsory seat belts, when inertial belts like today's ones were if not rare, certainly not universal. With a fixed seat belt that did not automatically adjust, you really did need to remove it to look behind properly. Not applicable now, except in classic vehicles.
When parking in really tight spaces - so tight that I need to poke my head out to look at the front and rear corners of the car - that's when I need to take the seatbelt off. Other than such extreme cases, I've never found that self-adjusting seatbelts restrict movement when reversing.
My dad always told me he didn't like having interior lights on at night because to see as much of the road as possible he needed his eyes to fully adjust to the darkness
In fairness, back then the headlights on vehicles weren't the same brightness as a WW2 searchlight. Now you need to be as acclimatized as possible to blinding light.
@@iainbagnall4825 but what if someone is walking on a road that isn't lit and you have your interior light on are you going to see them as well as if your eyes were fully adjusted? I'd rather chance being dazzled then not seeing a pedestrian in plenty of time
I remember being told its wrong because of a white light showing behind the car. Made sense when you come across a car with a broken tailight or reverse lights stuck on, but interesting to know its not illegal ... just annoying when the kids switch them on in the dark whilst driving!
Totally agree on the pet hate with littering - I'd rather have my car in a mess and empty it all out later than throw it out of the window. Drives me especially mad living in an area with a lot of beautiful rural scenery - it just ruins it!
@@SteRumbelow They've removed bins from a few places I've been, at least they've been scarce enough that they're difficult to find from where I've been parked. Even if there isn't a single bin where you were, you have a bin at home that you can thrown everything into. The advantage of most cars is that they have a boot you can put stuff in to take it places, and if you're eating something there's usually space for the full packaging, so there's no reason the empty packaging can't fit for disposal later. I live on a farm with a number of fields next to very quiet roads. The amount of rubbish we find in the hedge/verge and over the fence is ridiculous for how little traffic uses our road. We have livestock too that have a tendency to try to chew any foreign item. To my knowledge we haven't had issues with animals eating the rubbish, but we did lose a sheep a while ago for an unknown reason when they were in one of the fields right next to a road, so some kind of rubbish thrown out of a car could have been a cause for all we know.
@@markwright3161 Yeah, that was my point really. Not necessarily your next destination, but maybe the next, will ultimately have a bin. Leave it in the car until you get to one, simple really.
Too right, I live next to a beach and all too often I see fast food wrappers strewn on either side of parking spot where a car of people have been too lazy to find a bin.
Especially annoying when you're parked up on a break (van driver here) and they then hold a very long voice call with sometime who sounds like Isa from Still Game on their car's Bluetooth hands free system.
I burst out laughing when I saw the toenails. Great moment, and a lovely touch. Everything you say is super useful, and I am very happy to say that I don't do 9 out of 10 of the things you mentioned. The one thing I do constantly is forward bay parking. It's for the shopping trolley. So I can move the trolley directly in front of the boot.
Same here, Front first parking when at the supermarket to be able to load the boot. Reverse park in my driveway as it is narrow and makes it much easier to drive out into my street which has a lot of parked cars and traffic taking shortcuts.
That’s the rare time I do however I always check if there any spaces that have a reverse in option. I’m always amazed when people don’t reverse onto their own drive. What could be more difficult than reversing onto a road with potential road users both ways!
so to make it easier for you to load the car (and I stress the word easier - it is still possible to load your car if you reverse in) you would risk reversing into cars and/or pedestrians that you can't see as you reverse out.
I'm teaching more and more disabled people, including wheelchair users. For them, parking on the right is safer as they will be exiting to the pavement.
#5, fully agree. I have a flat out rule that I will never drive on a day that I have a drink. Even if it's a tiny risk it really isn't worth it, I want to be able to have no distractions at all when on the road.
I’ve tried to tell my kids this but their mates are still perpetuating the myth of the two drink limit 🤦♂️. So the youngsters know best of course. When you ask them what two drinks they’re talking about, shandy, Stella, vodka? They have no answer.
This is one area where Scotland is ahead of England. Their drink drive limit is so low, it isn't even worth having a shandy. As such, I won't drink any alcohol when I know I will likely to be driving within a 12 hour time frame. When I lived in England, this was not always the case and honestly looking back, I think that I got lucky not to have been I an accident or pulled. Nobody is perfect though, I eat/ drink (pop) at the wheel most days and I'll only tolerate right lane huggers for so long.
Totally agree, have done the same for last 35 years. Some people don't get it and start saying "surely you can have just one". No, none is best and 100% easy to stick to.
That bit about the cycling helmet, my Mrs went off her bike in ice a few years ago and the first thing that hit the ground was her head, she was annoyed she had to replace her helmet but it's better to have a crack in that than in her skull
I've only ever fallen off a bike once, when I had a bike where the handlebars could be twisted 360, and not look any different. I had been to my grandmas, and my handlebars had been twisted 360 without me realising, so when was going down a hill and pressed the brakes they didn't work because the handlebars were twisted. I ended up hitting a kerb which was spread all across the bottom of the hill, and went flying over the handlebars... However I didn't get any serious injuries as I always put my hands out when I fall. I just had a few grazes on my hands, and a few half a centimetre chunks of flesh out of my elbows. I can't understand how people can get head injuries, especially when they fall forwards.
Yup I was taught that having interior lights on while driving was illegal. However I've learned In the real world instance is that they drastically reduce visibility from the windscreen while driving at night. So I don't do it.
I was cycling home from work in early November last year and I was hit head on by a car which inexplicably came over to my side of the road. I went over the bonnet and over the A-pillar, via the windscreen. I was not wearing my helmet as my 7-minute ride home only includes a short section of road riding, which is unfortunately where it happened. My head did not go completely through the windscreen but did break it, my unprotected head putting a decent sized dent in it. The collision was relatively low speed, mine being 15 mph, his being about 25. I suffered, among other injuries, a slight skull fracture and bleed on the brain. I have been back on a bike for about 2 months now and I count myself as very very lucky to have lived to tell the tale. I would not turn a wheel without wearing a helmet now, as I am sure in this instance it would have prevented head injury.
I got sideswiped at a roundabout by an oncoming car. My head hit the road with a heaty thump...or rather the helmet did. I broke my leg & wrist but they are fixed now. A head injury could have been much worse, but the helmet absorbed the impact & I never even had a headache.
Be aware though that helmets can actually add to neck injuries. They effectively increase the size of your head so adding more force to any twisting your head might do against the floor. Also the helmet adds friction making it easier for the head to be grabbed and twisted.
An ex-neighbour, now very ex, was dirt cycling off-road, went over some sort of bump, came off the track, slide down and hit various things, ground, vegetation, etc. with his head. Left a widow and two young children, one challengingly disabled. A sad outcome.
@@richardjones5255 I think it’s a case of different risks lead to different protective measures. The off road risk of an impact caused by your own skill limits is far higher than on a smooth road, the speeds tend to be lower and so they nearly fit the use-case helmets were ACTUALLY designed for.
Apologies for the necro, but I disagree slightly with your conclusion. The cause of the incident - the risk itself - was the fact a car COULD end up with you - the biggest dangers to everyone hadn’t been segregated away from you. On a personal level it then makes sense - a helmet can reduce this issue. But the most EFFECTIVE way - the macro view - is to have proper infra that correctly treats metal boxes as the danger they are, and puts them out of being able to cause danger to other classes of user It’s why the Dutch, in general, don’t wear helmets. They’re not necessary for the vast majority of cycling they do. And mandatory cycle helmets overall reduces a nations health as it acts aa a set of barriers - in cost, convenience (style!) and also perception of cycling as what it is - itself, very safe, made dangerous only because of other road users.
The biggest issue with driving in flip-flops isn’t pivoting the foot (and I’ve taught some girls whose feet are just so small they can’t possibly have the heel on the floor and use the pedals anyway). The issue for me is that flip-flops are loose and there is a big risk of having the pedal slide in between the sole of the foot and the sole of the flip-flop, stopping or delaying you from moving your foot between pedals. On the barefoot question I taught one lady who grew up in Swaziland and was used to going everywhere bare foot. She struggled with the pedals while wearing shoes as she had no “feel”, but her driving was transformed when she drove barefoot. She took and passed her test barefoot and continues to drive barefoot with no issues.
When I started driving it took me a while to realise that anyone who wears a size 5 or smaller can't be placing their heel on the floor (or so it seems). That seems unnerving to be constantly kind of hover-footing.
Exactly! It makes it easier to get prams/buggies/mobility scooters in or out from the boot and you don't have to worry about some person parking up your chuff
I either forward bay park for shopping or reverse in where there's a path behind the car that way i can get a trolley to the back of the car and open the boot and I'm also safe because I'm on the path
I always reverse park, and loading shopping is never a problem unless someone decides to park over into my bay from behind when I'm in the shop. Usually because they've misjudged, because they drove in forwards and can't work out where their bonnet ends.
#2: I do a forward bay park when doing a big weekly shop - makes it infinitely easier to get your shopping in the boot if you're not trying to carry bags/push the trolley between parked cars in an inevitably tight car park (where I live, the car parks are all crammed in underneath the supermarket) #5: I agree with the no drinking alcohol - even after just one I feel tipsy so I wouldn't trust myself driving a car (although I am tempted to get a disposable breathalyser and find outhow close to the limit I would actually show as being! Not that it would change my choice, just out of curiosity) #9: I remember being allowed the interior light on a night on one occasion - the release date of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! Dad took me to buy it at midnight on the day it came out and I was allowed the light on in the back to start reading it on the way home (only a 15 minute drive)
One of my local supermarkets has some bays which back on to the shop's forecourt, so they are ideal to just roll up with a trolley & leave it there. It amuses me when I see people drive into these because they have to take the trolley to the rear of the car then get rid of it. Driving in & reversing out is much more difficult than the other way around.
@@TheRip72 That sounds so sensible! But in larger cities our car parks are often underneath the supermarket and they want to cram in as many cars as physically possible!
so to make it easier for you to load the car (and I stress the word easier - it is still possible to load your car if you reverse in) you would risk reversing into cars and/or pedestrians that you can't see as you reverse out.
@@johncranna There are parking spaces in my local supermarket where if I reversed in I wouldn't be able to open my boot (trunk) at all. I generally prefer reversing in and do it the majority of the time, those supermarket car parks are a rare exception for me.
Forward parking is quite common in supermarkets and DIY store carparks because people want to load up the boots of their cars. And here in Scotland one drink will put you near or over the limit. Just don't do it.
I will only usually park my car bonnet first if I want to fill up the boot. Otherwise the front wheels are at the right end for reversing in/driving out of a space & the door mirrors give you a perfect view for reversing into a gap.
@@TheRip72 for fast reverse parking, i would turn the car into the spot first and immediately turn out, so the car or parking bay next to mine already has appeared in my side mirror and i immediately and timely park that way. I abandoned the way that was taught to me by my instructor because it's different for every car and you'd need to relearn parking every time you're in a different vehicle.
When I was in Sydney 🇦🇺 in 2010 I got a ticket for parking on the right hand side of the road facing against the flow of traffic by the council. I was not aware that this was illegal so I wrote to the council the same day via email telling them a UK tourist was unaware of this legislation and I also included a street view photo of a busy London street showing cars parked in all directions which is legal in the UK. They cancelled the ticket 👍
Well done! I remember when we did this once in Tasmania and as soon as we got out of the car someone came over to ask if we were from the UK. We obviously had no idea it wasn't allowed in Australia.
When I read the title, I interpreted it as “things that aren’t illegal but people won’t do” such as one lane merges into another for roadworks and people don’t use that lane and instead form a queue and people get mad if you don’t join the imaginary queue
If people didn't form the imaginary 10 mile queue before the point at which the road engineers placed the merge point, then how would we get to see them go impotently incandescent when they smugly try and block you from "pushing in", and the driver in front of them puts his hand out, waves you past and lets you in? (I've been in both positions, and it's funny from either car)
The queue is not imaginary , and if people did not force their way in at the front there would be no bottleneck and traffic would flow faster and more efficiently .
Makes the rear mirror harder to use, make it appear to your eyes its darker outside, and when you look at centre mirror you looking towards interior lights which makes your eyes adjust to focusing towards light then you look back down and your eyes aren't adjusted to the low light outside
Forward bay parking (#2) - what about loading shopping into a car? If you reverse into a bay then you could easily have cars to the side and to the rear of the car making loading at best a pain or next to impossible if you have bulky items.
I always drive into the bay forwards, so I can get the trolley next to the boot. But then I always park well away from the shop door where the car park is nearly empty
so to make it easier for you to load the car (and I stress the word easier - it is still possible to load your car if you reverse in) you would risk reversing into cars and/or pedestrians that you can't see as you reverse out.
In a properly designed car park there is a path to the rear of the cars ; otherwise I would pull the car out of the space to load the shopping up . I also actively seek out end spaces , and park as far away from the one adjacent space as possible , as this leaves only one side of your car vulnerable to damage by others , so the doors are then accessible on at least one side .
Driving in forward is probably only really beneficial if you want to access the boot (or if course if you have a lovely drive in forwards and drive out forwards space that he had but didn't take)
As someone who cycles 6 or more days a week and has also done lots of reading about helmets: Thank you for a fantastic summary of the evidence. My view is exactly yours. I always wear one, but I respect that the evidence for them isn't as strong as many people think. And, as you say, they are worth using but far from as effective as a seat belt or airbag.
not wearing a helmet because they won't protect your head from getting crushed by a lorry is like not wearing shoes because they won't keep your foot from being chopped off from getting run over by a train.
Wearing steel-capped boot does not protect your leg bones from being ripped out of your ankle joint by a truck when your job places you in a very awkward situation but it does relieve pressure on the toes. Been there. Can still walk but forty years on the pain is chronic. Wearing a helmet also saves time spent having prosthetic ears fitted, by keeping your head off the road as you slide to a halt. Been there. Still have my ears. Wearing a cloth face mask may keep the flies out but will always make you look like a dick.
@@kenbrown2808 It's a little more complex than that. Studies have shown that wearing a helmet changes the psychology of how drivers perceive you. Data shows that drivers are more cautious around cyclists without helmets. I think my comment might get deleted if I try to post a link to the studies, but you can Google it. One was conducted by the University of Bath in 2013, and there has been a more recent one (but I forget who did that). So the choice seems to be to either reduce your risk of getting hit by a car or to raise the risk, but reduce the chance of being seriously hurt if you do. Not so much of an easy decision to make.
@@ihateunicorns867 I notice that was done during a debate over mandatory helmet use by a person who preferred not to wear a helmet. and while everybody seems to be in a hurry to cite the study, if found that the difference was three INCHES. so yeah, there has been only one study. it is very popular among those who want to ride barehaded. but for my anecdotal evidence: I bought my helmet after my crash. my riding habits didn't change at all. - other than never riding any distance without my helmet on. so that means my risk taking behavior was significantly reduced. - because I wear a helmet when there's any risk of a crash. - and by the math that makes no change on the risk of a crash, but reduces the risk of injury by 60-80%. it;s the same kind of false comparison as the statistic that more soldiers were admitted to the field hospital with head injuries after the adoption of the military helmet. it wasn't that the helmet increased the number of injuries incurred, it just increased the number of injuries SURVIVED.
The bit they don’t teach you is what to do when the flames start licking around your bare legs after you have set fire to the litter at your feet. It can be distracting.
#2: the only reason I can think of is if you are shopping and bays are so close you couldn't put in groceries if you reversed (so you have to park forward) - however I noticed some new shops here start doing slanted parking space so you can park quicker and see behind you when you reverse. #5: often I am branded as "the boring guy" for not drinking not even one cider or beer when going somewhere and being a driver. My trick is usually "will you pay for my fine, car if I have an accident and lost income if I end up in prison for whatever reason just because I drank?" - works almost always :) #7: did you seriously paint your nails just for the clip? :D #8: in my opinion helmet isn't there to protect you from everything bad happening but to lessen possible head injuries on top of other injuries. I once slipped on an ice, hit my head and was in hospital for a week with concussion. Yeah not a fun experience. #9: My interior lights are always off :D Honestly it's enough when my media system "blinds me" at night - can't imagine driving with interior lights on with all the reflections on the windshield.
I drive an estate car and loading the shopping in a busy car park if I've backed in is either impossible or extremely difficult (as in, scuffed paintwork and strained back).
I drive an estate . I always reverse in as I want to see when I pull out and the back end is so long I worry about people not noticing I'm pulling out if I'm reversing out . Pulling out forwards is less of an issue . To put my shopping in the car I will pull it forward first if needs be just a little .
@@edmundscycles1 I don't have an estate, but still I totally agree. Also, leaving the parking space forwards is a one-move operation. Same (and probably more importantly) with driveways. There's no traffic in front gardens, so why do people prefer to reverse out in to a busy road, rather than reverse in to a traffic-less driveway?!
usually parking bays are in double rows at supermarkets, i tend to just drive into one and park it on the far side. I'm perfectly capable to park into the bay reversed, but i just know this way is easier, don't need to brake untill i actually need to come to a full stop, not needing to shift extra times too. On top of that, if you can't get out after you've parked in forward, the lanes between the parking bays are too narrow.
In the last 30+ years, cycle helmets have saved my head from a hard knock on three occasions plus the one, on a February evening in 2016 after dark, where a dog walker let her dog run into the road & knocked me off my bike - my head was ok but my collar bone was broken.
I was sat in my car waiting outside Tesco with maybe 20 empty spaces around me. Nearly everyone that arrived tried to squeeze into the 10 spaces right by the door (not disabled spaces). Some taking 3 attempts and struggling to get out of their large SUV’s, bashing the doors of the neighbouring vehicles.
@@DMC888 I went to hospital, early appointment, raining, car park empty. So parked on far side. Half hour later on almost deserted car park, one had parked to my right and one space further on on left. I took picture to show friend. Then as i jumped in started some dick in a van was about to pull into empty space next to me, so slammed into reverse and pulled out causing them to stop. Bunch of d***heads.
@@flybobbie1449 I’ve heard some theories about that. Someone said it was because they couldn’t park using just the lines for guidance. They needed a chunk of metal on at least one side to line up with. Someone else said it was like a conformity thing. They couldn’t park away from everyone else like an individual, rather they felt compelled to fit in by filling all the empty spaces around the other cars. The worst example I’ve seen was when I spotted a lone Ferrari that had been parked on its own about 100m from any other car. When I came out of the supermarket a people carrier full of baby car seats was parked right next to the driver’s door.
Once I was parked and faffing about with the door open trying to do something. Someone wanted to park next to me rather than in one of the multiple empty spots. They waited until I had finished and closed the door then gave me a dirty look. Hilarious.
I always forward park... Not sure why it's an issue if you are careful about reversing back out, it's only a problem because a lot of people don't reverse and look around the car properly imo
I forward park when shopping, purely because shopping car park bays in my area are so tight, I can’t get to the rear of my car if I reverse park.. I hold my hands up and say that I do eat small amounts of confectionery whilst driving and occasionally sip a soft drink (if safe to do so). I’ve moved my car once on my drive bare foot and it was nasty, my feet folded around the pedal. I fully agree with flip flops and sliders not being driven whilst driving, but, I’ll add any open toe footwear to the list as their is a high risk of the pedal being trapped between the sole and the toe.
Driving shoes were actively promoted in the late 60s/70s as I recall. “What Are Driving Shoes? A driving loafer is essentially a moccasin-construction slip-on with a snug but comfortable fit. The defining feature are the small rubber pebbles that cover the sole and extend to the back of the heel - they are very flexible and provide added grip on the pedals.”
@@3LZ0RR0 not sure what you mean by “heavy duty shoes” but I’ve driven in steel toe-capped safety shoes & boots (they’re pretty heavy duty) with no problems whatsoever.
@@thomascarroll9556 I've driven with some steel to capped boots and found my foot to get trapped between the accelerator and the underside of the brake pedal.
Advanced driver and a cyclist here. I used to cycle without a helmet, but I'd never ride without a helmet now. I changed my mind when I crashed at low speed off road back in the 90s. I always wore a helmet on my MTB. On this occasion i hit the deck after a stick went into my front spokes. I went over the bars, broke my collar bone (and cycled home after) and more importantly, my head hit a rock. Im certain I'd have been severely injured or killed had i not been wearing a helmet. Good video and im with you on all points covered.
If you see me smoking when I'm driving please tell me because it means I'm on fire! With regard to taking a seatbelt off to reverse, this is really a spill over from the days before inertia real seatbelts. They used to be fixed in one position. You had to adjust them manually to fit you when you got into the car - a bit like setting the seat and the mirror (you would have been unlikely to be able to set the height of the steering wheel in those days - the only car I ever drove with that also had an inertia real although it used a different mechanism to most modern ones). That raises another point, though. If you DO end up in a "pin you in" seatbelt, you will not be able to lean forward to look round the blind spot caused by the A pillar. Just one of the issues to consider if you drive a "classic" vehicle along with no ABS etc.
I drive a Fiesta and I frequently miss my opportunity to pull out at a junction because my seat belt jams as I lean forward to see past my blind spot. Drives me mad
I was told you could be fined for driving with your interior light on when it was dark when I was younger, but I do drive forward into a supermarket car parking space, so that I can get my shopping bags in the back, very very rarely park on the opposite side of the street , because it can be a bit of a pain to get back on the go again, and last but not least, only this morning on the way to work I let a cyclist go first on a roundabout, and I got a big smile and a wave, that made both of us feel good, love your videos Ashley, I learn something every time, 👍👍👍👍.
Reverse parking into a bay can be troublesome as we have to pass the bay before reversing into it. That's when the sneaky driver behind nips in forwards. Doh! That said, since being a white van many years ago man I've always reversed into anywhere I might have trouble reversing out of.
The other day my instructor parked on the right outside my house and reversed so he wasn't blocking the driveway and he told me that it was probably the first time he'd actually done that manoeuvre since becoming a driving instructor so I definitely agree with the first point.
To be fair, I was led to believe that driving with your Interior 💡 on was a "no-no"; mainly due to a reflection on your screen which, in turn, could distract or detract a person from seeing a hazard. As for the legality; again - probably misinformed, despite noting that the 👮♂️👮♀️🚔 sometimes do this. Just goes to show that even old 🐕🐕 can learn new tricks. Nice one Ash. Stay safe folks 👍
Some differences between UK and Australian conditions: here it's illegal to park on the wrong side of the road, and you can be fined for either driving on the wrong side of the road (to get there) or parking more than 30cm from the kerb (measured from the correct side of the road), or both. In most Australian states it's illegal to ride a bike if you're not wearing a helmet. I recommend reverse parking, but there are times, such as having access to the boot for loading shopping, where forward parking is better. Reverse parking does make it easier to see other people and vehicles when leaving a parking spot. Like in the UK, it's not illegal in Aus to have an internal light on when driving at night, but it can be a distraction and can cause problems seeing things through the windscreen. I prefer people to pull over and use the light.
My biggest issue with parking on the 'wrong' side of the street is that you then have to cross traffic to get out...and - assuming you're in the UK *and* driving a car with the driver's seat on the right - you're not in the best position to see oncoming traffic, especially if there are other cars parked ahead of you.
The other road users will see you getting out and let you. Lots of Europeans drive their cars with the wheel on the left in the UK, and lots of British with UK cars in EU, no problem.
Yep, just this afternoon I was pulling out from the 'wrong' side of the street and had to stop halfway because a small van came in the other direction. Saw him with maybe a few seconds to spare.
Not always a problem. I always park on the wrong side of the road outside my house and never had a problem with pulling out unless a van parks in front of you. You can always wait until a car comes and follow it out too so you know it's safe.
It's not legal in Canada. You have to park pointing in the same direction as the adjacent travel lane... on the right side of most roads and either side of one way roads.
On wearing cycle helmets, I watch TV programmes about A&E and the ambulance service. They regularly have cases where they comment on how a cycle helmet has prevented a serious head injury or even saved someone's life. The professionals who deal with the accidents point out that when someone comes off a bike, they are likely to hit their head hard. A broken leg is usually easier to fix than brain damage which can have life changing or life threatening effects. Keep wearing the helmet!
I learned to drive as a British soldier based in Germany in the 1960’s and living in the Netherlands. Parking on the “wrong side” was illegal in both countries when I took my Dutch driving test, and I still do not do it.
I read somewhere that in the Netherlands, to exit a car you have to use the hand furthest away from the door which makes you look round to see if it is safe to do so.
When I was sitting my ADI Part 3, "pupil" asked if he could take off his seat belt to do his reverse around the corner. He then prompted me if he should put it back on before we moved off after the manoeuvre. Caught me out there.
My instructor taught me to always reverse park where possible and appropriate, and I am glad he did so as I now drive panel vans and trying to reverse out of a bay in those is a very slow and steady process! he interior light was a big surprise for me. I always remember wanting to read a book on long car journeys on the way home and wishing a had a light to do so. Mind so, I agree I would find it distracting (I often turn off the display on my dashcam for night driving). With regards to helmets, I always wear one because I no the one time that I decide 'its okay not to bother this time' will be the time I perish from a preventable injury. Thankfully, I have been wearing one so long that I now feel naked cycling without one. Thanks you also for discouraging littering - I find it hard to believe that any reasonable adult would see it as okay, it is simply lazy!
I'm not sure they reflect in the windscreen (good ones don't), but they are certainly visible in the interior rearview mirror, and can be a distraction (like a passenger in the front seat playing with their phone can be a distraction).
@@PauldeVrieze Modern cars generally don't, because the manufacturers now put in lenses to direct the light where it's needed rather than fill the whole car like they used to. In modern cars you often find the drivers light is more of a flood light than the passenger side.
@@PauldeVrieze Forgot to put that they reflect in the dark, not the light itself but the interior of the car will be reflected onto the windows when the outside is dark. Same thing happens in your home at night when you have a light on in the room you are in with the curtains open, you see yourself reflected in the window rather than what is outside the window.
Thanks Ashley' #2 forward bay parking item: where you believe it necessary to reverse park except for say disabled vehicle/passengers. I find interesting you don't see any other needs. If you are in a supermarket or town car park and you wish to unload the trolley contents into the boot it is necessary in nose-to-nose parking or against wall parking for the rear to be accessible and in open sight. I would choose in normal circumstances to reverse park as it is undoubtedly the safest way to emerge but as a dog owner I will always find the safest emerge for my dog and as a shopper will leave my rear exposed [in case a painted toenail appears] for easy access!
It's also worth advising to look for through and through parking spots when you're in a car park. If you can drive through a parking spot to get to a parking spot that you can just drive straight out of you completely get rid of the need to reverse all together.
@@video99couk Also, in a busy car park there's nothing to say someone else isn't going to have the same idea from the other side, then you're both stuck nose in.
@@markwright3161 "there's nothing to say someone else isn't going to have the same idea from the other side" Basic observation and being aware of other drivers should ensure that this doesn't happen.
Re #10, it’s worth noting that HC 268 is a bit self-contradictory. However, it does say that it’s tolerable to pass on either side in ‘congested’ conditions. In practice, on sections with active “Variable Speed Limits (VSL)”, it is normal for most to stay in lane, rather than weaving in and out to ‘overtake’ (and it would actually slow the whole lot down, capacity wise). It is not wise to assume that you will not be passed on the left by default in such areas. Of course, if the lane to the left is part of a different road identity things can pass on the left anyway, and often do. Usual risks of being stuck in someone’s blind spot etc are equally true, on either side.
My vehicle: 1965 109 diesel. i don't have seatbelts, windscreen washer and use hearing protection in the cab often with earbuds under them. i never drive without shoes though, a lhd means the exhaust heat makes the floor boards to hot. i have drank cola from a steel mug in a layby never when driving though. double clutching, no power steering and slow to get moving / slow to stop (drum brakes) makes me take my time, enjoy it and do my work out. I know it is legal to go 70 on a motor way, but doing 60 just feels like landing the space shuttle.
I knew interior lights being on wasnt illegal but my father told me when i was a kid that it can make it difficult for the driver to see out if the interior ambient light is too bright
Sometimes there's no other option than to park on the right side of the road. Somewhere which is busy and the parking is a premium, it might be the only space available. If you go and turn around with the intention of parking on the left side then the space will most likely be taken by then.
I believe the allowance to unclip a seat belt when reversing dates back to the first generation Static belts which you tightened by hand like a plane seat belt. Once tightened it was difficult to release the slider adjustment but easy to flip the lever and release it to enable you to twist for good rear visibility especially when reversing around a corner or parking. As long as you didn’t tighten it to rallye levels it could be refastened without a problem. At least that’s what I found in my first car that I retrofitted with such belts.
Eating crisps in the car: always have a pack of baby wipes in the car, useful for degreasing fingers after eating in the car. Useful if you get a puncture and get dirty hands changing the wheel. Also come in handy if a bird craps on the car; clean the mess before it starts to damage the paint
The part about bird poo is spot on. Bird's poo is acidic, so if you don't remove it straight away it will slowly corrode through the paint. However using wet wipes right after helps to deal with the issue.
@@hotstuff6131 I once hired a car and as soon as I got in the driver’s seat I could smell after shave. I don’t use it myself - no problem with people whom might want to wear it, it’s their choice, after all. But the steering wheel was plastered with the stuff. I could smell it on my hands really strongly after driving the car. Stopped at a fuel station to wash it off - but I’d have preferred the hire company to have valeted the car properly before I picked it up.
Yes my Father used to say don’t have the interior light on at night . I’m 55 now so I’m talking about over 40 years ago. Also my fathers generation were taught always park in the left due to cars at night picking up on the rear red reflectors of the lights. Another one years ago was in built up well lit areas you could drive on side lights. Crazy thought nowadays ..
Conversely, is there anything you would do that is illegal in the interest of safety, I can think of one example you've touched on in a previous video, pulling forward past a red light to give a blue light vehicle a path. I'd be interested to see if you had any other examples. Big fan of the channel thanks for all the free learning.
@@michaelchillingworth9000 That's illogical. If the vehicle in front is doing 55 in a NSL road it takes a fair amount of tarmac to pass at 60. If you accelerate to 65 for the overtake you increase your margins of safety.
@@notorio526 not if the driver in front is painfully slow on all the bendy bits. You obviously don't spend most of your life trying to get on with your life in rural areas.
Got to hand it to you Ash, you have a talent for coming up with the most interesting and educational driving topics. Here's a few more items I would add: 1. It's not illegal to drive with no lights on at all OUTSIDE of the hours of "half an hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise". (Putting aside poor daytime visibility for a moment, let's assume it's a clear day). However, would I stick rigidly to those lighting up times, even on a clear day? To quote an Ashley-ism "Not a chance". In fact, I drive on dipped headlights all the time. I wish at the very least the law was changed to "between half an hour BEFORE sunset and half an hour AFTER sunrise". Even better if it was compulsory 100% of the time (not withstanding modern DRL's, but again, those aren't compulsory). 2. Related to Point #1, it's not illegal to drive on just sidelights (known as parking lights in other countries) at night on a road with a 30 mph limit or less if there is street lighting. However, there is no way in the world I would ever do that and I wish the law was changed to require dipped headlights in such circumstances. 3. It's not illegal to keep your foot on the brake pedal the whole time you are stopped in traffic. But would I do it? No. Once I see a vehicle stop behind me, it's foot off the brake pedal for me, having already applied the handbrake as soon as I came to a stop anyway. Ashley's mentioned this several times, re: rear dazzle etc. 4. Similar "It's not illegal but I won't do it" thoughts regarding bare minimum legal UK requirement for tire tread depth. I would not be happy driving around on bare minimum tread depth...and in any case, it will only wear further, soon making them illegal. 5. Ditto, Similar "It's not illegal but I won't do it" thoughts regarding bare minimum legal UK requirement for eye sight. It is a very low standard. Thankfully I exceed it very comfortably 6. This one I got from Ashley's video: It's not illegal in a mostly empty car park to take a short cut path diagonally across the parking bays. But I just would not do it (in case I miss a vehicle in my blind spot) and prefer to still obey the markings and proper "driving lanes". Interestingly, I was quite surprised to see other cars in the video diligently following the roadways despite a virtually empty and very large car park. Were they all driving school cars on a practice run Ash? I couldn't quite tell. I got another idea for a video. Basically a mirror image of this one but looking at it from a positive angle and entitled "It's not compulsory but I would still do it". Example: It's not compulsory at a petrol station forecourt to drive on to the most forward pump but I would still do it, to make life easier for anyone arriving behind me".
Neither is it illegal to undertake even at maximum speed. Neither is it illegal to undertake on a single carriageway with two lanes in your direction. Neither is it illegal for a cyclist to go straight in a lane that has a painted sign pointing left on the ground.
Something I’d like more clarification on is using your phone to pay for things like in a drive through or toll roads (Apple Pay etc) whilst driving a vehicle. I’ve heard people say that drive through are private roads so it’s fine but actually most are classed as having public access so driving laws still apply. Love to hear your thoughts on this issue.
This is an issue which I feel falls down to common sense, however the law is also on your side. The argument of being on private land is somewhat moot, as the Road Traffic Act (and subsidiary legislation - such as the Construction and Use Regs) apply to anywhere that the public have access to. Therefore, for the purposes of the law, it’s a road and you’re bound by the same laws. The potential offence is one of using a handheld mobile phone whilst driving. The first obstacle a potential prosecutor would have is “driving”. If you are sitting in a a drive-thru, most likely with your handbrake up, then case law supports the view that you are not driving. A driver (and, therefore driving) is “a person who, in a substantial sense, controls the movement or direction of a vehicle ... the activity in question must fall within the ordinary meaning of the word ‘driving’”. The second obstacle would be “a handheld mobile phone”. This is defined in Reg110 Road Vehicle Construction & Use Regs 2003 as “held at some point during the course of making or receiving a call or performing any other interactive communication function”. An interactive communication function includes “providing access to the internet”. The question would rest on whether using your phone to pay is, in fact, providing you with access to the internet. I would argue that it is not - the phone is providing you with access to a payment means. In doing so, the phone is sending and receiving information from the internet in order to make a payment. However, you do not see this information and therefore, arguably, you do not have access to the internet. Finally, we have the good ‘ol common sense and discretion. If you are stationary in a drive-thru and using your phone to pay, then I can’t see any police officer trying to give you a ticket. It is contrary to good sense and I would suggest you would have a fairly easy journey to appeal. I have said the above in relation to a a drive-thru, however I would urge caution in using a phone at a toll-booth. These situations usually involve faster-moving traffic and you open yourself up to an allegation of driving without due care and attention, or dangerous driving, should you have a collision. (NB - I have some legal training but I am not qualified to give legal advice. Use at your discretion)
@@geko7844 thankyou for the very detailed reply. Regarding the using a phone whilst in control of a motor vehicle rules, I was under the impression that it was now illegal to use a phone even with the car stationary as long as the keys are in the ignition. Just seems like a huge grey area. I never have a never will touch a phone whilst I’m driving, but I do use Apple Pay regularly in drive thru’s.
The new rules introduced in the UK make is a specific exception to not holding your phone at the wheel ... essentially using the phone while stationary to pay using a card reader at a drive-thru or toll booth is definitely OK. However, picking up the phone for any other reason is now illegal.
@@sinista.productions it is legal to use your phone to pay, and only to pay. Not use your phone for any other reason before and after you pay, or while you’re in the queue. And you must be stationary.
My last comment, I have been driving since the mid 70s. I consider myself to be a good and considerate driver. However I have learnt so much from your videos. You are providing a great service to motoring. We'll done.
@@benhutchinson3185 I live in Australia, even like 10 year olds drive here. Mostly on the farm but still, if you ask a Radom kid if they have driven before, chances are they’ll say yes. Maybe this is just because I live in a small rural town in the middle of nowhere.🤔
My preference is to reverse bay park because I find it easier to park into and then leave, but I’ll accommodate depending on the car park, the purpose of the trip, the passengers etc
But in my experience they usually (not always) have paths between the bays anyway, so you aren't standing on the road with a trolley being a potential hazard! Even without the path, is it really that much effort to walk to the back of your car?
@@5688gamble no paths in my local supermarkets unfortunately. Only between the disabled spaces. It’s not easy manoeuvring a large trolley loaded with shopping between two cars. High chance of damage occurring. Plus, if someone has pulled in tight to your rear whilst you were shopping you’re going to have to pull forward and leave your car sticking out in the road.
when I was younger, I used my face as an auxiliary brake when a driver waited too long to indicate he was turning in front of my bicycle. I've worn a helmet ever since - at least once my face healed enough I could put the helmet on.
My Mrs doesn’t put her seatbelt on until she’s revered out the driveway and set off with that bloody beep beeping away. She says it restricts her movements even though she doesn’t even turn her head around coz she uses the mirrors and the reverse camera. People like that shouldn’t be allowed to drive
I've never even considered taking my belt off to reverse. It does not restrict me from turning my head & certainly doesn't impede my view of the mirrors.
Agree with All Ashley Great advice as usual . I do take my seatbelt off occasionally when reversing a HGV . Sometimes we need to hang out of the window so to speak especially in poor weather or bays that go from light to dark as you move in .
A friend of mine is totally deaf ,so he has a very different way of driving, his head is always moving looking all the time over both shoulders mirrors , at least he is not distracted by phones or radios or passengers talking. Regards seat belts ,I had a Mini and it wouldnt move if you didnt have seat belt on good idea, but very frustrating if you just want to move the car back a few feet on the drive.
Helmet on a bike every time. My wife is an occupational therapist and has a few patients, some of whom are children, who have brain injuries from very minor bike crashes. One child simply fell sideways whilst stationary and hit his head on the kerb. Brain damage for life for the sake of a few pounds on a helmet.
After starting my Motorbike license and having worn a motorbike helmet, the bicycle helmets feel very unsafe to me. It's like you have nothing on your head. I'm almost tempted to just take the motorbike helmet instead. but that would look quite ridiculous on a bicycle .
@@raftonpounder6696 Yep, that's what I thought you might say. Ok, so there's facial injury due to airbags, which not all cars have, especially for the passengers. There is evidence that faith in airbags leads to less safe driving. Check out head injury statistics for motorists.... Pedestrians are also involved in incidents resulting in head injury, whether it be from slipping or tripping or colliding or being hit by a car/lorry/motorbike/bicycle etc. A friends child suffered brain damage after he was pushed over by another child resulting in him hitting a kerbstone....
Brilliant videos, Ashley. I learnt very little roadcraft from my first driving tutor (my dad) but my second was the son of a policeman who had taught him in the same way that you teach your pupils. I believe it's a waste of time to be taught by family members unless they are professional drivers themselves. You ought to do a TV series as there's so much ignorance out there.
Good to see you've got a sponsored video, hopefully the great content you make on this channel is making you some extra money. Let's hope walkers crisps get in touch and send you some money.
I totally agree with you on all points, especially on never driving after having even just one alcoholic drink. I'm glad you brought that one up. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. Love your informative videos xxx
Yeah. But that’s what assessing risk is for, isn’t it Cazzy? Once drink has an extremely limiting effect. It does not materially increase risk. That is a fact. Do you make sure you have 8hrs sleep before driving? If not, shame on you - you’re much more impaired than one drink of alcohol. Again, another fact.
Yes and my assessment of the risk is that it's completely unnecessary. Therefore I mitigate my risks by eliminating the unnecessary ones, like drinking alcohol and driving. Nothing you've said has changed my personal opinion on that.
There are so many things that I don't know how they are even legal! Like drinking while driving (especially if it's hot coffee for example). If you spill it on your "central" parts it "could" cause you to lose concentration for a moment... The same for smoking! How many times I've seen a cigarrete slipping from the fingers and land on the driver's lap? That should be banned!
A few years ago, when it was legal to advertise tobacco, there were ads for a certain brand with photos of driver’s with a cigarette in their hand. Of course, in those days the 12V plugs did actually have cigarette lighters in them, as standard.
@@TheSebiestor Too many! My father, my brother (they quited a long time ago though), uncle, some friends... even a taxi driver around 30 years ago, when smoking was allowed everywhere. I haven't been in a car driven by someone smoking in a while though (I wouldn't in any case, I'd preffer to get out somewhere). But I still see people smoking and driving.
In 1986, a back-seat passenger passed a butt to the driver to dispose of near Jumping Pound westbound on Highway 1 (Alberta, CA.) The driver was burned and swerved into a group of cyclists stopped on the shoulder (10' wide shoulder for heavy vehicles), killing five of them. I remember wondering what all the fluorescent paint marks were about and then reading about it in the paper.
Forward bay parking makes sense at the supermarket if you have a shopping trolley full of stuff to load into the boot, especially if it’s a very full car park and you have cars either side.
I usually forward park when I'm doing the big shop at Tesco's, for the reasons other have said (ease of access to the boot), but I find reverse parking much easier, so that is my preferred method. Also, sadly, for women, I would always recommend reverse parking where possible so that if needed, you can drive off quickly if ever you felt you were in danger. (Maybe car safety could be a future topic, Ashley? Not just for women of course even though it seems we have to be more aware of our surroundings etc)
Forward parking is usually needed because of access to boot, interior lights reflect on windscreen, seat belt is old habit from seat belts that dont release tension. Helmet everytime on a bike, full face if possible / practical, I came off 25 years ago without one and broke cheek bone , neatly list an eye and head injuries.
Re. #6: Err... deaf people are (rightly) allowed to drive and are not, to the best of my knowledge, over-represented in collisions. You might _sometimes_ hear something before you see it, but that's usually a failure of visual observation more than anything else. Also, most cars are very well sound-insulated these days, and as for motorcycles the wind noise means that you hear little else above about 40mph (indeed a lot of us wear ear plugs or noise-cancelling earbuds for that very reason - the noise can otherwise lead to hearing loss).
No9 - Interior Light Not illegal, but I can’t drive with it on when it’s dark, I can’t see out the back window. I’m forever telling the kids off for turning it on… when we are stationary, that’s fine, but not when we are moving.
There was some question as to whether the overall impact of mandating cycle helmets would be positive or negative. The argument was that some people simply wouldn't bother cycling at all, so you would have fewer serious head injuries but a greater number of heart attacks and obesity related conditions. Difficult to prove either way, but to me it should be up to the individual to assess the level of risk they are prepared to accept.
Exactly right in your last point. No way should helmets be mandatory in my opinion, it's an individual choice. For me if I'm on a long ride/commute all on roads, I'd wear a helmet every time. Short casual ride to the shops/park though? I tend to not go with one.
There is also some research that car drivers may take more risks around cyclists wearing helmets, and helmets provide protection in very limited situations. So helmets could result in more cycle / car accidents actually increasing the risk of injury by wearing a helmet.
Being related to nurse and doctor they will tell you a helmet will help protect your head in everything but the most serious accident. So helmet all the time. I don’t ride at all walk or car.
@@davidellis8141 The thing is cycle helmets are only rated for accidents up to about 12mph, which is about the speed your head would reach if you were stationary on a bike and just toppled sideways.
@@jamesgibby Car drivers give less room to cyclists wearing helmets. Likewise wearing helmets gives cyclists a sense of feeling protected and can lead to them taking greater risks. Studies have demonstrated this. Thus if you wear a helmet you're potentially more likely to be involved in an accident, but if you are in an accident you're better off wearing a helmet. Unfortunately most people only consider the last half of that sentence and never the first.
7:06 Yes! Absolutely! I was told when I was a kid that having the Central (Main) internal light on was illegal at night but convenience lighting (reading lights, mirror lights, etc) were ok. It’s only now I'm finding out that is untrue!
I hope you put a getting out of bed helmet and getting out the shower helmet on in case you hurt yourself in that situation too can't be too careful. Make sure you have a big padded crash pad under any ladders you climb, wear a 'life' jacket when swimming, just in case.
Parking left wheels to curb is illegal here in the US at all times (since we drive on the right hand side here, that is equivalent to right wheels to curb in the UK).
A cycle helmet will provide roughly the same benefit to. 1) Cyclists 2) Runners 3) Car passengers So yes cycle helmets provide a level of risk mitigation when cycling, but if you do choose to wear a helmet and don't if you run or are a passenger in a car, why only mitigate the risk when cycling?
I read that car occupants are 100 times more likely to suffer a head injury, and pedestrians 30 times. What about children? There’s probably a case for them always wearing a helmet!
The reason I park forward into a bay is when I go to any supermarket, so that I will be able to access the boot easier. But in front of my house is a small car park and I always reverse back into the bay.
03:00 - I think that eating, drinking, smoking while driving is a distraction. I reckon that that should be taken just as seriously as using your mobile phone while driving.
As a motorcyclist I almost hit someone crossing the road who was wearing earbuds. He was so oblivious that even with me blaring the horn he still didn’t hear me.
@@TheSebiestor I braked as well as using the horn. But realistically he should never have put himself in the position where he could have been potentially seriously injured in the first place.
Big tick for all of these (particularly the no alcohol at all when driving rule) except for no seat belt when reversing into my narrow drive where I have to stick my head out of the window to avoid the gate post. Useful video as always.
The bike helmet one is a difficult one. Personally I always do, but comments that have been made to me are “no one in the Netherlands uses a helmet” and this is true. Also making helmets mandatory will dis-courage people taking up cycling. And I this is also true, so it’s not an easy one……do I think we should all cycle in helmets, yes, do I think it should be mandatory…..no
It's not exactly true - in the Netherlands they distinguish between utility cycling and sport cycling as two separate things. People doing sport cycling there wear generally wear helmets I think, people doing utility cycling don't.
I was knocked off my bike by a car last year & it was not my fault at all. The helmet hit the ground quite hard, splitting the foam in several places. I did not even have a headache though, so it did its job nicely.
I spent the 90’s bike racing/training with no helmet and have the scars to prove it. However back then there were a lot less cars/nut cases etc, I now don’t go out without one.
We should mandate helmets for motorists, walking, getting out of bed, the shower, walking up and down stair, ladders etc. Afterall all of these produce greater head injuries than cycling do by huge factors. Helmets do not protect they make outcomes worse. Racing cycling and other sports were helmets are introduced only ever show worse outcomes re head injuries in participants. Please look at actual evidence not have an uneducated best guess based on some flawed 'common sense'
@@TheRip72 No it didn't, you don't know that at all. A split/brpken helmet is a helmet that failed to absorb much of the forces involved., it failed the most basic of tests so would have been a fail in the lad. You wouldn't have hit your head without a helmet as it increases the circumference of your head, this is obvious as pre helmet wearing head injuries would have been multiple fold times more, they aren't, serious cyclist injuries have increased 50% since the mid 00s when helmets were being pushed by government, police and sporting orgs. the facts prove helmets are useless and make for overall worse outcomes for wearers.
I'm a delivery driver and I park on the right half the time. It's just not feasible to park on the left everytime, especially in residential streets where people park on both sides of the road.
I find having the interior light on at night is incredibly useful when hunting for those stray fries in the takeaway bag, its amazing how many you miss otherwise.
Have been in New Zealand for a long time and it’s illegal to park on the right, facing oncoming traffic, at any time. It is also an offence to park on the pavement, but the roads are so much wider than U.K. roads, so it makes sense. Also, in New Zealand bicycle helmets are mandatory and have been since 1994. Quite strange being back in the U.K. and seeing cars parked facing oncoming traffic, cars parked on pavements, and cyclists without helmets.
I think Chris is wrong on the helmet situation. His Mum was killed by a car when out cycling and he’s had a bee on his bonnet (that was an unintentional pun) about it ever since. Why anyone would want to cycle along without a helmet boggles my mind. I’m often cycling along with cars passing too closely, or pulling out (no matter how good my road craft is), or travelling 40mph down a big hill. Falling off, or especially being hit doesn’t even bare thinking about, even with a helmet on.
@@SteRumbelow I think you're underestimating the amount go time and thought Chirs B has put into his argument. The stats are clear - the more that we focus on helmets, the less safe it makes cycling overall. In the few places where it is compulsory injuries went UP and cycling levels went down! Wear one if you want, but they are not an effective measure in overall safety or when trying to get other people to cycle. They have the opposite effect!
@@SteRumbelow Boardman has always been consistent with his opinion before and after he lost his Mum. He's a rational fella and his views are based on statistics. Fine for you to disagree, the debate on helmets is very complex.
@@ivanboyes9773 The debate is indeed very complex. When I lived in the Netherlands and in (the north of) Belgium, barely anyone there wore a helmet (I assume it's the same still nowadays). I think those countries are at a point where cycling is so safe, thanks to good infrastructure and awareness in drivers, that it doesn't make sense to wear a helmet any longer. I think the UK right now is in a transition where cyclists are slowly becoming more and more common, it might be time to ditch the helmet as a way of showing that cyclists have just as much right to be on the road and be safe while doing it, without wearing excessive protection. It's up to the drivers to deal with cyclists safely. Of course you'd always have the people cycling dangerously, but they're the exception to the rule. And of course if you're going to be cycling fast in an actual road bike or going mountainbiking, a helmet is still sensible.
Yep with the interior lights, we weren't allowed them on as kids. Some trucks have a red interior light that you can put on instead of the white one as it affects your night vision less.
Cyclists that ride without helmets are fine with me. It's not my brain that's going to get bashed if they have an accident. Driving forward through into another parking space should be everyone's first choice when parking.
There is a school of thought that not wearing a helmet (and having long hair to imply you are a woman) makes the typical driver more likely to give you more space.
It's the brain smashing into your scull that often causes brain injury, wearing a helmet may soften the impact in a minor off to some degree. Being hit by a motor vehicle is just as likely to fatal internal injuries. We see the damage to the helmet and assume that it's saved your life, it probably hasn't.
@@TheHoliday2012 51 year's for me, we had to wear crash hats in competition, I guess I started wearing one 15 or so years ago due to pressure from others. I can't wear it in very hot weather as I get unbearably uncomfortable with it. Broken too many bones in cycling related crashes, but can't remember ever hitting my head.
I habitually ride with a helmet, but I understand the argument for not. I've come off my bike a few times in my life, and never once hit my head! The Dutch philosophy is that a helmet is the illusion of safety, and causes drivers to treat the cyclist less favourably, resulting in more accidents. Hence, hardly any of them do. And their cyclist deaths / injuries are well below ours (apparently).
Some great points made here: I've always been a bit of a 'dashboard diner' (sandwiches, water, chocolate) but can see how that can seriously distract the driver. After 35 years of driving, I'm going to try to change my ways. Thanks for a great channel, Ashley.
The seatbelt one has always confused me too. I can’t even drive without my seatbelt on because it just feels so wrong.
Retired colleague was passenger in plane accident, he banged his head on the top of instrument panel. Enough force to dent it.
He was early 90's age, quite fit, he slowly went down hill next 6 months and died shortly after the D-day reunion in France.
He wasn't wearing the diagonal strap becuse his shoulder was stiff to reach around.
Some people are just stubborn I think, they can see in their mind the belt loosens, but they won't, I mean, I only did it once waaaay back when first learing & the belt was giving me serious jip, but ever after, I just got a technique down to easily loosen it off & align the lap section so that no serious restriction of movent would occur, you know, different clothing choices & all.
Some probably just don't think about things cos phobic of learning something.
The rule allowing it is a hangover from the introduction of compulsory seat belts, when inertial belts like today's ones were if not rare, certainly not universal. With a fixed seat belt that did not automatically adjust, you really did need to remove it to look behind properly. Not applicable now, except in classic vehicles.
When parking in really tight spaces - so tight that I need to poke my head out to look at the front and rear corners of the car - that's when I need to take the seatbelt off.
Other than such extreme cases, I've never found that self-adjusting seatbelts restrict movement when reversing.
@@alane7903 exactly what I was going to say. All my older relatives did that.
My dad always told me he didn't like having interior lights on at night because to see as much of the road as possible he needed his eyes to fully adjust to the darkness
In fairness, back then the headlights on vehicles weren't the same brightness as a WW2 searchlight. Now you need to be as acclimatized as possible to blinding light.
@@iainbagnall4825 but what if someone is walking on a road that isn't lit and you have your interior light on are you going to see them as well as if your eyes were fully adjusted? I'd rather chance being dazzled then not seeing a pedestrian in plenty of time
I remember being told its wrong because of a white light showing behind the car. Made sense when you come across a car with a broken tailight or reverse lights stuck on, but interesting to know its not illegal ... just annoying when the kids switch them on in the dark whilst driving!
That is absolutely reasonable
I was told it distracts other drivers
Totally agree on the pet hate with littering - I'd rather have my car in a mess and empty it all out later than throw it out of the window. Drives me especially mad living in an area with a lot of beautiful rural scenery - it just ruins it!
There’s just no need for it. Wherever you’re going in your car, there’s going to be a bin.
@@SteRumbelow They've removed bins from a few places I've been, at least they've been scarce enough that they're difficult to find from where I've been parked. Even if there isn't a single bin where you were, you have a bin at home that you can thrown everything into. The advantage of most cars is that they have a boot you can put stuff in to take it places, and if you're eating something there's usually space for the full packaging, so there's no reason the empty packaging can't fit for disposal later.
I live on a farm with a number of fields next to very quiet roads. The amount of rubbish we find in the hedge/verge and over the fence is ridiculous for how little traffic uses our road. We have livestock too that have a tendency to try to chew any foreign item. To my knowledge we haven't had issues with animals eating the rubbish, but we did lose a sheep a while ago for an unknown reason when they were in one of the fields right next to a road, so some kind of rubbish thrown out of a car could have been a cause for all we know.
@@markwright3161 Yeah, that was my point really. Not necessarily your next destination, but maybe the next, will ultimately have a bin. Leave it in the car until you get to one, simple really.
Too right, I live next to a beach and all too often I see fast food wrappers strewn on either side of parking spot where a car of people have been too lazy to find a bin.
You can put in a binbag on the backseat for rubbish.
It drives me insane when someone feels the need to park next to me when there are hundreds of empty spaces
If you park right next to the entrance of Tescos - then you should expect some company (me! :))
I have that problem but with urinals.
@@piggypiggypig1746 xd
Humans are social creatures we wanna be close to others
Especially annoying when you're parked up on a break (van driver here) and they then hold a very long voice call with sometime who sounds like Isa from Still Game on their car's Bluetooth hands free system.
I burst out laughing when I saw the toenails. Great moment, and a lovely touch.
Everything you say is super useful, and I am very happy to say that I don't do 9 out of 10 of the things you mentioned. The one thing I do constantly is forward bay parking. It's for the shopping trolley. So I can move the trolley directly in front of the boot.
Aye, it's a pig to get to, when at the back of the bay, and you've got two cars closely parked either side.
Same here, Front first parking when at the supermarket to be able to load the boot. Reverse park in my driveway as it is narrow and makes it much easier to drive out into my street which has a lot of parked cars and traffic taking shortcuts.
That’s the rare time I do however I always check if there any spaces that have a reverse in option.
I’m always amazed when people don’t reverse onto their own drive. What could be more difficult than reversing onto a road with potential road users both ways!
so to make it easier for you to load the car (and I stress the word easier - it is still possible to load your car if you reverse in) you would risk reversing into cars and/or pedestrians that you can't see as you reverse out.
@@johncranna whenever you drive you risk driving into cars or pedestrians so I'm not sure that's a very good point
I'm teaching more and more disabled people, including wheelchair users. For them, parking on the right is safer as they will be exiting to the pavement.
My wife is disabled and i always park on the right. Also i have never curbed my wheels parking this way.
I wonder what they'll think when you teach them to look in their mirrors.
Parking on the right except on a one way street is illegal in New Zealand.
@@119beaker Australia too.
Reversing round a corner to the right is also part of the driving test in a van .
He's painted his toenails... brilliant!
Such a lovely colour too!
@@RhettJesusHarambe LOL I thought so too!
So long as he didn’t paint them whilst driving, it’s not illegal . . . But I wouldn’t do it.
Subtle jean change… 🤫
They’re his wife’s feet
I love the fact that Ashley now has probably a good 3 or 4 minutes of footage of him eating a packet of French Fries.
I like that you mention that, and not the feet....
#5, fully agree. I have a flat out rule that I will never drive on a day that I have a drink. Even if it's a tiny risk it really isn't worth it, I want to be able to have no distractions at all when on the road.
I’ve tried to tell my kids this but their mates are still perpetuating the myth of the two drink limit 🤦♂️. So the youngsters know best of course.
When you ask them what two drinks they’re talking about, shandy, Stella, vodka? They have no answer.
What about if you drank the night before?
This is one area where Scotland is ahead of England. Their drink drive limit is so low, it isn't even worth having a shandy. As such, I won't drink any alcohol when I know I will likely to be driving within a 12 hour time frame. When I lived in England, this was not always the case and honestly looking back, I think that I got lucky not to have been I an accident or pulled.
Nobody is perfect though, I eat/ drink (pop) at the wheel most days and I'll only tolerate right lane huggers for so long.
@@clemfandango2379 Also depends on timing, if the night before ended late, say an early start it may be a problem.
Totally agree, have done the same for last 35 years. Some people don't get it and start saying "surely you can have just one". No, none is best and 100% easy to stick to.
That bit about the cycling helmet, my Mrs went off her bike in ice a few years ago and the first thing that hit the ground was her head, she was annoyed she had to replace her helmet but it's better to have a crack in that than in her skull
I've only ever fallen off a bike once, when I had a bike where the handlebars could be twisted 360, and not look any different. I had been to my grandmas, and my handlebars had been twisted 360 without me realising, so when was going down a hill and pressed the brakes they didn't work because the handlebars were twisted. I ended up hitting a kerb which was spread all across the bottom of the hill, and went flying over the handlebars...
However I didn't get any serious injuries as I always put my hands out when I fall.
I just had a few grazes on my hands, and a few half a centimetre chunks of flesh out of my elbows.
I can't understand how people can get head injuries, especially when they fall forwards.
@@danielgardecki1046 the bike went from under her on the ice so her hands were still on the handlebar as it happened pretty quick
I wonder if unfastening seatbelt before reversing is a hang-over from the days when belts were not self-tensioning ?
I thought that too.
It may also be an allowance to ensure that multi-point (race) harness restraint systems are able to safely maneuver too.
I've found early self tensioning (80's march 3/4 ford escort ) Titan up to much and could not be easy loosened round the waste as demonstrated
@@cheeseburgerbeefcake The seat belt law makes a specific exception when reversing, and yes this is probably in there to cover a full harness.
I used to remove the static seatbelt when reversing my 1972 Hillman Avenger. Recently I installed inertia seatbelts and no longer feel the need.
Yup I was taught that having interior lights on while driving was illegal. However I've learned In the real world instance is that they drastically reduce visibility from the windscreen while driving at night.
So I don't do it.
I was cycling home from work in early November last year and I was hit head on by a car which inexplicably came over to my side of the road. I went over the bonnet and over the A-pillar, via the windscreen. I was not wearing my helmet as my 7-minute ride home only includes a short section of road riding, which is unfortunately where it happened. My head did not go completely through the windscreen but did break it, my unprotected head putting a decent sized dent in it. The collision was relatively low speed, mine being 15 mph, his being about 25. I suffered, among other injuries, a slight skull fracture and bleed on the brain. I have been back on a bike for about 2 months now and I count myself as very very lucky to have lived to tell the tale. I would not turn a wheel without wearing a helmet now, as I am sure in this instance it would have prevented head injury.
I got sideswiped at a roundabout by an oncoming car. My head hit the road with a heaty thump...or rather the helmet did. I broke my leg & wrist but they are fixed now. A head injury could have been much worse, but the helmet absorbed the impact & I never even had a headache.
Be aware though that helmets can actually add to neck injuries. They effectively increase the size of your head so adding more force to any twisting your head might do against the floor. Also the helmet adds friction making it easier for the head to be grabbed and twisted.
An ex-neighbour, now very ex, was dirt cycling off-road, went over some sort of bump, came off the track, slide down and hit various things, ground, vegetation, etc. with his head. Left a widow and two young children, one challengingly disabled. A sad outcome.
@@richardjones5255 I think it’s a case of different risks lead to different protective measures. The off road risk of an impact caused by your own skill limits is far higher than on a smooth road, the speeds tend to be lower and so they nearly fit the use-case helmets were ACTUALLY designed for.
Apologies for the necro, but I disagree slightly with your conclusion.
The cause of the incident - the risk itself - was the fact a car COULD end up with you - the biggest dangers to everyone hadn’t been segregated away from you.
On a personal level it then makes sense - a helmet can reduce this issue. But the most EFFECTIVE way - the macro view - is to have proper infra that correctly treats metal boxes as the danger they are, and puts them out of being able to cause danger to other classes of user
It’s why the Dutch, in general, don’t wear helmets. They’re not necessary for the vast majority of cycling they do. And mandatory cycle helmets overall reduces a nations health as it acts aa a set of barriers - in cost, convenience (style!) and also perception of cycling as what it is - itself, very safe, made dangerous only because of other road users.
The biggest issue with driving in flip-flops isn’t pivoting the foot (and I’ve taught some girls whose feet are just so small they can’t possibly have the heel on the floor and use the pedals anyway).
The issue for me is that flip-flops are loose and there is a big risk of having the pedal slide in between the sole of the foot and the sole of the flip-flop, stopping or delaying you from moving your foot between pedals.
On the barefoot question I taught one lady who grew up in Swaziland and was used to going everywhere bare foot.
She struggled with the pedals while wearing shoes as she had no “feel”, but her driving was transformed when she drove barefoot.
She took and passed her test barefoot and continues to drive barefoot with no issues.
When I started driving it took me a while to realise that anyone who wears a size 5 or smaller can't be placing their heel on the floor (or so it seems). That seems unnerving to be constantly kind of hover-footing.
I forward bay park because it's easier to get the shopping into the boot.
Exactly!
It makes it easier to get prams/buggies/mobility scooters in or out from the boot and you don't have to worry about some person parking up your chuff
I either forward bay park for shopping or reverse in where there's a path behind the car that way i can get a trolley to the back of the car and open the boot and I'm also safe because I'm on the path
I always reverse park, and loading shopping is never a problem unless someone decides to park over into my bay from behind when I'm in the shop. Usually because they've misjudged, because they drove in forwards and can't work out where their bonnet ends.
...But much harder to safely exit the bay.
@@cargy930 Good observation and patience does the trick!
#2: I do a forward bay park when doing a big weekly shop - makes it infinitely easier to get your shopping in the boot if you're not trying to carry bags/push the trolley between parked cars in an inevitably tight car park (where I live, the car parks are all crammed in underneath the supermarket)
#5: I agree with the no drinking alcohol - even after just one I feel tipsy so I wouldn't trust myself driving a car (although I am tempted to get a disposable breathalyser and find outhow close to the limit I would actually show as being! Not that it would change my choice, just out of curiosity)
#9: I remember being allowed the interior light on a night on one occasion - the release date of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! Dad took me to buy it at midnight on the day it came out and I was allowed the light on in the back to start reading it on the way home (only a 15 minute drive)
One of my local supermarkets has some bays which back on to the shop's forecourt, so they are ideal to just roll up with a trolley & leave it there. It amuses me when I see people drive into these because they have to take the trolley to the rear of the car then get rid of it. Driving in & reversing out is much more difficult than the other way around.
@@TheRip72 That sounds so sensible! But in larger cities our car parks are often underneath the supermarket and they want to cram in as many cars as physically possible!
so to make it easier for you to load the car (and I stress the word easier - it is still possible to load your car if you reverse in) you would risk reversing into cars and/or pedestrians that you can't see as you reverse out.
@@johncranna There are parking spaces in my local supermarket where if I reversed in I wouldn't be able to open my boot (trunk) at all. I generally prefer reversing in and do it the majority of the time, those supermarket car parks are a rare exception for me.
Forward parking is quite common in supermarkets and DIY store carparks because people want to load up the boots of their cars.
And here in Scotland one drink will put you near or over the limit. Just don't do it.
I will only usually park my car bonnet first if I want to fill up the boot. Otherwise the front wheels are at the right end for reversing in/driving out of a space & the door mirrors give you a perfect view for reversing into a gap.
@@TheRip72 for fast reverse parking, i would turn the car into the spot first and immediately turn out, so the car or parking bay next to mine already has appeared in my side mirror and i immediately and timely park that way. I abandoned the way that was taught to me by my instructor because it's different for every car and you'd need to relearn parking every time you're in a different vehicle.
Always reverse in to a space if at all possible, quick getaway!
I also forward park in supermarket car parks but always, before reversing out and double-checking it's safe, I switch on my hazard warning lights.
@@deglar1 i check continuously and turn out of a bay at walking speed, unless there's noone there and no obstruction of view.
Alan partridge drove all the way from Norwich to Dundee in his bare feet and he was just fine.
So that makes it ok then.
@@sahhull you try doing it while scoffing toblerone. And I don’t mean a small one, I mean a medium sized one.
When I was in Sydney 🇦🇺 in 2010 I got a ticket for parking on the right hand side of the road facing against the flow of traffic by the council. I was not aware that this was illegal so I wrote to the council the same day via email telling them a UK tourist was unaware of this legislation and I also included a street view photo of a busy London street showing cars parked in all directions which is legal in the UK. They cancelled the ticket 👍
Well done! I remember when we did this once in Tasmania and as soon as we got out of the car someone came over to ask if we were from the UK. We obviously had no idea it wasn't allowed in Australia.
When I read the title, I interpreted it as “things that aren’t illegal but people won’t do” such as one lane merges into another for roadworks and people don’t use that lane and instead form a queue and people get mad if you don’t join the imaginary queue
If people didn't form the imaginary 10 mile queue before the point at which the road engineers placed the merge point, then how would we get to see them go impotently incandescent when they smugly try and block you from "pushing in", and the driver in front of them puts his hand out, waves you past and lets you in? (I've been in both positions, and it's funny from either car)
The queue is not imaginary , and if people did not force their way in at the front there would be no bottleneck and traffic would flow faster and more efficiently .
I find that when the light is on in the car at night causes reflections on the window and annoys the hell out of me
Exactly this. This is what I tell my children when they but on the light when it is dark outside. Same my father told me as well when I was a kid.
Makes the rear mirror harder to use, make it appear to your eyes its darker outside, and when you look at centre mirror you looking towards interior lights which makes your eyes adjust to focusing towards light then you look back down and your eyes aren't adjusted to the low light outside
Forward bay parking (#2) - what about loading shopping into a car? If you reverse into a bay then you could easily have cars to the side and to the rear of the car making loading at best a pain or next to impossible if you have bulky items.
I always drive into the bay forwards, so I can get the trolley next to the boot. But then I always park well away from the shop door where the car park is nearly empty
so to make it easier for you to load the car (and I stress the word easier - it is still possible to load your car if you reverse in) you would risk reversing into cars and/or pedestrians that you can't see as you reverse out.
In a properly designed car park there is a path to the rear of the cars ; otherwise I would pull the car out of the space to load the shopping up . I also actively seek out end spaces , and park as far away from the one adjacent space as possible , as this leaves only one side of your car vulnerable to damage by others , so the doors are then accessible on at least one side .
Driving in forward is probably only really beneficial if you want to access the boot (or if course if you have a lovely drive in forwards and drive out forwards space that he had but didn't take)
eh it's not that difficult. park the cart in front of the car, and carry the stuff in
As someone who cycles 6 or more days a week and has also done lots of reading about helmets: Thank you for a fantastic summary of the evidence.
My view is exactly yours. I always wear one, but I respect that the evidence for them isn't as strong as many people think. And, as you say, they are worth using but far from as effective as a seat belt or airbag.
not wearing a helmet because they won't protect your head from getting crushed by a lorry is like not wearing shoes because they won't keep your foot from being chopped off from getting run over by a train.
Wearing steel-capped boot does not protect your leg bones from being ripped out of your ankle joint by a truck when your job places you in a very awkward situation but it does relieve pressure on the toes. Been there. Can still walk but forty years on the pain is chronic.
Wearing a helmet also saves time spent having prosthetic ears fitted, by keeping your head off the road as you slide to a halt. Been there. Still have my ears.
Wearing a cloth face mask may keep the flies out but will always make you look like a dick.
@@jeremyashford2145 actually, it's not wearing a cloth face mask, when there is a pandemic killing people, that makes you look like a dick.
@@kenbrown2808 It's a little more complex than that. Studies have shown that wearing a helmet changes the psychology of how drivers perceive you. Data shows that drivers are more cautious around cyclists without helmets. I think my comment might get deleted if I try to post a link to the studies, but you can Google it. One was conducted by the University of Bath in 2013, and there has been a more recent one (but I forget who did that). So the choice seems to be to either reduce your risk of getting hit by a car or to raise the risk, but reduce the chance of being seriously hurt if you do. Not so much of an easy decision to make.
@@ihateunicorns867 I notice that was done during a debate over mandatory helmet use by a person who preferred not to wear a helmet. and while everybody seems to be in a hurry to cite the study, if found that the difference was three INCHES.
so yeah, there has been only one study. it is very popular among those who want to ride barehaded.
but for my anecdotal evidence: I bought my helmet after my crash. my riding habits didn't change at all. - other than never riding any distance without my helmet on. so that means my risk taking behavior was significantly reduced. - because I wear a helmet when there's any risk of a crash. - and by the math that makes no change on the risk of a crash, but reduces the risk of injury by 60-80%.
it;s the same kind of false comparison as the statistic that more soldiers were admitted to the field hospital with head injuries after the adoption of the military helmet. it wasn't that the helmet increased the number of injuries incurred, it just increased the number of injuries SURVIVED.
Forty years ago part of my driver training was learning how to light my cigarette whilst driving without taking my eyes off the road.
The bit they don’t teach you is what to do when the flames start licking around your bare legs after you have set fire to the litter at your feet. It can be distracting.
@@jeremyashford2145 That's why you have a beer in the other hand ready to douse those flames.
@@MASAo7 yeah, but don't try it with anything over 70 proof it will make the flames worse.
@@trueriver1950 🤣
#2: the only reason I can think of is if you are shopping and bays are so close you couldn't put in groceries if you reversed (so you have to park forward) - however I noticed some new shops here start doing slanted parking space so you can park quicker and see behind you when you reverse.
#5: often I am branded as "the boring guy" for not drinking not even one cider or beer when going somewhere and being a driver. My trick is usually "will you pay for my fine, car if I have an accident and lost income if I end up in prison for whatever reason just because I drank?" - works almost always :)
#7: did you seriously paint your nails just for the clip? :D
#8: in my opinion helmet isn't there to protect you from everything bad happening but to lessen possible head injuries on top of other injuries. I once slipped on an ice, hit my head and was in hospital for a week with concussion. Yeah not a fun experience.
#9: My interior lights are always off :D Honestly it's enough when my media system "blinds me" at night - can't imagine driving with interior lights on with all the reflections on the windshield.
I drive an estate car and loading the shopping in a busy car park if I've backed in is either impossible or extremely difficult (as in, scuffed paintwork and strained back).
I drive an estate . I always reverse in as I want to see when I pull out and the back end is so long I worry about people not noticing I'm pulling out if I'm reversing out . Pulling out forwards is less of an issue . To put my shopping in the car I will pull it forward first if needs be just a little .
@@edmundscycles1 I don't have an estate, but still I totally agree. Also, leaving the parking space forwards is a one-move operation. Same (and probably more importantly) with driveways. There's no traffic in front gardens, so why do people prefer to reverse out in to a busy road, rather than reverse in to a traffic-less driveway?!
@@JeffJefferyUK yeah I have to reverse into my drive . I so prefer reversing in rather than reversing out .
usually parking bays are in double rows at supermarkets, i tend to just drive into one and park it on the far side. I'm perfectly capable to park into the bay reversed, but i just know this way is easier, don't need to brake untill i actually need to come to a full stop, not needing to shift extra times too.
On top of that, if you can't get out after you've parked in forward, the lanes between the parking bays are too narrow.
In the last 30+ years, cycle helmets have saved my head from a hard knock on three occasions plus the one, on a February evening in 2016 after dark, where a dog walker let her dog run into the road & knocked me off my bike - my head was ok but my collar bone was broken.
Squeeze into a space between cars when there are 100 other free spaces.
I was sat in my car waiting outside Tesco with maybe 20 empty spaces around me. Nearly everyone that arrived tried to squeeze into the 10 spaces right by the door (not disabled spaces). Some taking 3 attempts and struggling to get out of their large SUV’s, bashing the doors of the neighbouring vehicles.
@@DMC888 I went to hospital, early appointment, raining, car park empty. So parked on far side. Half hour later on almost deserted car park, one had parked to my right and one space further on on left. I took picture to show friend. Then as i jumped in started some dick in a van was about to pull into empty space next to me, so slammed into reverse and pulled out causing them to stop. Bunch of d***heads.
@@flybobbie1449 I’ve heard some theories about that. Someone said it was because they couldn’t park using just the lines for guidance. They needed a chunk of metal on at least one side to line up with.
Someone else said it was like a conformity thing. They couldn’t park away from everyone else like an individual, rather they felt compelled to fit in by filling all the empty spaces around the other cars.
The worst example I’ve seen was when I spotted a lone Ferrari that had been parked on its own about 100m from any other car. When I came out of the supermarket a people carrier full of baby car seats was parked right next to the driver’s door.
I was once in an empty school car park and a car drove in and tried reversing in the space that i occupied, i beeped and they stopped surprised.
Once I was parked and faffing about with the door open trying to do something. Someone wanted to park next to me rather than in one of the multiple empty spots. They waited until I had finished and closed the door then gave me a dirty look. Hilarious.
I always forward park... Not sure why it's an issue if you are careful about reversing back out, it's only a problem because a lot of people don't reverse and look around the car properly imo
I forward park when shopping, purely because shopping car park bays in my area are so tight, I can’t get to the rear of my car if I reverse park..
I hold my hands up and say that I do eat small amounts of confectionery whilst driving and occasionally sip a soft drink (if safe to do so).
I’ve moved my car once on my drive bare foot and it was nasty, my feet folded around the pedal. I fully agree with flip flops and sliders not being driven whilst driving, but, I’ll add any open toe footwear to the list as their is a high risk of the pedal being trapped between the sole and the toe.
Driving shoes were actively promoted in the late 60s/70s as I recall.
“What Are Driving Shoes? A driving loafer is essentially a moccasin-construction slip-on with a snug but comfortable fit. The defining feature are the small rubber pebbles that cover the sole and extend to the back of the heel - they are very flexible and provide added grip on the pedals.”
heavy duty shoes are a freaking nightmare to drive with aswell in a manual since you can't feel a thing under there
@@3LZ0RR0 not sure what you mean by “heavy duty shoes” but I’ve driven in steel toe-capped safety shoes & boots (they’re pretty heavy duty) with no problems whatsoever.
@@thomascarroll9556 I've driven with some steel to capped boots and found my foot to get trapped between the accelerator and the underside of the brake pedal.
@@MaddSusie then you should place your feet slightly differently maybe.
Advanced driver and a cyclist here. I used to cycle without a helmet, but I'd never ride without a helmet now.
I changed my mind when I crashed at low speed off road back in the 90s. I always wore a helmet on my MTB. On this occasion i hit the deck after a stick went into my front spokes. I went over the bars, broke my collar bone (and cycled home after) and more importantly, my head hit a rock.
Im certain I'd have been severely injured or killed had i not been wearing a helmet.
Good video and im with you on all points covered.
If you see me smoking when I'm driving please tell me because it means I'm on fire!
With regard to taking a seatbelt off to reverse, this is really a spill over from the days before inertia real seatbelts.
They used to be fixed in one position. You had to adjust them manually to fit you when you got into the car - a bit like setting the seat and the mirror (you would have been unlikely to be able to set the height of the steering wheel in those days - the only car I ever drove with that also had an inertia real although it used a different mechanism to most modern ones).
That raises another point, though. If you DO end up in a "pin you in" seatbelt, you will not be able to lean forward to look round the blind spot caused by the A pillar. Just one of the issues to consider if you drive a "classic" vehicle along with no ABS etc.
I drive a Fiesta and I frequently miss my opportunity to pull out at a junction because my seat belt jams as I lean forward to see past my blind spot. Drives me mad
I was told you could be fined for driving with your interior light on when it was dark when I was younger, but I do drive forward into a supermarket car parking space, so that I can get my shopping bags in the back, very very rarely park on the opposite side of the street , because it can be a bit of a pain to get back on the go again, and last but not least, only this morning on the way to work I let a cyclist go first on a roundabout, and I got a big smile and a wave, that made both of us feel good, love your videos Ashley, I learn something every time, 👍👍👍👍.
Reverse parking into a bay can be troublesome as we have to pass the bay before reversing into it. That's when the sneaky driver behind nips in forwards. Doh! That said, since being a white van many years ago man I've always reversed into anywhere I might have trouble reversing out of.
The other day my instructor parked on the right outside my house and reversed so he wasn't blocking the driveway and he told me that it was probably the first time he'd actually done that manoeuvre since becoming a driving instructor so I definitely agree with the first point.
To be fair, I was led to believe that driving with your Interior 💡 on was a "no-no"; mainly due to a reflection on your screen which, in turn, could distract or detract a person from seeing a hazard. As for the legality; again - probably misinformed, despite noting that the 👮♂️👮♀️🚔 sometimes do this.
Just goes to show that even old 🐕🐕 can learn new tricks.
Nice one Ash. Stay safe folks 👍
The reversing seatbelt exception thing came from pre inertia seat belts, which did restrict movement
5:38 they look great! I paint mine as well.
Some differences between UK and Australian conditions: here it's illegal to park on the wrong side of the road, and you can be fined for either driving on the wrong side of the road (to get there) or parking more than 30cm from the kerb (measured from the correct side of the road), or both. In most Australian states it's illegal to ride a bike if you're not wearing a helmet. I recommend reverse parking, but there are times, such as having access to the boot for loading shopping, where forward parking is better. Reverse parking does make it easier to see other people and vehicles when leaving a parking spot. Like in the UK, it's not illegal in Aus to have an internal light on when driving at night, but it can be a distraction and can cause problems seeing things through the windscreen. I prefer people to pull over and use the light.
My biggest issue with parking on the 'wrong' side of the street is that you then have to cross traffic to get out...and - assuming you're in the UK *and* driving a car with the driver's seat on the right - you're not in the best position to see oncoming traffic, especially if there are other cars parked ahead of you.
The other road users will see you getting out and let you. Lots of Europeans drive their cars with the wheel on the left in the UK, and lots of British with UK cars in EU, no problem.
Yep, just this afternoon I was pulling out from the 'wrong' side of the street and had to stop halfway because a small van came in the other direction. Saw him with maybe a few seconds to spare.
Not always a problem. I always park on the wrong side of the road outside my house and never had a problem with pulling out unless a van parks in front of you. You can always wait until a car comes and follow it out too so you know it's safe.
It's not legal in Canada. You have to park pointing in the same direction as the adjacent travel lane... on the right side of most roads and either side of one way roads.
On wearing cycle helmets, I watch TV programmes about A&E and the ambulance service. They regularly have cases where they comment on how a cycle helmet has prevented a serious head injury or even saved someone's life. The professionals who deal with the accidents point out that when someone comes off a bike, they are likely to hit their head hard. A broken leg is usually easier to fix than brain damage which can have life changing or life threatening effects. Keep wearing the helmet!
I learned to drive as a British soldier based in Germany in the 1960’s and living in the Netherlands. Parking on the “wrong side” was illegal in both countries when I took my Dutch driving test, and I still do not do it.
I read somewhere that in the Netherlands, to exit a car you have to use the hand furthest away from the door which makes you look round to see if it is safe to do so.
That's why I love my electric mirrors. Direct them down and you can see the line perfectly.
When I was sitting my ADI Part 3, "pupil" asked if he could take off his seat belt to do his reverse around the corner. He then prompted me if he should put it back on before we moved off after the manoeuvre. Caught me out there.
My instructor taught me to always reverse park where possible and appropriate, and I am glad he did so as I now drive panel vans and trying to reverse out of a bay in those is a very slow and steady process!
he interior light was a big surprise for me. I always remember wanting to read a book on long car journeys on the way home and wishing a had a light to do so. Mind so, I agree I would find it distracting (I often turn off the display on my dashcam for night driving).
With regards to helmets, I always wear one because I no the one time that I decide 'its okay not to bother this time' will be the time I perish from a preventable injury. Thankfully, I have been wearing one so long that I now feel naked cycling without one.
Thanks you also for discouraging littering - I find it hard to believe that any reasonable adult would see it as okay, it is simply lazy!
Interior light reflects the inside of the car onto the windscreen making it harder to see was the reason I was lead to believe it's bad to use.
I'm not sure they reflect in the windscreen (good ones don't), but they are certainly visible in the interior rearview mirror, and can be a distraction (like a passenger in the front seat playing with their phone can be a distraction).
@@PauldeVrieze Modern cars generally don't, because the manufacturers now put in lenses to direct the light where it's needed rather than fill the whole car like they used to. In modern cars you often find the drivers light is more of a flood light than the passenger side.
@@PauldeVrieze Forgot to put that they reflect in the dark, not the light itself but the interior of the car will be reflected onto the windows when the outside is dark. Same thing happens in your home at night when you have a light on in the room you are in with the curtains open, you see yourself reflected in the window rather than what is outside the window.
Thanks Ashley'
#2 forward bay parking item: where you believe it necessary to reverse park except for say disabled vehicle/passengers. I find interesting you don't see any other needs. If you are in a supermarket or town car park and you wish to unload the trolley contents into the boot it is necessary in nose-to-nose parking or against wall parking for the rear to be accessible and in open sight. I would choose in normal circumstances to reverse park as it is undoubtedly the safest way to emerge but as a dog owner I will always find the safest emerge for my dog and as a shopper will leave my rear exposed [in case a painted toenail appears] for easy access!
It's also worth advising to look for through and through parking spots when you're in a car park. If you can drive through a parking spot to get to a parking spot that you can just drive straight out of you completely get rid of the need to reverse all together.
that's what i do. :P
There's a case for not doing that since you may not be seen by someone reversing into that forward spot. This has caused collisions.
@@video99couk Also, in a busy car park there's nothing to say someone else isn't going to have the same idea from the other side, then you're both stuck nose in.
Folk cutting through parking spaces to get to another one are a pain in the erse and it's dangerous
@@markwright3161 "there's nothing to say someone else isn't going to have the same idea from the other side" Basic observation and being aware of other drivers should ensure that this doesn't happen.
Re #10, it’s worth noting that HC 268 is a bit self-contradictory. However, it does say that it’s tolerable to pass on either side in ‘congested’ conditions. In practice, on sections with active “Variable Speed Limits (VSL)”, it is normal for most to stay in lane, rather than weaving in and out to ‘overtake’ (and it would actually slow the whole lot down, capacity wise). It is not wise to assume that you will not be passed on the left by default in such areas. Of course, if the lane to the left is part of a different road identity things can pass on the left anyway, and often do. Usual risks of being stuck in someone’s blind spot etc are equally true, on either side.
Ashley eating a bag of snacks is the funniest thing I've seen today!
And heard.
You didn't see the red toe-nails, then?
@@craftsmanwoodturner only after............
2nd funniest maybe as painted toe nails in another league.
My vehicle: 1965 109 diesel. i don't have seatbelts, windscreen washer and use hearing protection in the cab often with earbuds under them. i never drive without shoes though, a lhd means the exhaust heat makes the floor boards to hot. i have drank cola from a steel mug in a layby never when driving though. double clutching, no power steering and slow to get moving / slow to stop (drum brakes) makes me take my time, enjoy it and do my work out. I know it is legal to go 70 on a motor way, but doing 60 just feels like landing the space shuttle.
re eating and driving, I remember a story in the press - a driver stopped at traffic lights was prosecuted for eating a kit-kat.
I knew interior lights being on wasnt illegal but my father told me when i was a kid that it can make it difficult for the driver to see out if the interior ambient light is too bright
It’s rare I have the interior lights on at night
Love the painted 💅nails, the tattoo, and the content - keeping everyone safe on the road..
Sometimes there's no other option than to park on the right side of the road. Somewhere which is busy and the parking is a premium, it might be the only space available. If you go and turn around with the intention of parking on the left side then the space will most likely be taken by then.
There are lots of things in life that you just don't do, even though it's not illegal. With driving it's no different.
I believe the allowance to unclip a seat belt when reversing dates back to the first generation Static belts which you tightened by hand like a plane seat belt. Once tightened it was difficult to release the slider adjustment but easy to flip the lever and release it to enable you to twist for good rear visibility especially when reversing around a corner or parking. As long as you didn’t tighten it to rallye levels it could be refastened without a problem.
At least that’s what I found in my first car that I retrofitted with such belts.
Eating crisps in the car: always have a pack of baby wipes in the car, useful for degreasing fingers after eating in the car. Useful if you get a puncture and get dirty hands changing the wheel. Also come in handy if a bird craps on the car; clean the mess before it starts to damage the paint
Haha - yes, I always carry those wet wipes in the car!
The part about bird poo is spot on. Bird's poo is acidic, so if you don't remove it straight away it will slowly corrode through the paint. However using wet wipes right after helps to deal with the issue.
Yes, I dont understand the people that eat messy food with their hands then proceed to touch the steering wheel... or wipe it on their shirt...
@@hotstuff6131 I once hired a car and as soon as I got in the driver’s seat I could smell after shave. I don’t use it myself - no problem with people whom might want to wear it, it’s their choice, after all. But the steering wheel was plastered with the stuff. I could smell it on my hands really strongly after driving the car. Stopped at a fuel station to wash it off - but I’d have preferred the hire company to have valeted the car properly before I picked it up.
@@Orwic1 unlucky!
Yes my Father used to say don’t have the interior light on at night . I’m 55 now so I’m talking about over 40 years ago. Also my fathers generation were taught always park in the left due to cars at night picking up on the rear red reflectors of the lights. Another one years ago was in built up well lit areas you could drive on side lights. Crazy thought nowadays ..
Conversely, is there anything you would do that is illegal in the interest of safety, I can think of one example you've touched on in a previous video, pulling forward past a red light to give a blue light vehicle a path. I'd be interested to see if you had any other examples. Big fan of the channel thanks for all the free learning.
Temporarily exceed the speed limit when overtaking to minimise risk... I know some will disagree of course. 🤣
@@donkmeister if you can't safely overtake without speeding then it's not safe to overtake
@@michaelchillingworth9000 That's illogical. If the vehicle in front is doing 55 in a NSL road it takes a fair amount of tarmac to pass at 60. If you accelerate to 65 for the overtake you increase your margins of safety.
@@cofty Or just wait till it's safe to overtake legally. 55mph is fine, it's not a race.
@@notorio526 not if the driver in front is painfully slow on all the bendy bits. You obviously don't spend most of your life trying to get on with your life in rural areas.
Got to hand it to you Ash, you have a talent for coming up with the most interesting and educational driving topics.
Here's a few more items I would add:
1. It's not illegal to drive with no lights on at all OUTSIDE of the hours of "half an hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise". (Putting aside poor daytime visibility for a moment, let's assume it's a clear day). However, would I stick rigidly to those lighting up times, even on a clear day? To quote an Ashley-ism "Not a chance". In fact, I drive on dipped headlights all the time. I wish at the very least the law was changed to "between half an hour BEFORE sunset and half an hour AFTER sunrise". Even better if it was compulsory 100% of the time (not withstanding modern DRL's, but again, those aren't compulsory).
2. Related to Point #1, it's not illegal to drive on just sidelights (known as parking lights in other countries) at night on a road with a 30 mph limit or less if there is street lighting. However, there is no way in the world I would ever do that and I wish the law was changed to require dipped headlights in such circumstances.
3. It's not illegal to keep your foot on the brake pedal the whole time you are stopped in traffic. But would I do it? No. Once I see a vehicle stop behind me, it's foot off the brake pedal for me, having already applied the handbrake as soon as I came to a stop anyway. Ashley's mentioned this several times, re: rear dazzle etc.
4. Similar "It's not illegal but I won't do it" thoughts regarding bare minimum legal UK requirement for tire tread depth. I would not be happy driving around on bare minimum tread depth...and in any case, it will only wear further, soon making them illegal.
5. Ditto, Similar "It's not illegal but I won't do it" thoughts regarding bare minimum legal UK requirement for eye sight. It is a very low standard. Thankfully I exceed it very comfortably
6. This one I got from Ashley's video: It's not illegal in a mostly empty car park to take a short cut path diagonally across the parking bays. But I just would not do it (in case I miss a vehicle in my blind spot) and prefer to still obey the markings and proper "driving lanes". Interestingly, I was quite surprised to see other cars in the video diligently following the roadways despite a virtually empty and very large car park. Were they all driving school cars on a practice run Ash? I couldn't quite tell.
I got another idea for a video. Basically a mirror image of this one but looking at it from a positive angle and entitled "It's not compulsory but I would still do it". Example: It's not compulsory at a petrol station forecourt to drive on to the most forward pump but I would still do it, to make life easier for anyone arriving behind me".
Neither is it illegal to undertake even at maximum speed.
Neither is it illegal to undertake on a single carriageway with two lanes in your direction.
Neither is it illegal for a cyclist to go straight in a lane that has a painted sign pointing left on the ground.
@@mikehunter2844 Correct on al, 3
Something I’d like more clarification on is using your phone to pay for things like in a drive through or toll roads (Apple Pay etc) whilst driving a vehicle. I’ve heard people say that drive through are private roads so it’s fine but actually most are classed as having public access so driving laws still apply. Love to hear your thoughts on this issue.
This is an issue which I feel falls down to common sense, however the law is also on your side. The argument of being on private land is somewhat moot, as the Road Traffic Act (and subsidiary legislation - such as the Construction and Use Regs) apply to anywhere that the public have access to. Therefore, for the purposes of the law, it’s a road and you’re bound by the same laws.
The potential offence is one of using a handheld mobile phone whilst driving. The first obstacle a potential prosecutor would have is “driving”. If you are sitting in a a drive-thru, most likely with your handbrake up, then case law supports the view that you are not driving. A driver (and, therefore driving) is “a person who, in a substantial sense, controls the movement or direction of a vehicle ... the activity in question must fall within the ordinary meaning of the word ‘driving’”.
The second obstacle would be “a handheld mobile phone”. This is defined in Reg110 Road Vehicle Construction & Use Regs 2003 as “held at some point during the course of making or receiving a call or performing any other interactive communication function”. An interactive communication function includes “providing access to the internet”. The question would rest on whether using your phone to pay is, in fact, providing you with access to the internet. I would argue that it is not - the phone is providing you with access to a payment means. In doing so, the phone is sending and receiving information from the internet in order to make a payment. However, you do not see this information and therefore, arguably, you do not have access to the internet.
Finally, we have the good ‘ol common sense and discretion. If you are stationary in a drive-thru and using your phone to pay, then I can’t see any police officer trying to give you a ticket. It is contrary to good sense and I would suggest you would have a fairly easy journey to appeal.
I have said the above in relation to a a drive-thru, however I would urge caution in using a phone at a toll-booth. These situations usually involve faster-moving traffic and you open yourself up to an allegation of driving without due care and attention, or dangerous driving, should you have a collision.
(NB - I have some legal training but I am not qualified to give legal advice. Use at your discretion)
@@geko7844 thankyou for the very detailed reply. Regarding the using a phone whilst in control of a motor vehicle rules, I was under the impression that it was now illegal to use a phone even with the car stationary as long as the keys are in the ignition. Just seems like a huge grey area. I never have a never will touch a phone whilst I’m driving, but I do use Apple Pay regularly in drive thru’s.
The new rules introduced in the UK make is a specific exception to not holding your phone at the wheel ... essentially using the phone while stationary to pay using a card reader at a drive-thru or toll booth is definitely OK. However, picking up the phone for any other reason is now illegal.
@@sinista.productions it is legal to use your phone to pay, and only to pay. Not use your phone for any other reason before and after you pay, or while you’re in the queue. And you must be stationary.
My last comment, I have been driving since the mid 70s. I consider myself to be a good and considerate driver. However I have learnt so much from your videos. You are providing a great service to motoring. We'll done.
Passed my Test recently, videos were so helpful, THANKS. Won't stop watching though, so many great tips to learn
Passed my test about 4 years ago and I watch Ashley’s vids because they’re excellent.
I'm 13 years old and watch Ashley's videos just because!
@@FatSnorlax always a great learning opportunity
@@HopperNation They will 100% prove helpful when u start to drive
@@benhutchinson3185 I live in Australia, even like 10 year olds drive here. Mostly on the farm but still, if you ask a Radom kid if they have driven before, chances are they’ll say yes. Maybe this is just because I live in a small rural town in the middle of nowhere.🤔
My preference is to reverse bay park because I find it easier to park into and then leave, but I’ll accommodate depending on the car park, the purpose of the trip, the passengers etc
Forward bay parking is best in a supermarket. It allows you to load your shopping into the boot much more easily.
But in my experience they usually (not always) have paths between the bays anyway, so you aren't standing on the road with a trolley being a potential hazard! Even without the path, is it really that much effort to walk to the back of your car?
@@5688gamble no paths in my local supermarkets unfortunately. Only between the disabled spaces. It’s not easy manoeuvring a large trolley loaded with shopping between two cars. High chance of damage occurring. Plus, if someone has pulled in tight to your rear whilst you were shopping you’re going to have to pull forward and leave your car sticking out in the road.
@@5688gamble I've never seen a supermarket with paths in between cars.. Must but a local thing.
when I was younger, I used my face as an auxiliary brake when a driver waited too long to indicate he was turning in front of my bicycle. I've worn a helmet ever since - at least once my face healed enough I could put the helmet on.
My Mrs doesn’t put her seatbelt on until she’s revered out the driveway and set off with that bloody beep beeping away. She says it restricts her movements even though she doesn’t even turn her head around coz she uses the mirrors and the reverse camera. People like that shouldn’t be allowed to drive
I smell a happy marriage :D
I've never even considered taking my belt off to reverse. It does not restrict me from turning my head & certainly doesn't impede my view of the mirrors.
@@LadyBovine At least he might actually have a marriage than be widowed by not telling her what a pillock she is lol.
Agree with All Ashley Great advice as usual .
I do take my seatbelt off occasionally when reversing a HGV . Sometimes we need to hang out of the window so to speak especially in poor weather or bays that go from light to dark as you move in .
10k likes and he uploads the unedited video of him eating the crisps!!!
A friend of mine is totally deaf ,so he has a very different way of driving, his head is always moving looking all the time over both shoulders mirrors , at least he is not distracted by phones or radios or passengers talking. Regards seat belts ,I had a Mini and it wouldnt move if you didnt have seat belt on good idea, but very frustrating if you just want to move the car back a few feet on the drive.
Helmet on a bike every time. My wife is an occupational therapist and has a few patients, some of whom are children, who have brain injuries from very minor bike crashes. One child simply fell sideways whilst stationary and hit his head on the kerb. Brain damage for life for the sake of a few pounds on a helmet.
After starting my Motorbike license and having worn a motorbike helmet, the bicycle helmets feel very unsafe to me. It's like you have nothing on your head. I'm almost tempted to just take the motorbike helmet instead. but that would look quite ridiculous on a bicycle .
So should pedestrians, motorists and passengers wear helmets? It would follow your logic...
@@PasteteDoeniel they’re better than nothing. Yes, you would look ridiculous with a motorcycle lid on! It would get rather warm too I should think!
@@theloveboxquartet that’s a ridiculous statement. Airbags protect your head in most cars nowadays. As for pedestrians, why?
@@raftonpounder6696 Yep, that's what I thought you might say. Ok, so there's facial injury due to airbags, which not all cars have, especially for the passengers. There is evidence that faith in airbags leads to less safe driving. Check out head injury statistics for motorists.... Pedestrians are also involved in incidents resulting in head injury, whether it be from slipping or tripping or colliding or being hit by a car/lorry/motorbike/bicycle etc. A friends child suffered brain damage after he was pushed over by another child resulting in him hitting a kerbstone....
Brilliant videos, Ashley. I learnt very little roadcraft from my first driving tutor (my dad) but my second was the son of a policeman who had taught him in the same way that you teach your pupils. I believe it's a waste of time to be taught by family members unless they are professional drivers themselves. You ought to do a TV series as there's so much ignorance out there.
Good to see you've got a sponsored video, hopefully the great content you make on this channel is making you some extra money. Let's hope walkers crisps get in touch and send you some money.
I totally agree with you on all points, especially on never driving after having even just one alcoholic drink. I'm glad you brought that one up. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. Love your informative videos xxx
Yeah. But that’s what assessing risk is for, isn’t it Cazzy? Once drink has an extremely limiting effect. It does not materially increase risk. That is a fact.
Do you make sure you have 8hrs sleep before driving? If not, shame on you - you’re much more impaired than one drink of alcohol. Again, another fact.
Yes and my assessment of the risk is that it's completely unnecessary. Therefore I mitigate my risks by eliminating the unnecessary ones, like drinking alcohol and driving. Nothing you've said has changed my personal opinion on that.
There are so many things that I don't know how they are even legal! Like drinking while driving (especially if it's hot coffee for example). If you spill it on your "central" parts it "could" cause you to lose concentration for a moment... The same for smoking! How many times I've seen a cigarrete slipping from the fingers and land on the driver's lap? That should be banned!
so, how many times have you seen a smoker let a cigarette slip through their fingers whilst driving?
A few years ago, when it was legal to advertise tobacco, there were ads for a certain brand with photos of driver’s with a cigarette in their hand. Of course, in those days the 12V plugs did actually have cigarette lighters in them, as standard.
@@TheSebiestor Too many! My father, my brother (they quited a long time ago though), uncle, some friends... even a taxi driver around 30 years ago, when smoking was allowed everywhere. I haven't been in a car driven by someone smoking in a while though (I wouldn't in any case, I'd preffer to get out somewhere). But I still see people smoking and driving.
In 1986, a back-seat passenger passed a butt to the driver to dispose of near Jumping Pound westbound on Highway 1 (Alberta, CA.) The driver was burned and swerved into a group of cyclists stopped on the shoulder (10' wide shoulder for heavy vehicles), killing five of them. I remember wondering what all the fluorescent paint marks were about and then reading about it in the paper.
Forward bay parking makes sense at the supermarket if you have a shopping trolley full of stuff to load into the boot, especially if it’s a very full car park and you have cars either side.
I usually forward park when I'm doing the big shop at Tesco's, for the reasons other have said (ease of access to the boot), but I find reverse parking much easier, so that is my preferred method. Also, sadly, for women, I would always recommend reverse parking where possible so that if needed, you can drive off quickly if ever you felt you were in danger. (Maybe car safety could be a future topic, Ashley? Not just for women of course even though it seems we have to be more aware of our surroundings etc)
I thought he mentioned this in his attempted car jacking vid. Door in the way of you and a jacker, more so if a car is next to you.
Forward parking is usually needed because of access to boot, interior lights reflect on windscreen, seat belt is old habit from seat belts that dont release tension.
Helmet everytime on a bike, full face if possible / practical, I came off 25 years ago without one and broke cheek bone , neatly list an eye and head injuries.
Re. #6: Err... deaf people are (rightly) allowed to drive and are not, to the best of my knowledge, over-represented in collisions. You might _sometimes_ hear something before you see it, but that's usually a failure of visual observation more than anything else. Also, most cars are very well sound-insulated these days, and as for motorcycles the wind noise means that you hear little else above about 40mph (indeed a lot of us wear ear plugs or noise-cancelling earbuds for that very reason - the noise can otherwise lead to hearing loss).
Deaf people are used to being deaf and probably use their eyes more.
If you ‘sometimes’ hear before seeing, that is still safer than not hearing.
No9 - Interior Light
Not illegal, but I can’t drive with it on when it’s dark, I can’t see out the back window. I’m forever telling the kids off for turning it on… when we are stationary, that’s fine, but not when we are moving.
There was some question as to whether the overall impact of mandating cycle helmets would be positive or negative. The argument was that some people simply wouldn't bother cycling at all, so you would have fewer serious head injuries but a greater number of heart attacks and obesity related conditions.
Difficult to prove either way, but to me it should be up to the individual to assess the level of risk they are prepared to accept.
Exactly right in your last point. No way should helmets be mandatory in my opinion, it's an individual choice.
For me if I'm on a long ride/commute all on roads, I'd wear a helmet every time. Short casual ride to the shops/park though? I tend to not go with one.
There is also some research that car drivers may take more risks around cyclists wearing helmets, and helmets provide protection in very limited situations. So helmets could result in more cycle / car accidents actually increasing the risk of injury by wearing a helmet.
Being related to nurse and doctor they will tell you a helmet will help protect your head in everything but the most serious accident. So helmet all the time. I don’t ride at all walk or car.
@@davidellis8141 The thing is cycle helmets are only rated for accidents up to about 12mph, which is about the speed your head would reach if you were stationary on a bike and just toppled sideways.
@@jamesgibby Car drivers give less room to cyclists wearing helmets. Likewise wearing helmets gives cyclists a sense of feeling protected and can lead to them taking greater risks. Studies have demonstrated this. Thus if you wear a helmet you're potentially more likely to be involved in an accident, but if you are in an accident you're better off wearing a helmet. Unfortunately most people only consider the last half of that sentence and never the first.
7:06 Yes! Absolutely! I was told when I was a kid that having the Central (Main) internal light on was illegal at night but convenience lighting (reading lights, mirror lights, etc) were ok. It’s only now I'm finding out that is untrue!
When i am sat in a parked car on the public highway i keep my belt on just in case a car runs into my car. You don`t have to be moving to get hurt.
I hope you put a getting out of bed helmet and getting out the shower helmet on in case you hurt yourself in that situation too can't be too careful. Make sure you have a big padded crash pad under any ladders you climb, wear a 'life' jacket when swimming, just in case.
@@ynotnilknarf39 Yep u cannot be to careful ;-)
Parking left wheels to curb is illegal here in the US at all times (since we drive on the right hand side here, that is equivalent to right wheels to curb in the UK).
A cycle helmet will provide roughly the same benefit to.
1) Cyclists
2) Runners
3) Car passengers
So yes cycle helmets provide a level of risk mitigation when cycling, but if you do choose to wear a helmet and don't if you run or are a passenger in a car, why only mitigate the risk when cycling?
I read that car occupants are 100 times more likely to suffer a head injury, and pedestrians 30 times. What about children? There’s probably a case for them always wearing a helmet!
The reason I park forward into a bay is when I go to any supermarket, so that I will be able to access the boot easier. But in front of my house is a small car park and I always reverse back into the bay.
if something's the safer option then ill do it regardless of how legal
03:00 - I think that eating, drinking, smoking while driving is a distraction. I reckon that that should be taken just as seriously as using your mobile phone while driving.
I qualify as a "smartarse".
I also know that wearing nail varnish on my toes is not illegal, but I won't do it. :)
As a motorcyclist I almost hit someone crossing the road who was wearing earbuds. He was so oblivious that even with me blaring the horn he still didn’t hear me.
if you had time to blare your horn, you had time to brake safely
@@TheSebiestor I braked as well as using the horn.
But realistically he should never have put himself in the position where he could have been potentially seriously injured in the first place.
Reverse parking in a supermarket car park would be wrong because you wouldn’t be able to put your shopping in the boot
Why not? Is carrying the bags a few feet a bit too hard or something?
Big tick for all of these (particularly the no alcohol at all when driving rule) except for no seat belt when reversing into my narrow drive where I have to stick my head out of the window to avoid the gate post. Useful video as always.
The bike helmet one is a difficult one. Personally I always do, but comments that have been made to me are “no one in the Netherlands uses a helmet” and this is true. Also making helmets mandatory will dis-courage people taking up cycling. And I this is also true, so it’s not an easy one……do I think we should all cycle in helmets, yes, do I think it should be mandatory…..no
It's not exactly true - in the Netherlands they distinguish between utility cycling and sport cycling as two separate things. People doing sport cycling there wear generally wear helmets I think, people doing utility cycling don't.
I was knocked off my bike by a car last year & it was not my fault at all. The helmet hit the ground quite hard, splitting the foam in several places. I did not even have a headache though, so it did its job nicely.
I spent the 90’s bike racing/training with no helmet and have the scars to prove it. However back then there were a lot less cars/nut cases etc, I now don’t go out without one.
We should mandate helmets for motorists, walking, getting out of bed, the shower, walking up and down stair, ladders etc. Afterall all of these produce greater head injuries than cycling do by huge factors.
Helmets do not protect they make outcomes worse.
Racing cycling and other sports were helmets are introduced only ever show worse outcomes re head injuries in participants.
Please look at actual evidence not have an uneducated best guess based on some flawed 'common sense'
@@TheRip72 No it didn't, you don't know that at all.
A split/brpken helmet is a helmet that failed to absorb much of the forces involved., it failed the most basic of tests so would have been a fail in the lad.
You wouldn't have hit your head without a helmet as it increases the circumference of your head, this is obvious as pre helmet wearing head injuries would have been multiple fold times more, they aren't, serious cyclist injuries have increased 50% since the mid 00s when helmets were being pushed by government, police and sporting orgs.
the facts prove helmets are useless and make for overall worse outcomes for wearers.
I'm a delivery driver and I park on the right half the time. It's just not feasible to park on the left everytime, especially in residential streets where people park on both sides of the road.
I find having the interior light on at night is incredibly useful when hunting for those stray fries in the takeaway bag, its amazing how many you miss otherwise.
Have been in New Zealand for a long time and it’s illegal to park on the right, facing oncoming traffic, at any time. It is also an offence to park on the pavement, but the roads are so much wider than U.K. roads, so it makes sense.
Also, in New Zealand bicycle helmets are mandatory and have been since 1994.
Quite strange being back in the U.K. and seeing cars parked facing oncoming traffic, cars parked on pavements, and cyclists without helmets.
You should have a chat with Chris Boardman about helmets and cycling before you make a video about it
I'll second that. Get Chris on your channel, Ashley! Local lad :-)
I think Chris is wrong on the helmet situation. His Mum was killed by a car when out cycling and he’s had a bee on his bonnet (that was an unintentional pun) about it ever since.
Why anyone would want to cycle along without a helmet boggles my mind. I’m often cycling along with cars passing too closely, or pulling out (no matter how good my road craft is), or travelling 40mph down a big hill. Falling off, or especially being hit doesn’t even bare thinking about, even with a helmet on.
@@SteRumbelow I think you're underestimating the amount go time and thought Chirs B has put into his argument. The stats are clear - the more that we focus on helmets, the less safe it makes cycling overall. In the few places where it is compulsory injuries went UP and cycling levels went down! Wear one if you want, but they are not an effective measure in overall safety or when trying to get other people to cycle. They have the opposite effect!
@@SteRumbelow Boardman has always been consistent with his opinion before and after he lost his Mum. He's a rational fella and his views are based on statistics. Fine for you to disagree, the debate on helmets is very complex.
@@ivanboyes9773 The debate is indeed very complex. When I lived in the Netherlands and in (the north of) Belgium, barely anyone there wore a helmet (I assume it's the same still nowadays). I think those countries are at a point where cycling is so safe, thanks to good infrastructure and awareness in drivers, that it doesn't make sense to wear a helmet any longer. I think the UK right now is in a transition where cyclists are slowly becoming more and more common, it might be time to ditch the helmet as a way of showing that cyclists have just as much right to be on the road and be safe while doing it, without wearing excessive protection. It's up to the drivers to deal with cyclists safely. Of course you'd always have the people cycling dangerously, but they're the exception to the rule. And of course if you're going to be cycling fast in an actual road bike or going mountainbiking, a helmet is still sensible.
Yep with the interior lights, we weren't allowed them on as kids. Some trucks have a red interior light that you can put on instead of the white one as it affects your night vision less.
Cyclists that ride without helmets are fine with me. It's not my brain that's going to get bashed if they have an accident.
Driving forward through into another parking space should be everyone's first choice when parking.
There is a school of thought that not wearing a helmet (and having long hair to imply you are a woman) makes the typical driver more likely to give you more space.
It's the brain smashing into your scull that often causes brain injury, wearing a helmet may soften the impact in a minor off to some degree.
Being hit by a motor vehicle is just as likely to fatal internal injuries.
We see the damage to the helmet and assume that it's saved your life, it probably hasn't.
ive ridden a bike 40+ yrd never needed a helmet
@@TheHoliday2012 51 year's for me, we had to wear crash hats in competition, I guess I started wearing one 15 or so years ago due to pressure from others.
I can't wear it in very hot weather as I get unbearably uncomfortable with it.
Broken too many bones in cycling related crashes, but can't remember ever hitting my head.
I habitually ride with a helmet, but I understand the argument for not. I've come off my bike a few times in my life, and never once hit my head!
The Dutch philosophy is that a helmet is the illusion of safety, and causes drivers to treat the cyclist less favourably, resulting in more accidents. Hence, hardly any of them do. And their cyclist deaths / injuries are well below ours (apparently).
Some great points made here: I've always been a bit of a 'dashboard diner' (sandwiches, water, chocolate) but can see how that can seriously distract the driver. After 35 years of driving, I'm going to try to change my ways. Thanks for a great channel, Ashley.