Honestly, along with money advice related programmes hosted by Martin Lewis; this channel/Richard generally deserves a 30-60 minute slot in between Coronation Streets where he just does a driving tutorial like this. Handy for new and existing drivers.
I got on the M62 this weekend and travelled for a total of 2 hours. I've only been on the roads for a month but after watching this, it was like I had you by my side giving me advice. You're still helping me even after passing and I am so grateful!
Absolutely love these videos. Even though i have my license and have held it for a few years. I would recommend any learner to take advise from Conquer Driving. Driving on the road is always being cautious of other drivers as long as you know what you're doing is correct.
I'm a relatively new driver, and I watch your videos. Still avoiding motorways/dual carriageways because of exact fear you mentioned (slip roads, gaps). Thanks for the video, you have a gift - you're a really good teacher.
Richard as a PDI I have found your videos invaluable, sometimes just for my own learning and applying to my lessons, but often also sharing your videos with pupils to support their learning. Huge thanks to you and keep up the awesome work.
Thank you for your generosity! That's amazing to hear, it's great to know the videos helped you. I apologise that my reply is late, I've only just seen this comment.
@ConquerDriving we did indeed meet. I introduced myself to you right at the end whilst.you was waiting for your wife to pick you up. Was great meeting you in person (p.s. I passed my part 3 yesterday and your videos helped massively)
the reason i know for moving back over from a lane used to overtake is to help allow emergency vehicles get passed and stop undertaking. i have been watching a few 999 blue light run videos (mainly Chris Martin ems) and there has been quite a few drivers that stay in the outside lane, completely oblivious that the car is behind them on blue lights and siren. one vehicle took 1minute and 20seconds before it realised, moved over, then moved back out to outside lane to overtake more imaginary cars even though the middle lane was clear. and if you sit in the outside lane and dont move over when a vehicle is behind you, sometimes they get fed up and undertake you which is more dangerous. its simple, just move back over when you are not overtaking and let the police deal with people that want to go above the speed limit. another thing i would suggest, when joining the motorway, LOOK OVER YOUR SHOULDER THROUGH THE BACK WIND INTO YOUR BLIND SPOT. so many times i been not noticed on my motorbike as they check there mirrors and the motorbike is narrow enough to be in that blind spot but dont look over the shoulder to make sure. its on the motorbike training to make a life saver (look over shoulder), car drivers should do it too to save a life.
My driving instructor knew I feared the motorway as we had discussed it a few times and at the beginning of my lessons I literally booked in lessons after my test for motorways and my instructor thought I was ready long before my test due date and literally just guided me onto the motorway, he knew if we planned it in advance my nerves would have ruined it so springing it on me was perfect I still held the steering wheel for dear life and learnt that when I’m nervous driving I lean further and further forward sitting on the steering wheel lol 😆…. These videos are great once we have passed I firmly believe that’s when the skills are really learnt so thanks again
Passed my test the other day, thanks to your videos and girlfriends uncles patience. With this combination I only had to have 7 lessons before managing to pass first time with 2 minors! Thank you Richard! 🙏
Like to mention, when changing lanes you should always turn off your indicator before the change is complete. If you keep it on then the vehicle in the next lane which could be a biker may think you are changing into their lane and may have to break hard.
I recommend your videos to everyone, new drivers, seasoned drivers. They all say they learn something new and useful. There are a ton of driving videos on UA-cam, but yours are the clearest, most well explained and your tricks for driving make them easy to implement. I use the tricks I’ve learned from you to parallel park, to switch lanes. I wish there were more instructors like you out there. Keep doing this great work!
Hi Richard, just wanted to say thanks for the videos, passed today with 3 minors and these have been a great help building confidence, won’t stop watching in the future, always great to learn something new
I've been watching your videos for months now and always reading lovely comments of people who just passed their tests. I can finally BE that person leaving a comment after passing my test on my first attempt 🥰 thanks Richard, you genuinely have a gift of explaining things. To any learner who's reading this: I was shocked to realize how nervous I was and how that deteriorated my driving!! I've done so many silly mistakes that are unusual for me but I kept going, kept focusing on what's next and tried not to overthink what has happened earlier. When the examiner told me I've passed I was genuinely surprised 🤣 (I thought I did I major but it was a minor actually! ). Don't let the nerves and anxiety win.
I've been driving for few years now. I have driven in different countries, different cars, left side, right side and I still watch your videos and still learn new tricks from time to time from you. Great stuff!
You're teaching is easy to understand.. Try learning to drive in my 20s..But failed a few test..But watching You're videos have given me so much confidence and understanding to try again...I'm 52 .😊
I'm planning to travel to the UK from Germany, so these videos are invaluable to prepare. One thing that comes to mind though: On German motorways you won't/shouldn't slow down on lane 1 to help someone merge, or at least it's frowned upon (do not make people brake behind you unnecessarily). The responsibility is on the merger to find an appropriate gap and either slow down or speed up to get there. In fact, on the merge lane you're even allowed to drive FASTER than the cars in lane 1. Odd though: If you are not capable to find a gap, you "must" stop on the end of the merge lane and wait for a big enough gap to enter lane 1 - which is extremely dangerous. Don't ever stop on the merge lane! So the recommendation is to continue driving on the emergency lane (if possible) until you find a gap.
Very helpful, thank you. I had not had a car for 10 years until recently and have been slowly gaining experience and confidence again. Just last week I ventured onto the M6 from Carlisle just to Tebay and back again, to get my first experience on a motorway for about 20 years, and was very apprehensive at first. In the end I was fine but still had reservations about changing lane unnecessarily so am pleased to hear you do too. Your point about knowing where you are going is pertinent too. I actually use Google Earth in advance to check out any junctions and multi-lane roundabouts I may encounter. You can see lane markings with this and I mentally rehearse where I need to position.
Having now taken my first longer trip with dual carriageways/motorways, this video was absolutely invaluable beforehand both for practical tips and giving confidence - thank you.
started driving in june last year and spent 5 months learning in my mums car through collingwood, watched nearly all your videos and passed both my theory and practical first time with only 3 minors, and i wanted to say thank you for explaining things so in depth where my personal instructor didnt, youre the best man
Great video! Very true about helping someone leave as they may be in trouble. I was travelling on the A12 and as I was in lane 4 my car suddenly broke down. I had to cross 3 lanes to get to the hard shoulder, I put my hazards on... thankfully the car that was coming up behind me in lane 3 clocked on to what was happening and I saw them give me space to move across and I managed to get safely to the hard shoulder. I've never been more grateful for a considerate motorist! 😅
I passed my test today with 1 minor! 3rd time lucky. I finally get to join the pink card club. Discovering your channel and all the videos with all your knowledge has been a godsend. Thank you for helping me pass!
I took my test the other day (in France) after 3 failed attempts and got it! Your videos really helped me (even with you driving on the wrong side of the road) ! It’s be great to have “mirrored” versions of your videos to not mess up with our EU learner brains, but they’re such high quality, thank you for sharing your passion!!
Would love to see more content based around difficult conditions like congested roads. I feel like most of the driving content on youtube is in fairly ideal situations where roads are relatively empty, the conditions are forgiving, and surrounding drivers are all well behaved, but one of my biggest causes of anxiety while driving on a motorway is that I'm going to run out of space on the slip-road before there's any room to merge. I know a lot of responsible drivers will deliberately move out of the left lane in order to provide space for people joining, but that's not always the case.
Three points on cruise control: 1) Generally touching the brake pedal will switch the cuise control off until you press reset. So a touch of the brake pedal without it actually engaging the brakes allow you to temporarily take over and ease off thr accelerator. 2) There can be differences between how they work between different cars. I have driven cars where changing gears resets the cruise control and others which don't - so if you change your car familiarise yourself with how it works. 3) This film is on the A12 and M11 - which run through relatively flat country - as does the part of the M25 running between them. If you are going down a steepish hill, the cruise control may not be able to hold your car to the set speed and it will creep up - so you will need to keep an eye on it.
12:03 the explanation I've heard is so that vehicles who must go faster than the speed limit (for example ambulance/police or someone taking to the hospital for emergency) can use the opportunity of that lane being empty, therefore if the 1st lane is moving quick enough or is empty, then you should go back
I think the keep left rule applies even if you're doing the speed limit because it is safer to overtake from the right than it is to undertake. By taking up the right most lane, even if you are doing the speed limit, you are forcing those who want to overtake to undertake, which is more dangerous than just letting them speed by on the right.
That’s one of what I think are the reasons the keep left rule is there. Also by staying right at the speed limit you will annoy drivers who want to go faster and don’t care that to do so is illegal, and a third reason is that The Powers That Be don’t want “civilians” policing other people’s driving.
On top of that, if you're doing the speed limit according to the speedo, you're actually driving slower than the speed limit (as mentioned in the video) and someone else may have it configured differently. Plus you don't really have to worry about emergency corridor if everyone keeps in the "slow" lane.
Regarding cruise control, the last two cars I had with it had a simple setup that just maintained the set speed, but my current one (a Toyota) has a system called “assisted cruise control (ACC)” which uses radar to measure the distance ahead, so it automatically adjusts the speed depending on the available space. Re speedo accuracy, while you’re right about using GPS in a straight line (more or less), it can be a bit off on sharp curves, because it’s the rate of change of the co-ordinates that is used to calculate it. Another reasonable way is to use a watch with a conventional second hand over a 500m gap between a pair of “Driver Location Signs” on English M roads (Welsh ones do not have them, and I don't know about Scotland). They are normally 500m apart - but check the numbers. E.g. M2 B 55.7, then M2 B 56.2 and so on. I’ve used both methods to work out the accuracy of the speed display, which is about 5% fast. Useful signs for reporting an emergency if you're involved in one, as they will know exactly where it is. Incidentally, around 22:30 the footage shows the use of “chevron” marks aimed at educating us on the distance to allow between vehicles. They are 40m apart. Occasionally used on M roads, with associated signs.
I agree with you about the rules about lanes and overtaking. When it's busy on the motorway it seems sensible to spread the traffic across all 3 lanes rather than everyone trying to move back to lane 1 just because that's the rule. I tend to stick to lane 1 unless overtaking but at times when it's busy I'll stay in lane 2 for a bit.
Hello Richard, I cannot thank you highly enough for sharing your tips and driving knowledge on dual carriageways and motorways. For me it’s a great practical reminder of the steps I need to take drive to and from Norwich to London at least 4 times a year. Keep up the excellent work 😊
Thanks for these videos Richard. I passed a few days ago with 6 minors and could not have done it without your help. I didn’t actually end up using an instructor and just drove with my dad and religiously studies your vids. Thanks!
I have been watching ur videos from last year winter before passing my driving test. I passed 6months ago with 1 minor and Im preparing now for my first motorway drive for holiday. Trust me ur videos are so helpful, so detailed. You advise ,ur explaination are the best comparing to other online videos I have seen so far. I like the way u make the videos, sometimes u zoom the signs, posting the rules in between and pointing the hazards/lanes etc. I want to say THANK YOU for all the videos u made for learners and for new drivers. Please do keep making new videos like with using cruise control, Satnav, Driving in winter for new drivers etc 😊 If u can please make a video of parallel parking in London in very busy areas with very tight space like similar to Ilford lane. That will help a lot of new drivers in London. Good luck and keep it up. Best wishes 😊
I passed my test about 6 months ago and have been on the motorway twice, the first time was daunting but didn’t take too long to settle in to it, the second time on the motorway less less daunting and with it being dark I went a little slower. On my first M’way journey it took 3.5hrs instead of 2.5 (traffic). I was tired for the last 30 minutes but there wasn’t any service stations to pull into for a break, so wound my window down a little and cooled the inside of the car. I did change lanes too sharply at one point and nearly ended up in lane 1 instead of lane 2, very quickly learnt not to do that again! I use a dual carriageway to get to work, it’s two lanes and a speed limit of 60mph but reduces to 40mph on approach to traffic lights and then back up to 60. Where I enter it there’s no merging, it’s controlled by traffic lights, but I get to practice lane changing. I did notice the slip roads that merge onto it are a lot shorter than motorway slip roads, and can’t always move into the next lane so slow down. At the weekend late at night, it was relatively quiet and was behind a slower driver, decided to over take and so checked my mirrors, noticed a car far enough behind, indicated and checked my blind spot, the driver was speeding and had caught up, I was doing 60 and they were probably doing about 80 or 90, So I stayed put until they had gone past me. A minute later I saw them getting pulled over by the police in the distance. Had a few people tailgating on my lessons, my instructor told me not to feel pressured into going faster and to slow down to increase the distance between me and the car in front. I was fortunate enough to go on the M’way with my instructor for my last lesson and glad I got the chance to, there wasn’t much difference between Dual Carriageway and M’way other than shorter slip roads and traffic lights. Your videos are very helpful and you explain things well. I have one question, if you can’t merge from the slip road onto the M’way what would you do? I’ve only seen it happen once where no one slowed down or moved over to let a car out
This should not happen. Cars follow with a gap between them, you need to go in one of the gaps. The vast majority of the time a car will open a gap up even more for you. The most potentially dangerous situation is when two lorries are very close, then try to go behind the lorries, if that's not possible the lorries should open a gap for you. Your intentions need to be obvious and you should only stop on a fast slip road as an absolute last resort. The cars on the main road need to and will help.
Just wanted to say thank you for all your hard work! I've been watching your videos for over a year, started taking lessons in January this year and I passed today first try! Thank you so much again, your videos are really helpful!
I love your videos - I hope as many people watch and take heed of them as then the roads would be safer and more efficient for all us road-users. Keep up the good work!
I was searching for this video from you a few days ago and didn't see it. Now a day later here it is. I am so grateful as I am going to be using the motorway to and from work now and I'm a little nervous. It really helps. Thank you
Disagree. If your clock is reading 70mph the true speed may be 5 mph slower. The car behind you in lane 2 may be calibrated more accurately which makes you into a hogger by obstructing it from overtaking. It's a different story if there's nothing behind you wanting to overtake.
I'm still a bit hesitant when joining motorway, not really confident doing 70 on slip roads, usually 50-60, so I rewatched your motorway videos yesterday. So happy and miraculous to see a new one coming out!
Aiming for 50-60 may be why you are hesitant. Most traffic will be travelling at more than 50, so you need to be matching them. It is a lot easier to reduce speed than increase so aim for a higher speed (60+) until you can assess what others are doing. I was trapped behind someone joining the M1 at 35 recently. I found it very frightening & I don't scare easily.
I usually preemptively change to right lane when I deem it is safe at night when approaching motorway merge points, especially at night when trees or stuff block the vehicle’s exterior light. HGV and LGV usually appreciate this very much and they use their hazards to thank me
On my first dual carriageway trip I had a National Express bus tailgating me for long time. It was 50 mph restriction and no one has respecting the speed limit, specifically the buses and trucks. A lot of the we’re using all the lanes (excluding the fastest line). Very scary when you are in a little Toyota Aygo.
When I was learning how to drive, the driving school's car was quite slow, so the instructor just told me to floor it on the slip roads. In a funny sort of way, it made it easier since I didn't have to worry about if I was accelerating fast enough.
There is a time & place to accelerate hard. This is it. Get up to speed fairly quickly & then you can concentrate on merging with the traffic on the road.
Sound advice from your driving instructor, especially in Germany. 😂 Your situational awareness is up to the speed of the Traffic with PRIORITY on the carriageway and merging becomes easier to judge, after sound observation. Similarly, but the opposite, when exiting any motorway, a conscious push of the brakes and speed check is highly advisable, especially after after a 4-5 hour stretch of constantly higher speeds.
I can't believe what I'm hearing, coming from a driving instructor no less! No matter what speed you're doing you should always go back to the correct lane. Everybody hates left lane hogs (or right lane in the UK) who think no one can go faster than them. Emergency vehicles can go faster and if there's an emergency you have a reason to go faster as well. If there's a car up ahead that creates a queue of cars just because they think no one should go faster than the speed limit then this creates a dangerous situation. If you want to enforce the law - become a police officer. If you're not a police officer and can't legally pull over vehicles for speeding - stay in the right lane! (left for the UK) That aside.. Love your vids!
A very informative video for both learners and experienced drivers. A shame more experienced drivers, especially the tailgater you mentioned, probably don't watch your videos though I know many do. A big mistake my friend makes is to flash cars joining the motorway and then wonders why they don't go. They assume he is flashing for the opposite reason. He is a member of IAM and should know better.
This is a fantastic video, thank you so much! I'm quickly coming up to 1 year of having my license but having passed in Guernsey CI, there are no motorways or dual carriageways over here so this is the last bit to driving I need to get use to. After my 1 year, I'll be able to rent a car in the UK to drive so I'm learning as much as I can about motorways and dual carriageways beforehand thus I found this video perfect for getting a good understanding of how it's meant to be done.
Hi Richard!! Thank You so much for this video very helpful. I like the way you have your camera set up to show every detail while you are explaining everything.👍
Excellent video as always. Road position: my driving instructor recommended trying to maintain a diamond formation with the other vehicles in the lanes to your sides. This keeps you out of their blind spots and gives them space to move into your lane if they need to. If vehicles drive parallel to each other then they can get boxed in which is dangerous.
All great in theory, but unfortunately doesn't work. If you were to maintain a diamond formation then if you're in lane 2,3 or 4 you would be lane hogging.
Thank you for this video. I had a nervous start to practice on the motorway. This video helped me identify things to focus on for my second attempt and get my confidence back.
Great video again! Unfortunately people using motorways who are just scared and shouldn’t go near to any! Few months ago I was almost killed by one of these who started to slow down in front of me just before merging, reaching the motorway under 30mph, just in front of an artic lorry. Managed to drive through the gap, as fortunately my car had enough power to accelerate to sufficient speed in short time. Not the speed kills but the speed difference!
A truck overtaking another is called Elephant Race in Germany. You can actually get a ticket, if you take more than 45 seconds to overtake the truck. (of course only when police is around, and they usually aren't)
I drive the A11/M11 regularly and yeah it’s a tailgate heaven. And totally agree with “ birchanger green” roundabout which let’s face it, it’s a town of its own. But it’s always my favourite services area so I guess there’s a bonus at the end of it.
So I’m fairly used to driving on the right in Sweden/finland but drove first time in the uk on a vacation last year, using these videos to help preparing for some I’m specific stuff (like we don’t really have the concept of a dual carriageway for example). First thing I did was ending up mid rush hour on the motorway from Liverpool to Leeds and onto York. Merging was fine but just the sheer amount of traffic at such was beyond anything I’d ever run into in either Sweden or Finland 😅
Thanks so much for doing this valuable video. I’ve learned the technique from here on how to maintain your car within the lane and how to switch lanes properly.
This video is really good. I’ve recently passed my test although I have previous overseas experience. Your videos are so good and informative and I’m so glad to have found them! Oh and I learn’t so much from your other videos while preparing for my test. Thank you!!
I would recommend the 1 minute rule. After overtaking 1 vehicle, if you expect to catch and overtake the next vehicle within 1 minute, then stay in the overtaking lane. Unless being tailgated.
on the subject with cruise control, i am lucky enough to have both a speed limiter and cruise control. i like to use my speed limiter when there is heavy traffic or if i am in low speed situations, and cruise control when there is light-medium traffic where i know i have a bit more room. very informative video, thank you!
I really appreciate the instruction but must mention the great editing too, there was a lot of info to get in and the editing was perfect. I use maps as well as satnav.
12:14 Perhaps this is to prevent road rage. If someone wants to speed, it’s safer for law abiding traffic to stay in the left and let them than it is to hog the faster lanes for no real reason. There is also the possibility of every cars speedo reporting different speeds. Everyone may think they’re doing 60, but that could be far from the truth, so we should move left accordingly. Something I found interesting after passing was that on motorways and dual carriageways (Near Glasgow anyways), it often feels like no one is going the speed limit, especially when it’s 50/60mph. On one occasion I saw a temporary speed limit of 40mph, so I slowed down and quickly realised I was dangerously slow relative to the speed of traffic. I think we have very few cameras on these roads. Stretches or motorway where there is an average speed camera at a low speed always feel weird as everybody is pinned at say 40mph, so I find it difficult to merge safely when nobody is able to speed up accordingly.
Thanks for this video. It took me two years of driving and lots of practice on motorways with my husband before I was confident to do them alone. Now I wonder why I was so worried about it. I wish my instructor had taken me on motorways as part of my lessons.
Been driving for years but enjoy watching your videos like these ones - very informative and useful. Probably helps that you are local to me so enjoy seeing local roads 😂. Keep up the good work
Usually when a car is fitted with cruise control it also has a speed limiter. I would suggest that in relatively high traffic density, as you were in at the road works with a 50 mph speed limit, using the speed limiter is a better choice as you can constantly vary your speed but the car will not allow you to go faster than the set limited speed (although some systems (I’ve found them on trucks) can apply secondary braking, most don’t, so do be aware that the car can exceed the limiter if going downhill. Also, the Highway Code advises against cruise control in high traffic density.
I think you should be careful what you wish for in regards to wanting to be able to stay in the passing lane if your going the speed limit. Here in the US anyone going the speed limit feels entitled to stay in the furthest left lane and people bunch up behind them. These people will not move out of the left lane no matter how many people undertake (undertaking is not a concept in the US) them. It’s terribly dangerous.
SOME DRIVERS going the speed limit in US think their entitled to stay in the furthest left lane. In all 50 states it's illegal to stay in furthest left lane. Also undertaking (UK) or passing on left is legal both.
At 14:14, you really cracked me up when narrating the story of your driving instructor. I could see the anger in your face still, but I do hope that one day you will find it in your heart to let it go😂😂😂. I've been driving for over 22 years now, but I'm always learning how to be a better driver, which is why I ended here today. Thanks, I learnt a great deal. I don't use cruise control much on the motorway. I'm not sure if it's something to do with my experience the first time I tried it in about 2013. I was really enjoying it, but my car has this feature where after you have stopped you can press a button and re-engage the cruise control from the last time you used it. So, one minute, I'm driving in a 40mph road using cruise control, and then the next time I re-engage cruise control in a 30mph road in London. The car then takes off very fast because it tries to go from 0 to the previous speed you were doing before when the cruise control was on, 40mph in my case. It totally freaked me out because I thought the car had developed a fault and was going to crash. Luckily enough, there were no cars in front of me, and I immediately engaged the brakes. It's funny now, but it wasn't at the time, and this is a warning to people that they should really learn how it works before using it since you can get into an embarrassing crash otherwise.
I've done that a few time's with the cruise control myself. Most cars don't accelerate every quickly via their cruise so it's not usually much of a problem but I know what you mean by how it can make you feel uneasy.
Hi Richard, I want to thank you for everything you do for us! 🤗 Is always a pleasure to watch your videos and you explain everything very, very well like nobody else! 😊👍
Motorways and dual carriage ways used to have a lot of other little differences including the speed limit originally. Now as far as I am aware it really is down to what you mentioned and whether tractors, buses and cyclists are allowed on the road - and I am not sure about the buses anymore as most are built to the same standard as coaches now days, they still can't stop on a motorway for sure though.
I didn't expect to see a driving instructor criticising lane discipline rules. If cars could stay in the outside lane just because they are doing 70, it would be much more difficult for emergency vehicles to make their way through traffic. 70 is a very low and outdated limit anyway. Most people do at least 75 and the speed limit in most European countries is 81Mph (130Km/h). If someone wants to go over the limit and risk a ticket, it is their choice. Proper lane discipline makes motorways far safer and more efficient. Holding everyone up at 70 would cause a lot of frustration, which of course leads to a lot more danger.
For me every lane change I check the mirrors then do a full over the shoulder look out the back window... I have definetly been saved by that last check a few times.
You should move to lane one if you will remain in it for about 10 seconds. That's what I do and you just have to pick you time to overtake any slow traffic or lorries.
On the Dual Carriageway point, I think it's also quite important to remind people that a road with a crawler lane one side is not a dual carriageway (tho I don't think they tend to have central reservations - which is what defines a dual carriageway) - I see many people around me just do 70mph as soon as they see two lanes.
I find it very important for new drivers to understand the road signs: is the slip road merging onto lane 1 immediately , or is it continuing ahead and merges a few hundred metres ahead? If in 2 lane of slip road, the sign tells you which lane merges and which carries on up to which point: outer lane of slip road usually enters lane 1 of motorway earlier and more care is needed . Depending on traffic island between lane 1 and 2 of slip road sometimes.chvrons cannot be crossed except in emergency / stupidity/ lack of planning😅 It is very important to keep eye on traffic, congestion, moving traffic between lanes ( the most intelligmet alwasy move back onto lane 1 from 2 once thay hsbe overtaken a car I lane 1 and completely mus the fact mire vehicles come out at junction/ slip. Peope loose brain and eyes with mind stuck to little screens and inflexible back / neck. 😅 If HGV in lane 1 be careful, they can go 45- 55 mph. Be careful with heavy loaded ones which can kill you. 😢
25:47 Completely unrelated but I remember the first time I went to London, I was 16 on a college trip and we were at the M11 driving south literally on the other side of that road just before the M25 Junction. On a clear day you can see Canary Wharf from there and it was such a strange sight. It might seem silly to someone who's grown up in or around big cities, but as someone that grew up in a small town, it felt totally surreal to see so many huge buildings towering over the horizon.
Honestly, along with money advice related programmes hosted by Martin Lewis; this channel/Richard generally deserves a 30-60 minute slot in between Coronation Streets where he just does a driving tutorial like this. Handy for new and existing drivers.
Driving for last 12 yers . Still learning by watching your videos. Got a lot of new tips and tricks
I got on the M62 this weekend and travelled for a total of 2 hours. I've only been on the roads for a month but after watching this, it was like I had you by my side giving me advice. You're still helping me even after passing and I am so grateful!
Absolutely love these videos. Even though i have my license and have held it for a few years. I would recommend any learner to take advise from Conquer Driving. Driving on the road is always being cautious of other drivers as long as you know what you're doing is correct.
Even though I passed my test over 10 years ago, I’m often a bit nervous when it comes to driving on motorways. This video has taught me a lot of info.
I'm a relatively new driver, and I watch your videos. Still avoiding motorways/dual carriageways because of exact fear you mentioned (slip roads, gaps). Thanks for the video, you have a gift - you're a really good teacher.
One thing you shouldn't do is be frightened as that can cause an accident, because your panicking and puts others at risk "fear is your biggest enemy"
@@JustCallMeHorse That has the same saying as if your homeless just buy a house
Richard as a PDI I have found your videos invaluable, sometimes just for my own learning and applying to my lessons, but often also sharing your videos with pupils to support their learning. Huge thanks to you and keep up the awesome work.
Thank you for your generosity! That's amazing to hear, it's great to know the videos helped you. I apologise that my reply is late, I've only just seen this comment.
I'm quite sure I recognise your face, we may have met at the conference.
@ConquerDriving we did indeed meet. I introduced myself to you right at the end whilst.you was waiting for your wife to pick you up. Was great meeting you in person (p.s. I passed my part 3 yesterday and your videos helped massively)
That's great to hear! Congratulations on passing!
the reason i know for moving back over from a lane used to overtake is to help allow emergency vehicles get passed and stop undertaking. i have been watching a few 999 blue light run videos (mainly Chris Martin ems) and there has been quite a few drivers that stay in the outside lane, completely oblivious that the car is behind them on blue lights and siren. one vehicle took 1minute and 20seconds before it realised, moved over, then moved back out to outside lane to overtake more imaginary cars even though the middle lane was clear.
and if you sit in the outside lane and dont move over when a vehicle is behind you, sometimes they get fed up and undertake you which is more dangerous. its simple, just move back over when you are not overtaking and let the police deal with people that want to go above the speed limit.
another thing i would suggest, when joining the motorway, LOOK OVER YOUR SHOULDER THROUGH THE BACK WIND INTO YOUR BLIND SPOT. so many times i been not noticed on my motorbike as they check there mirrors and the motorbike is narrow enough to be in that blind spot but dont look over the shoulder to make sure. its on the motorbike training to make a life saver (look over shoulder), car drivers should do it too to save a life.
My driving instructor knew I feared the motorway as we had discussed it a few times and at the beginning of my lessons I literally booked in lessons after my test for motorways and my instructor thought I was ready long before my test due date and literally just guided me onto the motorway, he knew if we planned it in advance my nerves would have ruined it so springing it on me was perfect I still held the steering wheel for dear life and learnt that when I’m nervous driving I lean further and further forward sitting on the steering wheel lol 😆…. These videos are great once we have passed I firmly believe that’s when the skills are really learnt so thanks again
Passed my test the other day, thanks to your videos and girlfriends uncles patience.
With this combination I only had to have 7 lessons before managing to pass first time with 2 minors!
Thank you Richard! 🙏
Just wanted to say I passed my driver's test last week, even though I live in south africa your videos have helped me immensely, thank you good sir🙏
That's fantastic news! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!
Like to mention, when changing lanes you should always turn off your indicator before the change is complete. If you keep it on then the vehicle in the next lane which could be a biker may think you are changing into their lane and may have to break hard.
I have been a full license holder for 30 years Your videos are my regular driving CPD 😊
I recommend your videos to everyone, new drivers, seasoned drivers. They all say they learn something new and useful. There are a ton of driving videos on UA-cam, but yours are the clearest, most well explained and your tricks for driving make them easy to implement. I use the tricks I’ve learned from you to parallel park, to switch lanes. I wish there were more instructors like you out there. Keep doing this great work!
Hi Richard, just wanted to say thanks for the videos, passed today with 3 minors and these have been a great help building confidence, won’t stop watching in the future, always great to learn something new
That's fantastic news! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!
Hi Richard, you probably have the best channel for teaching people to drive. Please more mock test videos!
This couldn't of came at a better time! I passed my test a month ago and plan to take a trip down south using a motorway for the first time :)
I've been watching your videos for months now and always reading lovely comments of people who just passed their tests. I can finally BE that person leaving a comment after passing my test on my first attempt 🥰 thanks Richard, you genuinely have a gift of explaining things. To any learner who's reading this: I was shocked to realize how nervous I was and how that deteriorated my driving!! I've done so many silly mistakes that are unusual for me but I kept going, kept focusing on what's next and tried not to overthink what has happened earlier. When the examiner told me I've passed I was genuinely surprised 🤣 (I thought I did I major but it was a minor actually! ). Don't let the nerves and anxiety win.
That's really great to hear! Thank you for such a nice comment and congratulations on passing!
I've been driving for few years now. I have driven in different countries, different cars, left side, right side and I still watch your videos and still learn new tricks from time to time from you. Great stuff!
Bro you can change gears with both hands ???
WOW
I still have hard time changing with the left xD so I rent automatics if possible in this case xD
As an ADI myself have to say an extremely good informative video clear concise instruction and advice keep up the excellent work 👍🏽👌🏽
The layout putting different mirrors together is amazing. Thank you for the video!
Great video. One thing no youtuber has covered is how to merge from short slip roads on service stations.
A UA-camr called Travis has actually
You're teaching is easy to understand.. Try learning to drive in my 20s..But failed a few test..But watching You're videos have given me so much confidence and understanding to try again...I'm 52 .😊
I passed yesterday and i’m over the moon, thank you for all the videos you make to help make things easier for us learners!!
That's great news! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!
Best driving channel on all of UA-cam!
I'm planning to travel to the UK from Germany, so these videos are invaluable to prepare. One thing that comes to mind though: On German motorways you won't/shouldn't slow down on lane 1 to help someone merge, or at least it's frowned upon (do not make people brake behind you unnecessarily). The responsibility is on the merger to find an appropriate gap and either slow down or speed up to get there. In fact, on the merge lane you're even allowed to drive FASTER than the cars in lane 1. Odd though: If you are not capable to find a gap, you "must" stop on the end of the merge lane and wait for a big enough gap to enter lane 1 - which is extremely dangerous. Don't ever stop on the merge lane! So the recommendation is to continue driving on the emergency lane (if possible) until you find a gap.
Passed my test on Friday with 2 minors, now I can finally drive on the motorway!! Thank you so much Richard for all your helpful videos :)
That's really great to hear! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!
Passed my test 5th time. Your videos really helped. I'll keep watching so that I can be a better driver. Thank you!!
Very helpful, thank you. I had not had a car for 10 years until recently and have been slowly gaining experience and confidence again. Just last week I ventured onto the M6 from Carlisle just to Tebay and back again, to get my first experience on a motorway for about 20 years, and was very apprehensive at first. In the end I was fine but still had reservations about changing lane unnecessarily so am pleased to hear you do too. Your point about knowing where you are going is pertinent too. I actually use Google Earth in advance to check out any junctions and multi-lane roundabouts I may encounter. You can see lane markings with this and I mentally rehearse where I need to position.
passed my test today with 2 minors, you have a great way of speaking which is very very helpful!
That's fantastic to hear! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!
Having now taken my first longer trip with dual carriageways/motorways, this video was absolutely invaluable beforehand both for practical tips and giving confidence - thank you.
started driving in june last year and spent 5 months learning in my mums car through collingwood, watched nearly all your videos and passed both my theory and practical first time with only 3 minors, and i wanted to say thank you for explaining things so in depth where my personal instructor didnt, youre the best man
That's fantastic news! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!
My instructor just let me know I was going to do some motorway driving tomorrow! You timed this like an absolute charm, you legend.
try not to worry about it, its honestly so much easier then driving around town lol enjoy!
I hope it goes well!
Great video! Very true about helping someone leave as they may be in trouble. I was travelling on the A12 and as I was in lane 4 my car suddenly broke down. I had to cross 3 lanes to get to the hard shoulder, I put my hazards on... thankfully the car that was coming up behind me in lane 3 clocked on to what was happening and I saw them give me space to move across and I managed to get safely to the hard shoulder. I've never been more grateful for a considerate motorist! 😅
Passed my driving test last thursday with 3 minors. Thanks for all the helpful videos!
That's fantastic news! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!
Passed my test about 3 months ago thanks to your videos, even now i still watch your videos for more tips, really insightful
The video is clear with 3 mirrors. It helps when you are dealing with traffic. 👍
I passed my test today with 1 minor! 3rd time lucky. I finally get to join the pink card club. Discovering your channel and all the videos with all your knowledge has been a godsend. Thank you for helping me pass!
That's great news! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!
I took my test the other day (in France) after 3 failed attempts and got it! Your videos really helped me (even with you driving on the wrong side of the road) !
It’s be great to have “mirrored” versions of your videos to not mess up with our EU learner brains, but they’re such high quality, thank you for sharing your passion!!
That's great news! Congratulations on passing!
Would love to see more content based around difficult conditions like congested roads. I feel like most of the driving content on youtube is in fairly ideal situations where roads are relatively empty, the conditions are forgiving, and surrounding drivers are all well behaved, but one of my biggest causes of anxiety while driving on a motorway is that I'm going to run out of space on the slip-road before there's any room to merge. I know a lot of responsible drivers will deliberately move out of the left lane in order to provide space for people joining, but that's not always the case.
Three points on cruise control:
1) Generally touching the brake pedal will switch the cuise control off until you press reset. So a touch of the brake pedal without it actually engaging the brakes allow you to temporarily take over and ease off thr accelerator.
2) There can be differences between how they work between different cars. I have driven cars where changing gears resets the cruise control and others which don't - so if you change your car familiarise yourself with how it works.
3) This film is on the A12 and M11 - which run through relatively flat country - as does the part of the M25 running between them. If you are going down a steepish hill, the cruise control may not be able to hold your car to the set speed and it will creep up - so you will need to keep an eye on it.
12:03 the explanation I've heard is so that vehicles who must go faster than the speed limit (for example ambulance/police or someone taking to the hospital for emergency) can use the opportunity of that lane being empty, therefore if the 1st lane is moving quick enough or is empty, then you should go back
I think the keep left rule applies even if you're doing the speed limit because it is safer to overtake from the right than it is to undertake. By taking up the right most lane, even if you are doing the speed limit, you are forcing those who want to overtake to undertake, which is more dangerous than just letting them speed by on the right.
That’s one of what I think are the reasons the keep left rule is there. Also by staying right at the speed limit you will annoy drivers who want to go faster and don’t care that to do so is illegal, and a third reason is that The Powers That Be don’t want “civilians” policing other people’s driving.
On top of that, if you're doing the speed limit according to the speedo, you're actually driving slower than the speed limit (as mentioned in the video) and someone else may have it configured differently.
Plus you don't really have to worry about emergency corridor if everyone keeps in the "slow" lane.
If there's a hogger in lane 3 of 4 how can it be safer to make 6 lane changes rather than none? Even making 4 changes is not as safe as none.
Regarding cruise control, the last two cars I had with it had a simple setup that just maintained the set speed, but my current one (a Toyota) has a system called “assisted cruise control (ACC)” which uses radar to measure the distance ahead, so it automatically adjusts the speed depending on the available space.
Re speedo accuracy, while you’re right about using GPS in a straight line (more or less), it can be a bit off on sharp curves, because it’s the rate of change of the co-ordinates that is used to calculate it. Another reasonable way is to use a watch with a conventional second hand over a 500m gap between a pair of “Driver Location Signs” on English M roads (Welsh ones do not have them, and I don't know about Scotland). They are normally 500m apart - but check the numbers. E.g. M2 B 55.7, then M2 B 56.2 and so on. I’ve used both methods to work out the accuracy of the speed display, which is about 5% fast. Useful signs for reporting an emergency if you're involved in one, as they will know exactly where it is.
Incidentally, around 22:30 the footage shows the use of “chevron” marks aimed at educating us on the distance to allow between vehicles. They are 40m apart. Occasionally used on M roads, with associated signs.
I agree with you about the rules about lanes and overtaking. When it's busy on the motorway it seems sensible to spread the traffic across all 3 lanes rather than everyone trying to move back to lane 1 just because that's the rule. I tend to stick to lane 1 unless overtaking but at times when it's busy I'll stay in lane 2 for a bit.
Hello Richard, I cannot thank you highly enough for sharing your tips and driving knowledge on dual carriageways and motorways. For me it’s a great practical reminder of the steps I need to take drive to and from Norwich to London at least 4 times a year. Keep up the excellent work 😊
Recently got my drivers license and now I’m trying to learn how to do motorways. Your videos and advice are really helpful. Thanks a bunch, Richard! 🙏
Thanks for these videos Richard. I passed a few days ago with 6 minors and could not have done it without your help. I didn’t actually end up using an instructor and just drove with my dad and religiously studies your vids. Thanks!
That's really great to hear! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!
I have been watching ur videos from last year winter before passing my driving test. I passed 6months ago with 1 minor and Im preparing now for my first motorway drive for holiday. Trust me ur videos are so helpful, so detailed. You advise ,ur explaination are the best comparing to other online videos I have seen so far. I like the way u make the videos, sometimes u zoom the signs, posting the rules in between and pointing the hazards/lanes etc. I want to say THANK YOU for all the videos u made for learners and for new drivers. Please do keep making new videos like with using cruise control, Satnav, Driving in winter for new drivers etc 😊
If u can please make a video of parallel parking in London in very busy areas with very tight space like similar to Ilford lane. That will help a lot of new drivers in London. Good luck and keep it up. Best wishes 😊
Hi Richard, just passed my test today and want to thank you for these videos. They were a massive help and helped settle my nerves!
That's fantastic news! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!
Sir Richard, this is me (Sean)! I love how you explain the traffic tips about the road lanes.
I passed my test about 6 months ago and have been on the motorway twice, the first time was daunting but didn’t take too long to settle in to it, the second time on the motorway less less daunting and with it being dark I went a little slower. On my first M’way journey it took 3.5hrs instead of 2.5 (traffic). I was tired for the last 30 minutes but there wasn’t any service stations to pull into for a break, so wound my window down a little and cooled the inside of the car. I did change lanes too sharply at one point and nearly ended up in lane 1 instead of lane 2, very quickly learnt not to do that again!
I use a dual carriageway to get to work, it’s two lanes and a speed limit of 60mph but reduces to 40mph on approach to traffic lights and then back up to 60. Where I enter it there’s no merging, it’s controlled by traffic lights, but I get to practice lane changing. I did notice the slip roads that merge onto it are a lot shorter than motorway slip roads, and can’t always move into the next lane so slow down.
At the weekend late at night, it was relatively quiet and was behind a slower driver, decided to over take and so checked my mirrors, noticed a car far enough behind, indicated and checked my blind spot, the driver was speeding and had caught up, I was doing 60 and they were probably doing about 80 or 90, So I stayed put until they had gone past me. A minute later I saw them getting pulled over by the police in the distance. Had a few people tailgating on my lessons, my instructor told me not to feel pressured into going faster and to slow down to increase the distance between me and the car in front.
I was fortunate enough to go on the M’way with my instructor for my last lesson and glad I got the chance to, there wasn’t much difference between Dual Carriageway and M’way other than shorter slip roads and traffic lights.
Your videos are very helpful and you explain things well.
I have one question, if you can’t merge from the slip road onto the M’way what would you do? I’ve only seen it happen once where no one slowed down or moved over to let a car out
This should not happen. Cars follow with a gap between them, you need to go in one of the gaps. The vast majority of the time a car will open a gap up even more for you. The most potentially dangerous situation is when two lorries are very close, then try to go behind the lorries, if that's not possible the lorries should open a gap for you. Your intentions need to be obvious and you should only stop on a fast slip road as an absolute last resort. The cars on the main road need to and will help.
Just wanted to say thank you for all your hard work! I've been watching your videos for over a year, started taking lessons in January this year and I passed today first try! Thank you so much again, your videos are really helpful!
That's fantastic news! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!
I love your videos - I hope as many people watch and take heed of them as then the roads would be safer and more efficient for all us road-users. Keep up the good work!
I was searching for this video from you a few days ago and didn't see it. Now a day later here it is. I am so grateful as I am going to be using the motorway to and from work now and I'm a little nervous. It really helps. Thank you
I passed yesterday and I’m worrying about Motorways. Thanks mate 🙋🏽♂️
❤thanks Richard ! I never thought I would enjoy watching driving videos 😂 passed my test on Monday huge huge thanks to u!!!! 😊
These videos have made a huge difference to my driving , huge thanks
Disagree. If your clock is reading 70mph the true speed may be 5 mph slower. The car behind you in lane 2 may be calibrated more accurately which makes you into a hogger by obstructing it from overtaking. It's a different story if there's nothing behind you wanting to overtake.
I passed today with Zero minor Faults! Your videos were 10/10! Il stay subscribed!!
That's fantastic news! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!
I'm still a bit hesitant when joining motorway, not really confident doing 70 on slip roads, usually 50-60, so I rewatched your motorway videos yesterday. So happy and miraculous to see a new one coming out!
Aiming for 50-60 may be why you are hesitant. Most traffic will be travelling at more than 50, so you need to be matching them. It is a lot easier to reduce speed than increase so aim for a higher speed (60+) until you can assess what others are doing.
I was trapped behind someone joining the M1 at 35 recently. I found it very frightening & I don't scare easily.
I usually preemptively change to right lane when I deem it is safe at night when approaching motorway merge points, especially at night when trees or stuff block the vehicle’s exterior light. HGV and LGV usually appreciate this very much and they use their hazards to thank me
Very sensible thing to do. When traffic allows I do the same, and am always grateful if someone does it for me when I am joining the fast road.
want to thank you, your videos have helped me pass my driving test this week.
That's fantastic news! Thank you for watching and congratulations on passing!
On my first dual carriageway trip I had a National Express bus tailgating me for long time. It was 50 mph restriction and no one has respecting the speed limit, specifically the buses and trucks. A lot of the we’re using all the lanes (excluding the fastest line). Very scary when you are in a little Toyota Aygo.
When I was learning how to drive, the driving school's car was quite slow, so the instructor just told me to floor it on the slip roads. In a funny sort of way, it made it easier since I didn't have to worry about if I was accelerating fast enough.
There is a time & place to accelerate hard. This is it. Get up to speed fairly quickly & then you can concentrate on merging with the traffic on the road.
Sound advice from your driving instructor, especially in Germany. 😂 Your situational awareness is up to the speed of the Traffic with PRIORITY on the carriageway and merging becomes easier to judge, after sound observation. Similarly, but the opposite, when exiting any motorway, a conscious push of the brakes and speed check is highly advisable, especially after after a 4-5 hour stretch of constantly higher speeds.
I can't believe what I'm hearing, coming from a driving instructor no less! No matter what speed you're doing you should always go back to the correct lane. Everybody hates left lane hogs (or right lane in the UK) who think no one can go faster than them. Emergency vehicles can go faster and if there's an emergency you have a reason to go faster as well. If there's a car up ahead that creates a queue of cars just because they think no one should go faster than the speed limit then this creates a dangerous situation. If you want to enforce the law - become a police officer. If you're not a police officer and can't legally pull over vehicles for speeding - stay in the right lane! (left for the UK)
That aside.. Love your vids!
A very informative video for both learners and experienced drivers. A shame more experienced drivers, especially the tailgater you mentioned, probably don't watch your videos though I know many do. A big mistake my friend makes is to flash cars joining the motorway and then wonders why they don't go. They assume he is flashing for the opposite reason. He is a member of IAM and should know better.
Why shouldn't you flash drivers to let them in a space?
This is a fantastic video, thank you so much! I'm quickly coming up to 1 year of having my license but having passed in Guernsey CI, there are no motorways or dual carriageways over here so this is the last bit to driving I need to get use to. After my 1 year, I'll be able to rent a car in the UK to drive so I'm learning as much as I can about motorways and dual carriageways beforehand thus I found this video perfect for getting a good understanding of how it's meant to be done.
Hi Richard!! Thank You so much for this video very helpful. I like the way you have your camera set up to show every detail while you are explaining everything.👍
Excellent video as always.
Road position: my driving instructor recommended trying to maintain a diamond formation with the other vehicles in the lanes to your sides. This keeps you out of their blind spots and gives them space to move into your lane if they need to. If vehicles drive parallel to each other then they can get boxed in which is dangerous.
All great in theory, but unfortunately doesn't work. If you were to maintain a diamond formation then if you're in lane 2,3 or 4 you would be lane hogging.
Thank you for this video. I had a nervous start to practice on the motorway. This video helped me identify things to focus on for my second attempt and get my confidence back.
Great video again! Unfortunately people using motorways who are just scared and shouldn’t go near to any! Few months ago I was almost killed by one of these who started to slow down in front of me just before merging, reaching the motorway under 30mph, just in front of an artic lorry. Managed to drive through the gap, as fortunately my car had enough power to accelerate to sufficient speed in short time. Not the speed kills but the speed difference!
Really interested to see your insight re "middle lane hogging" - as a new driver, I really felt the same thing, I'm glad I'm not wrong!
The trouble is we are wrong, the rules state we should move back to the left so that's what we have to do. We both don't agree with it though.
I love these videos. It is making me a better driver. Thank you.
A truck overtaking another is called Elephant Race in Germany. You can actually get a ticket, if you take more than 45 seconds to overtake the truck. (of course only when police is around, and they usually aren't)
I drive the A11/M11 regularly and yeah it’s a tailgate heaven. And totally agree with “ birchanger green” roundabout which let’s face it, it’s a town of its own. But it’s always my favourite services area so I guess there’s a bonus at the end of it.
So I’m fairly used to driving on the right in Sweden/finland but drove first time in the uk on a vacation last year, using these videos to help preparing for some I’m specific stuff (like we don’t really have the concept of a dual carriageway for example).
First thing I did was ending up mid rush hour on the motorway from Liverpool to Leeds and onto York. Merging was fine but just the sheer amount of traffic at such was beyond anything I’d ever run into in either Sweden or Finland 😅
Thanks so much for doing this valuable video. I’ve learned the technique from here on how to maintain your car within the lane and how to switch lanes properly.
The rule about travelling in the leftiest lane is so if you have a puncture, you can easily stop in the hard shoulder
Super useful video, thank you Richard. I passed last week and your videos have been a fantastic help.
This video is really good. I’ve recently passed my test although I have previous overseas experience. Your videos are so good and informative and I’m so glad to have found them! Oh and I learn’t so much from your other videos while preparing for my test. Thank you!!
I would recommend the 1 minute rule. After overtaking 1 vehicle, if you expect to catch and overtake the next vehicle within 1 minute, then stay in the overtaking lane. Unless being tailgated.
on the subject with cruise control, i am lucky enough to have both a speed limiter and cruise control. i like to use my speed limiter when there is heavy traffic or if i am in low speed situations, and cruise control when there is light-medium traffic where i know i have a bit more room. very informative video, thank you!
I really appreciate the instruction but must mention the great editing too, there was a lot of info to get in and the editing was perfect. I use maps as well as satnav.
Thanks for the navigation tips, some of these road layouts are just nuts
12:14 Perhaps this is to prevent road rage. If someone wants to speed, it’s safer for law abiding traffic to stay in the left and let them than it is to hog the faster lanes for no real reason.
There is also the possibility of every cars speedo reporting different speeds. Everyone may think they’re doing 60, but that could be far from the truth, so we should move left accordingly.
Something I found interesting after passing was that on motorways and dual carriageways (Near Glasgow anyways), it often feels like no one is going the speed limit, especially when it’s 50/60mph. On one occasion I saw a temporary speed limit of 40mph, so I slowed down and quickly realised I was dangerously slow relative to the speed of traffic. I think we have very few cameras on these roads.
Stretches or motorway where there is an average speed camera at a low speed always feel weird as everybody is pinned at say 40mph, so I find it difficult to merge safely when nobody is able to speed up accordingly.
Thanks for this video. It took me two years of driving and lots of practice on motorways with my husband before I was confident to do them alone. Now I wonder why I was so worried about it. I wish my instructor had taken me on motorways as part of my lessons.
Been driving for years but enjoy watching your videos like these ones - very informative and useful. Probably helps that you are local to me so enjoy seeing local roads 😂. Keep up the good work
Usually when a car is fitted with cruise control it also has a speed limiter. I would suggest that in relatively high traffic density, as you were in at the road works with a 50 mph speed limit, using the speed limiter is a better choice as you can constantly vary your speed but the car will not allow you to go faster than the set limited speed (although some systems (I’ve found them on trucks) can apply secondary braking, most don’t, so do be aware that the car can exceed the limiter if going downhill. Also, the Highway Code advises against cruise control in high traffic density.
I think you should be careful what you wish for in regards to wanting to be able to stay in the passing lane if your going the speed limit. Here in the US anyone going the speed limit feels entitled to stay in the furthest left lane and people bunch up behind them. These people will not move out of the left lane no matter how many people undertake (undertaking is not a concept in the US) them. It’s terribly dangerous.
SOME DRIVERS going the speed limit in US think their entitled to stay in the furthest left lane. In all 50 states it's illegal to stay in furthest left lane. Also undertaking (UK) or passing on left is legal both.
At 14:14, you really cracked me up when narrating the story of your driving instructor. I could see the anger in your face still, but I do hope that one day you will find it in your heart to let it go😂😂😂. I've been driving for over 22 years now, but I'm always learning how to be a better driver, which is why I ended here today. Thanks, I learnt a great deal. I don't use cruise control much on the motorway. I'm not sure if it's something to do with my experience the first time I tried it in about 2013. I was really enjoying it, but my car has this feature where after you have stopped you can press a button and re-engage the cruise control from the last time you used it. So, one minute, I'm driving in a 40mph road using cruise control, and then the next time I re-engage cruise control in a 30mph road in London. The car then takes off very fast because it tries to go from 0 to the previous speed you were doing before when the cruise control was on, 40mph in my case. It totally freaked me out because I thought the car had developed a fault and was going to crash. Luckily enough, there were no cars in front of me, and I immediately engaged the brakes. It's funny now, but it wasn't at the time, and this is a warning to people that they should really learn how it works before using it since you can get into an embarrassing crash otherwise.
I've done that a few time's with the cruise control myself. Most cars don't accelerate every quickly via their cruise so it's not usually much of a problem but I know what you mean by how it can make you feel uneasy.
Hi Richard, I want to thank you for everything you do for us! 🤗 Is always a pleasure to watch your videos and you explain everything very, very well like nobody else! 😊👍
the 'moving back into the slow lane' habit comes in handy when you drive in Germany :P:P
I actually did a video on driving in Germany here: ua-cam.com/video/4qjJiCP8MT8/v-deo.html
Motorways and dual carriage ways used to have a lot of other little differences including the speed limit originally. Now as far as I am aware it really is down to what you mentioned and whether tractors, buses and cyclists are allowed on the road - and I am not sure about the buses anymore as most are built to the same standard as coaches now days, they still can't stop on a motorway for sure though.
Right turns and traffic lights are not on motorways.
I didn't expect to see a driving instructor criticising lane discipline rules. If cars could stay in the outside lane just because they are doing 70, it would be much more difficult for emergency vehicles to make their way through traffic.
70 is a very low and outdated limit anyway. Most people do at least 75 and the speed limit in most European countries is 81Mph (130Km/h). If someone wants to go over the limit and risk a ticket, it is their choice.
Proper lane discipline makes motorways far safer and more efficient. Holding everyone up at 70 would cause a lot of frustration, which of course leads to a lot more danger.
For me every lane change I check the mirrors then do a full over the shoulder look out the back window... I have definetly been saved by that last check a few times.
You should move to lane one if you will remain in it for about 10 seconds. That's what I do and you just have to pick you time to overtake any slow traffic or lorries.
On the Dual Carriageway point, I think it's also quite important to remind people that a road with a crawler lane one side is not a dual carriageway (tho I don't think they tend to have central reservations - which is what defines a dual carriageway) - I see many people around me just do 70mph as soon as they see two lanes.
What makes you think that, and why is it so important?
I find it very important for new drivers to understand the road signs: is the slip road merging onto lane 1 immediately , or is it continuing ahead and merges a few hundred metres ahead?
If in 2 lane of slip road, the sign tells you which lane merges and which carries on up to which point: outer lane of slip road usually enters lane 1 of motorway earlier and more care is needed . Depending on traffic island between lane 1 and 2 of slip road sometimes.chvrons cannot be crossed except in emergency / stupidity/ lack of planning😅
It is very important to keep eye on traffic, congestion, moving traffic between lanes ( the most intelligmet alwasy move back onto lane 1 from 2 once thay hsbe overtaken a car I lane 1 and completely mus the fact mire vehicles come out at junction/ slip.
Peope loose brain and eyes with mind stuck to little screens and inflexible back / neck. 😅
If HGV in lane 1 be careful, they can go 45- 55 mph. Be careful with heavy loaded ones which can kill you. 😢
25:47 Completely unrelated but I remember the first time I went to London, I was 16 on a college trip and we were at the M11 driving south literally on the other side of that road just before the M25 Junction. On a clear day you can see Canary Wharf from there and it was such a strange sight. It might seem silly to someone who's grown up in or around big cities, but as someone that grew up in a small town, it felt totally surreal to see so many huge buildings towering over the horizon.