Just want to put on record my appreciation of Owen coming on and doing what he is doing to raise awareness for safer driving. Over the past 2 decades of me driving I’ve seen standards slip and I believe it’s all down to what has been discussed and on top a much higher level of self confidence (and in some cases reliance on driver aids) and impatience giving rise of the slip in standards. I also advocate highly for track day driving 2 fold, 1 is to get the speed devil out of you in a safer environment, but secondly training you to look further into the distance and anticipate another driver’s movements so as to inform on what action(s) you need to take to enable you to continue making smooth progress at speed. I personally have benefitted from it and can see I’ve become much more calmer on the roads, especially when witnessing others breaking the rules or driving dangerously. Instead of getting in their way of doing so I now let them continue making progress towards their own grave(hopefully not involving other innocent bystanders). It’s not my job to educate them so I make it a non event and let the Police do it instead. If it is a big enough issue I don’t mind spending 20minutes filling in an online form and submitting my front and rear dashcam footage to help the Police do their job more effectively.
Typical younger driver thinks it's an 'accident' killing innocent motorists due to distractions caused by phone users. This is not an accident it's a collision caused by negligence and prison is the only outcome for murderers. No phone use is acceptable behind the wheel or handlebars
Killing someone while driving is a reckless accident, it wasn't intended. Am I saying it's ok? NO but I also can see the point where that driver has to live with alot of regret, a lot of people commit war crimes and don't see a day in prison
Agreed, Owen appeared frustrated with some of the questions and the blasé attitude directed at him. Shame as the message Owen wants to, and tries to deliver is an important one.
It was like listening to a teenager questioning an adult. He needs to learn to ask then shut up, we're not watching for his opinion but for what the copper has to say.
Owen was most definitely not happy with a few things, and to be most honest I could not blame him Owen trying to make a positive impact there you get Mr money bags with a immature attitude
precisely this. A valuable learning point will have been missed because Owen was repeatedly interrupted. Such poor etiquette and manners, not to mention the nature of the immature questions towards the end.
This is one of the best online videos I've seen! I'm a proper car and speed nut and have been for decades! I've had my fair share of collisions as well. I have been racing cars properly on track for a few years and this has enormously slowed down my driving on the road. I was actually talking to some fellow racers about this at the weekend and we all agree. When you race and handle cars at high speed in a controlled environment, you experience risks differently and appreciate how dangerous the roads are. I often drive at 60 or even 50 on the motorway and I do get ridiculed for this at times, but I now have an increased awareness of speed and see so many hazards that could cause a collision or problem. I can clearly see other drivers putting themselves and others at risk who just don't see these hazards. Becoming a race driver has really slowed me down on the main roads! Owen made a great point about drivers using their brakes on the motorway, often reacting to a situation that could have been avoided had they been looking far enough ahead. I see this all the time! Experience, education and intelligence plays such a huge role in road safety. You can clearly see this relates to individuals who make negative comments on these types of posts and I guarantee they are the individuals who lack experience, education or intelligence. I do not think the UK driving test is fit for purpose and should be far more comprehensive to educate drivers more around the risks and management of speed!
@PointNemo9 it is condition specific if I drive at 50. For example if it is bad weather or heavily congested. Rather than driving up everyone's backside and try to force my way as so many do, I'll just chill in the left lane.
@@PointNemo9if lorries are overtaking then someone would have to be doing sub 50mph which if conditions are good could be hazardous. Excessive and lack of speed can both be dangerous is certain circumstances. It's about being an intelligent driver and driving according to the conditions to minimise risk and dangers to yourself and others.
Proud to say that Owen works for my counties police force. And that he and the police are always at local shows and meets, always been friendly and willing to chat. Good bloke
Owen, take ben out on an advanced driving course, see how well he does, I think he might scare himself, and invite him out on a shift where you deal with what you do, then let's see if his thoughts are the same after. I agree with everything you have answered Owen. keep up the good work.
Owen deserves an award for his services to road safety! He puts his points across so elequently, not just for road safety but to make you aware of the struggles the police force has a whole. He comes across as firm, but fair. Which is how all officers should be.
I honestly find it terrifying that so many people actually need to do a special course to be taught to *look at what's further down the road* while driving. Like, are these the people who stop when they're in the doorway of a shop as they haven't thought about where they're going next? The people who queue for 10 minutes at a checkout and *then* get their wallet out and look for their money? Like what's going on, why don't people automatically realise they need to see what's further down the road than the car directly in front of them?
You're right. I think they are the same people. They cross two lanes at a motorway junction without indicating amd then queue to park right near the front entrance of the supermarket.
Enjoyed that, thank you. I don't follow GCM but see their stuff pop up every now and then, always have a lot of respect for Owen. Would love to have the opportunity to chat with him one day, although not at the side of the road!
Im a lorry driver and the footage of trucks going into the back of cars stopped on motorways is fucking scary. Makes me leave my phone alone when im driving an HGV.
my first experience of driving on a derestricted autobahn was a scary experience. i was in a fast car but when traffic is moving in excess of 100 mph it is very different to 70mph. after 2 weeks of driving on autobahns it became very easy to cope with the higher speeds. as owen said german drivers are better drivers than most other drivers in the world. my return to UK and motorways was an eye opener on how disciplined german drivers are behind the wheel.
Fantastic episode. Owen's work is brilliant and should be applauded. Far too easy to berate the work that the police have to do. Thank you for the great job you do!
To me, 4 years per person (12 years total) prison sentence for that lorry driver seems so insignificant compared to the trauma caused to the families involved. I’m totally with Owen, it’s not an accident if you take your phone out and start using it while driving. You know it’s illegal, you know what can happen if you do it. So if the worst does happen, while it wasn’t intentional it still isn’t an accident because to quote hot fuzz “accident implies that no one is to blame” 12 years is a bit of an insult to those that lost loved ones imo
To be fair, sentences must reflect the totality of the circumstances. As pointed out, he's a normal person who made a really stupid decision and deserves to be punished but when you think of it like this, the difference between a 6 points and a nominal fine, and more than a decade, is what happened to be in front of him. He isn't any more culpable because people died, yes he did more harm, but the fact than 1 second is the difference between a summary offence without prison and 12 years inside is incredible. The trauma isn't made better by increasing sentence. The sentence is now, finally, akin to that for manslaughter. It isn't a deliberate act, and juries would be reluctant to convict if sentences were too harsh, because they can imagine themselves, by the end of the trial, in the place of the defendant.
This is a great episode. I am a traffic management consultant and design temporary road layouts for works and events. Road safety through design is a huge part of what I do. When it comes to road safety there is too much emphasis on speeding. The fact of the matter is its a CAUSAL factor in something like 7% of accidents. We need to tackle root causes. Yes its a contributory factor in more KSI's but we need to reduce inattentive driving and improve driving standards. 70% of drivers middle lane hog, and they're oblivious. Oblivious to whats around them and oblivious to the rules of the road. Most speeders know they are speeding. Knowing what you're doing is a big difference. We need to up the standards of driver training. The test is so basic and suitable for novice drivers. But we need retests every 10 years. We need very stringent theory tests too repeated at the same time and we need to promote advance driver techniques to anyone whos driven more than 10,000 miles. It drives me crazy that people don't know which lane they should be in, they don't know most of the traffic signs, that they don't know that right of way is given not taken. Speed awareness courses are a joke. They use disingenuous stats to distort the reality and fund there own existence. A major reason people speed is because the design speed of the road allows it. Take 20mph zones for example - broadly speaking they are self enforcing. Chicanes, humps, parked cars etc force drivers to slow. However, slapping 20mph plates on a road that was 40 and not doing anything to slow the drivers and expecting them to obey is lazy engineering. If people can driver safely at higher speed they will. So design it out and improve the training. Not cash fines.
"Shouldn't be using brakes on the motorway." Yes,yes n yes. The vast majority of people using motorways n dual carriageways have no clue about how to drive correctly and safely on them.
Mother, Magistrate and Mortuary! My earliest experience of a very wise motorcycle traffic cop! 3Ms - think of them before you make a rash decision on the road.
One thing I learned as a heavy MHE driver, is there are 3 kinds of definitions for accidents. 1. Near-miss. 2. Incident. 3. Accident. Each one has a gauge of severity due to one or multiple parties recklessly disowning a responsibility for Health & safety and the well-being of others. A near-miss is one or multiple parties being inattentive to almost come together with the potential of becoming an incident or accident. An incident is defined as someone operating recklessly and inattentively to cause a crash or damage to an object that is not a life and 3. an accident is the recklessness, inattentiveness and disregarding of rules which cause harm to self and/or others. The punishments range from: near miss, slap on the wrist, caution. Incident, suspension from the machinery and retraining. Accident, possible dismissal and prosecution. This is just in a basic industrial setting.....The fact is, the safest workplaces are those who do not flirt with the rules and disregard the safety of others. If you are trained, and then assessed and passed to operate MHE, you are immediately in control of a large machine that has the potential to kill someone. That and that alone, should ensure the operator knows the risk of disregarding his/her responsibility. Now, The definition of killing someone by intentionally disregarding the rules is manslaughter. I have been in the building while two people were killed by MHE, one due to their own recklessness and one by the MHE operator. The reason why I am saying all this in this context, is the fastest these trucks go is about 10mph at the best of times. The smallest truck can weigh the same as a modern car, yet even at those speeds they have the potential to kill. The key point here, is control. Either having control with vigilance and operating within the rules, or being completely oblivious and neglecting operating within the rules. A car is only under the control of the driver by how well the car can grip, condition of the road, awareness of the driver. But what a driver is not in control of, is what other people do, the environmental conditions at that second and every second forthwith, the functionality of the car, how fast the brain is reacting. All it takes is one thing that is not in your control, to remove any control you had. The faster you drive, the faster those uncontrollable elements strike, and thus a smaller window in which to react. Once your control is gone, you are immediately at the mercy of everything you are not in control of. And that also applies to the outside world impacted by you. This is cause and affect, the law which says you create every cause, and the affect is the outcome. If you create a safe environment, 99% you stay in a safe environment. Everything works for each other. If you create an unsafe environment, everything else around is in jeopardy including yourself. The moment you decide to create that unsafe environment, everyone else is unaware what you are able to do. Therefore, the control they create to be in a safe environment gets violated by what they are not in control of, namely, YOU leaving safety and creating unsafety. This is the formation of a selfish, reckless, irresponsible and indifferent mindset that rejects all regard for the well-being of every other thing around you. You become a trojan horse, a danger, a risk, and every time the controls leave the risk taker, the ones at risk suffer the consequences, a deadly ripple, like an earthquake in the middle of the ocean becomes a tsunami for everyone in proximity. The way I shove naysayers back in their box is, I ask would you be ok with airline pilots behaving like you? They can fly a machine at 500mph, but literally every man and woman who walks aboard immediately expect them to stick within the strict universal safety rules like you are expected to adopt when you pass your test and drive a car. How would you feel if a pilot suddenly flirted with the rules like you want to and started speeding in limited zones while there was a stack full of other planes? It's no different to you speeding in a limited zone with other cars around you. If you expect plane drivers to adhere to 100% of the rules, then why do you think you belong outside of that same expectation when driving a car?
Very insightful and fair play for the good work you do. The media can be very toxic, but it’s down to us to look beyond that! The media will have conscious bias, which we all know about and should be called out more often too.
Ben needs to look at the old top gear (maybe 5th gear) test of what happens to a car in a crash at various speeds.. It is old and the cars are less sound in an accident.. but the difference between 60, 80 and 100 are utterly devastating. Also, smart cars are (or at least were) suprisingly sturdy in an accident.
But the occupants of a smart car would die from internal injuries, the human body is not designed to survive suddenly stopping from high speed although some people have which is unexplained as far as I’m aware 🏴👍🏻
@@ewanstewart8011 Indeed. In the test the Smart car almost bounced off which is not a good thing in an accident. Lots of metal deforming in designed crumple zones is taking up energy which would otherwise get sent into the occupants.
@@ewanstewart8011 Modern belts have devices which lock the person to the seat in the first milliseconds of an accident, then the mount essentially rips in a controlled way to reduce energy transfer. One of the problems which no standard safety device can prevent is basal skull fractures, where the are of the skull around the spine is damaged and results in instantly fatal brainstem damage. After the advent of roll cages, harnesses, energy absorbing structures and other measures in motorsport it became one of the most common causes of death. The body can survive 50-100Gs but the brain can't, even without that sort of injury the sloshing can be dangerous. I doubt we will ever see HANS device in road cars (they also can cause accidents with the visibility reduction from restricted head movement).
UK driver training 'lessons' teach nothing but how to pass the test. My instructor in the early 80's would not let me on public roads until I had learned to control the car on an unused industrial estate. He took me out in appalling weather including snow/ice. When I passed my test he taught me how to drive on motorways. When he left for the last time he said 'now you can learn to drive'.
my driving instructor was the same. when it snowed or was icy went out for lessons. also had lessons in the dark. motorway driving was taught on a local dual carriageway as nearest motorway was 30+ miles away.
High quality tyres have more benefit to handling, stopping and safety than any other part of the car. Pay the extra few quid per tyre, it is so worth it.
I agree just don't by perreli tyres I had 2 out of my 4 brand new tyres bulge within 2 weeks and the other two deflate within that period had two fronts changed for different brand no issues and rear ones re sealed rims checked and still had issue went back to manufacture about it and they said it wasn't there issue and I'm down 1200 pound do research and by the best and now u can do payment plans so you have no excuse not to buy good brand tyre instead of budget crap.
@@leariggthat's all very well. But road tyres do not have performance engineered for driving fast. They're engineered for performance for when you really need it. Like if you need to emergency brake or swerve, or if the conditions are unexpected. You could be doing 20mph, but a good set of tyres are still going to stop you quicker than a budget set. And that could be the difference between hitting something or not, regardless of how instant you think your reaction was.
One question I have for Owen: I feel like the 20mph zones being rolled out everywhere has made everyone including myself more impatient and less tolerable with speed limits, especially the speed limits on the motorway just for congestion relief, or claimed pollution reduction. Have you seen an increase in people breaking the speed limit since these zones have started rolling out? In my opinion, the more restricted we are becoming, the less people will feel like following the law. I'm not asking for an increase in speed on the motorway or local areas, I just feel like the restrictions are going a bit too far.
I had a tyre blow out on my saxo vts as I was taking a sweeping right hand corner at 60mph. I managed to pull the car back onto the right side of the road out of the way of on coming traffic but I ended up in a field. It’s crazy how quickly things can go from having an enjoyable drive to carnage. Ever since then I keep a real close eye on my tyres tread depth and pressure. As Owen says it’s the only thing between you and the road
@ I don’t even think they were poorly looked after tbh as it was only a 3 year old car at the time and hadn’t long passed its first mot and the tyres were all fairly new. I think something must have happened to that tyre without me knowing. But after then I always do a quick walk around before heading out for a “spirited” drive.
Fantastic vid Ben. At 17 I had to do my Advanced Driving Course as there was no way of getting insured on my mum's car and get to college! The best thing my parents ever told me to do. I went on to race and do all sorts of crazy stuff on wheels, always on a track or private fields... It's hard to teach respect of road use but if the courses are done in school, all the better for it 👍 (remember cycling proficiency?)
As a above average driver …. The standard of driving in the last few years is absolutely crazy , I drive 500/800 miles a day and some of the stuff I have seen is crazy , nobody pays attention to what’s around them I think now to pass you’re test it should be a 2 week intensive corse
As a coach driver msyelf, who is labelled as a professional driver, I 100% agree. There are far too many people on the roads that have absolutely no clue about what they are doing behind the wheel. Most people don't even pay attention to what's more than 5ft in front of their bonnet, even some HGV drivers. I had one particularly nasty near miss on a tight road in the Lake District and it shocked me just how careless the driver of that Scania rigid was in how quick he came round that corner.
They should do it like Germany by right my mum done her driving test and license she would not let me drive by myself until she thought me what was thought to her and we done driving in every condition on every type of road and day night also hours and hours of it and how to correctly use a round about and turn signals stopping distances hasards on the road awareness speed everything and she is shocked on how people drive or can't drive in UK and Ireland. It's driving in every condition every surface every situation and day and night and the main cause of accidents in Germany are not Germans not saying that don't but 80 to 90 percent is other nations that come into it and drive true it who don't know how to deal with the volume or the speeds. Wagon drivers or HGV are the biggest cause on autobahn.
Great insight into what can actually happen on the roads in comparison to the perceptions of those who don't have to deal with realities of it. Having been a young driver in the 90's myself and smashing up 4 hot hatches in this era, I look back now and thinks it's vital we have guys like Owen trying to make a difference to our young drivers. One of your best chats yet Ben and fair play for staying humble at the points where you were being schooled in your 'debate'🙂.
You are like old school police. I learned a lot when younger from these lectures. More should do this. There is no comparison with a speeding course. The moment has passed. Thanks Owen. Your focus should be as far as you can see, slow as you overtake others on the motorway, they are unpredictable (I would love a chat with Owen) Once passed, then speed back up. People that complain of speeding tickets in town are laughable. Only doing 38?? No, your speed was telling you at the time that you were doing 41. Unless a calibrated speedometer. I am guilty of speeding, on clear roads and within my braking distance. My reaction is faster than most also my attention. I have driven at 180mph. (Not in this country) 1 second is a slow reaction time. Maybe ADHD helps my attention as I always hyper focus when driving. Ahead and behind. I have never had a serious accident in 50 years and happy to take any test. Always stay close to limit in built up areas. I’ve had blowouts pre run flats on rear and front of both cars and motorcycles. You don’t want a front on a bike but I stayed within my lane. I was once stopped on motorway in traffic, I always leave an exit. A truck approaching from the rear I could see wasn’t going to stop in time. Check mirror for approaching inside traffic, accelerate and get out of the way. It hit the car in front. Luckily not too fast by then. All were ok. All this in a split second. All by being alert Doesn’t bother trying to have a conversation with me when driving as only 10% would be on the conversation if that. I was refused the police as a career as I have Crohn’s that was in the 80s. I have friends that are ex police. One went for a drive with me to observe after a chat. He had no issues with my observation and reading traffic etc or my driving in general. I can’t believe some of these sad cam videos where people seem to be totally intolerant to other’s mistakes to the point of driving into them?? I also think everyone should take a motorcycle test also. Being more vulnerable makes you think. As you have guessed, I am watching as typing lol. Tyre tread should be increased in my opinion. It’s too low in winter especially in the UK. I would be interested to hear your views on these idiots on a mission to lane hog and try to personally police the roads? Blocking lane 3-4 at 65 and refusing to pull over. This causing others to undertake with caution. Sometimes, these idiots then accelerate as a car does this to the point of breaking the speed limit and then slowing down???? That has to be an offence on their part? Keep up the good work. Education is what is important . Especially to the kids. You remember these lectures all your life. I have witnessed 2 deaths of friends on bikes in front of me sadly.
agree with tyre tread limit being too low. i was told by an independent tyre retailer that tyres are designed at around 2-3mm of tread left to give driver feeling/warning that tyres are not quite up to full potential. not that the tyre at 2-3mm is going to fail immediately but start thinking about replacing tyres. sadly looking at MOT failures bald tyres is far too common think it is something like 1 in 4 cars. am a bit ocd on tyres as they are your connection to road surface for braking and accelerating and steering. try driving on black ice with summer tyres and you will learn very fast about lack of grip. best brakes in the world and abs are useless unless tyres can grip.
Great conversation. Excessive speeding has huge consequences but 5 over makes no difference to the outcome of an incident. This has been proven in studies worldwide, driving standards are the biggest problem.
Here's the thing about speed. It's not an issue when everything is happening as planned. It compounds the issue exponentially when things go unexpectedly. Time to react is far lower. The reaction options are reduced, what I mean by that is, coming to a full stop may not be an option, sometimes the only option is having a collision and your only trying to reduce the damage. So when we start talking about skill, your improved skills will help make the best choices and execute the needed actions properly, but they won't necessarily prevent a collision in every situation. The best skilled drivers aren't pushing the limits. They're driving with traffic and looking for trouble. The real skill is arriving without incident. That's the real goal, not arriving a few minutes faster.
Great episode guys. Top respect to Owen and all his colleagues. I wouldn't want their job, but it's a job that needs doing. I know there are some very useful tech aids out there, but. Ref distractions whilst driving, the trend for touch screens, and the sub menu's that are often built-in concerns me. It seems that a dangerous activity can be compounded by tech.
Some good insight into the uncovered world of motoring and road safety. I feel it wasn't explored enough. There's unlicenced/uninsured, there's a general reduction of self-responsibility or care from people who have the behaviours that someone else will deal with a problem "not my problem" until it is. Remember, you only need to get unlucky once.
Too many selfish people driving over powerful cars that are too big for UK roads that only care about what is in their little world. Most are so insulated from the outside conditions that they are shocked when it all goes wrong. Perhaps if they felt as vulnerable as a motorcyclist they might pay a little more attention. A motorcyclist my son works with was hit from behind while waiting at a red light, result a broken leg and a few months off work, the other driver gets a bit of hassle filling out a few insurance forms. Take a ride on the back of a bike or in a classic Mini and you will see the cause of poor driving on UK roads. If you want to race book a track day! You'll soon be humbled when you see how poor you really are at car control!
As a modified car owner who has mad my fair run ins in my younger years with the Police. I cannot fault this guy and think he is an excellent example of police and when asked if he would ever leave to make more money monetising content said no. Fair fair play. Morals are in a solid place
I ride a bicycle, a vespa, a powerful motorbike and a reasonably powerful car - I also enjoy the thrill of travelling over 20mph on the road (I live in London). I take road safety very seriously and at 50 yrs of age I'm still working on improving my riding/driving abilities. I do think I have above average driving/riding skills but looking at the majority of motorists around me on a daily basis that is not a high bar - if we could get people to actually use their indicators properly, especially in town, that would be a big step forward. Getting to the point; I have to take issue with something the traffic cop said and I think this is where the authorities loose a lot of respect from motorists who are more capable drivers, he said that at 70mph (motorway speed) you're travelling 105ft per second but at 90mph you are travelling 145ft per second. This instinctively felt wrong, so with a quick calc. 145ft/sec. is actually 97mph... Add to this he said you travel a tennis court more per second - no you don't, you travel 28ft more - that is about 1/3rd of a tennis court. If you are going to be convincing when preaching this sort of thing you really need to get your facts straight and right there you lost me. The real reason we have so many road restrictions/cameras etc. in this country (and to quote the traffic cop, the only direction speed limits are likely to go is down), is because the authorities have given up on the idea of improving motorists abilities/judgement on the road, they just want to scare everyone into being a sheep and sticking to the limit or for those they can't control, they want to make as much money off them as possible. I'm almost looking forward to the day the self driving car takes over....
Points on your license are no small deal and insuring a more expensive car is disproportionately higher when you get those points. That said, I agree: there should be means tested fines.
I have a question. Why is it OK for a motorcycle to only require a rear plate and for a car to require front and rear? OK I know the answer is safety for the motorcyclist. But like you say you can spin the camera round and or speed cameras and ANPR cameras can be positioned in either direction. So why not adjust the cameras.
You just answered your own question, and yes I own and ride a motorbike, but as a suggestion, where would you place a front number plate on a motorbike……, cos once upon a time motorbikes had front number plates, but they weren’t just in a dangerous position, a camera wouldn’t pick it up anywhere
It's actually safety for pedestrians, not the motorcyclist. Look at how the black and white plates used to be mounted on the front mudguards on motorcycles, you'll see why its an issue. It's basically a blunt knife traveling at a high rate of speed with 200kg+ of weight behind it. Where would you mount a full size number plate on the front of a motorcycle?
Great episode! Just to add to the drink driving part I think we shouldn't be giving people a limit because people will always think they are OK to drive take it away make it so even if a beer touches your lips you cannot drive for 12 hours.
26:57 The current driver training and test is Pathetic (in my opinion). No where in any of it is lessons on how to respond to emergency vehicles. You have to (as a blue light driver) treat other road users as "Idiots". My hgv blue light course was 6 weeks , due to size and weight , My Ambulance course was 5 weeks again due to size , weight , speed and patient carrying. Personally I don't think penalties for speeding, phones, drink and drug driving are high enough. People who kill others because of their stupidity (again in my opinion) should not be felt sorry for. I back Owen 100% I have been to too many fatalities severe injury , accidents since 1986. AGAIN ALL MY OPINION
Totally agree with Owen saying policing isnt at all time low .... i think more of it is captured on phones & cameras everywhere we never had or have seen before ... only the bad stuff gets shown. The police are policing well with the tools they are giving, they needs funds and support. I hate people stood videoing a police scuffle/ accident, goading the police rather than helping by stay clear so they can do their job! always be bad apples in everything, yes when you get power it can go to your head, but most are trying to keep us safe like this guy. Well done Owen for making policing human.
It's interesting how the Police are now always recruiting, when I was younger many years ago and I wanted to join there was hardly ever a recruiting campaign. Then again, it was a very attractive career back then with good pay (relatively), good benefits and a good pension.
I had to laugh at the "one law for one and one law for another". If only the police would enforce all the stuff going on that cannot be detected by an ANPR camera. My observation over the last 20 years is the reliance on cameras has resulted in people paying no attention. If the police patrolled visibly and pulled people for lane hogging, tailgating, keeping their rear fog lights on with no fog at night, flashing and gesticulating at other drivers, generally being respectful and aware, maybe we could get our roads back in order rather than making travelling more and more onerous and tedious. P.S. Not forgetting the number of police cars exceeding speed limits when not using their lights and sirens.
and the lower speed limit on motorways like Cardiff and portabort don't reduce emissions its increased it as now the M4 two times a day in these areas turns into a car park with usually a 3+ mile tail back and i know that as a fact as iv been stuck in it more times than i can count and its cused huge amounts of accident as ppl are driving at 70mph into a line of stopped cars
my old car due to health i had to drop a gear sometime two so my knee at better angle , 50 limit was always the worst and most painful limit let alone almost dozing off so lower limits i use more fuel more pollution. the cops should be dealing with the climate fraudsters
Love this episode well done I watch all the videos they do on cars and legal and checks. On a topic u brought up on the end in Canada BC has to do it. people with alcohol consumption in that bar we are responsible for and that they get home safe from the establishment so we have to make sure they get a taxi home and do not drive if they don't and they do drive and we let them knowing they had the keys and alcohol will end up in trouble.
You know what i tend to barely watch any podcasts and i know most people dont but i believe every person on this planet should watch this because people are so stuck in their bubble they dont realize the things that happen around them or the actual implications to the risks they take. its also every person who is extremely stuck in their bubble are also very adverse to learning cause they are the best .... right? i am a car enjoyer myself and i took riving quite seriously since the start even though i do enjoy spirited driving. i just wish people would understand that cars as amazing and easy to operate as they are is technically part of the heavy machinery category even your run of the mill kia picanto it is still heavy machinery and as history as proved we should take operating heavy machinery quite seriously. great podcast Ben and also Thank you Owen you genuinely are an amazing person and thank you for everything you do. I believe if more people listened into this conversation and im talking people who dont even care about cars that much, would change the general perception on this topic. but unfortunately a person has to care at least a little.
yes cars are a lot heavier now than a decade plus ago. small car is probably close to ton and quarter. larger cars 2 ton plus. until you realise you are in control of 1-2 tonnes of vehicle i don't think you will ever be a considerate driver. nanny aids don't help either. i learnt to drive before abs and traction control were invented. was taught cadence braking and how to pull away on slippery roads with no to little wheelspin and how to control a slide with poor traction available. still cadence brake now in difficult driving conditions even though abs would do a far better job than my right foot.
Re the braking on the motorway, i use adaptive cruise control, if the car in front brakes, I do too without touching the pedals (which also puts brake lights on sometimes). Varaible speeds wouldn't work because revenue collectors wouldnt work. In the past a long time ago now, I was caught by a speed camera on a smart motorway, when i got the awareness course option, i felt no emotion from the letter, however, when i first started driving i was pulled over by a police car and warned in person and it impacted me a lot. I had fear, it told me don't do that again. I was careful from that point. Cameras dont do anything emotionally because you don't realise you've done it until you get a ticket.
You need a serious reality check Ben. I have seen fatal crashes my self and have struggled to sleep for weeks after. I really think you should go with Owen on a shift and see a high speed accident first hand. I am a massively into cars and motorcycles. But I almost never speed. And on the very few times I do go over the speed limit it is never by more than 15 and it is always done on a lonely road with zero other road users. It is embarrassing to see so many other car interested people who drive twice the speed limit in built up areas because they think they are good drivers.
23:34 70 vs 100 - one thing to consider is that is doubling the kinetic energy - which means double the energy to dissipate or deal with if something does go wrong - double the damage if you were to hit something. School physics: kinetic energy=1/2mv^2. m is the mass of the vehicle and contents. V is the velocity. 7^2 = 49, 10^2 = 100, so comparing 7 vs 10 'speed units' more than doubles the energy.
I know, for myself, it was an episode of, I think, traffic cops.. before this, I never bothered with laws about using my phone. If it went, I answered... then I watched that episode.. it was a young blond woman (early 20's) on her way to her job on the motorway, an HGV driver was messing with the trucks phone and hit and crushed 3 cars, you couldn't tell there wee 3 cars, they all thought it was 2... she was killed on impact, no chance at all.. they then showed an interview with her sister, the pain in that woman's face broke me, because i was often just as stupid as the guy driving the truck.. and it showed everything he did wrong, that changed my driving for the better.... im not perfect, but i try to be as safe as i can.. because I don't want to be responsible for causing that level of pain, to anyone... certainly not for something as stupid as a bloody phone...
Prime example of a guy seeing something very rare on a regular basis then thinking the workd revolves around it. He needs some perspective and a holiday for sure
18:00 - I think the thing that needs to be remembered here is how deadly vehicles can be, we have strict rules in many countries about gun use, prescription drug use etc. But driving a vehicle which is usually one of the biggest killers in most countries is treated as a "right" and people very much take the dangers of it for granted.
Regarding speed limits, go to a track day, typically the business owners with the Porsche 911 or whatever are slower around a track than the young guy in the hot hatch. Money and job title have nothing to do with driving skill. In reality if you have money AND driving skill you wouldn't be driving down the M4 late at night as you'd be in a fancy hotel room resting for a race the following day. Owen hit the nail on the head with the driving standards in the UK and how everyone is constantly on the brakes on the motorway, it's ridiculously annoying and I've seen it cause phantom traffic jams. Whereas in Europe, the standard of driving is so much better, the smart sections of motorway are controlled much better and there is no such thing as a middle lane hogger.
Cars today are being driven by pilots, too many distractions within cars, gimmicks, to play with too many "modes" that interfere with the way people drive. Driving a vehicle used to be a skill, this element is slowly being eradicated by motor manufacturers with an additional impact the move towards autonomous driving. I am a car enthusiast and I have been working motorways in the UK for 19 years - picking up the pieces and fallout from collisions from a non policing point of view. The standard of driving I witness every day where I work, appears to be deteriorating not improving. I would also like to add, when I talk to drivers the lack of patience is evident, "why am I being held up", "why am I being turned around", " I want to pass" and "let us past the scene" are all comments we receive regularly, best wishes with the policing education aspect but I believe that the problem is formed by a fundamental lack of patience within society today not just the social media keyboard warriors seeking likes.
Owen - I actually do that 2 second rule all the time. Im not one of those HGV driver that can sit one meter from the back of another truck for 50miles no idea whats going on infront. I slow down slightly when someone is doing it to me and make them pass me.
I’m also a HGV driver. Example of today, I’m coming back to Yorkshire from Liverpool today with 24.5 tonnes (nett weight) of granite setts in the trailer, following another truck up to j12 on the m62. There’s a good gap between me an them and a Tesla gets in between us. What fxxking infuriate’s me is I leave that gap for me not them. If needed the truck in front will stop, the Tesla will stop, I’m fully loaded 44 ton gross. I aren’t stopping in time as I don’t have the gap anymore but it will be my fault, guilty until proven innocent but that’s hard to do when we’ve killed someone. Really rags me.
@@chrisfisher3145 This annoys me regardless of what vehicle I'm in. People look at a gap and think it's a lovely space for their vehicle, when..it really isn't.
@@chrisfisher3145 i would hope that a dash cam would be able to help your argument if anything was to happen. you could prove you left a reasonable stopping gap until the telsa took advantage of it.
there was a stretch of M5 motorway near weston super mare where they painted white squares. this to get drivers to adhere to the 2 sec rule. after you past the squares most drivers kept close to the 2 sec rule
27:04 actually it is enforceable. In Germany we both, limits that apply to weather conditions and limits that apply to a certain time and that works well. People need the discipline but it does work and there are indeed mobile cameras and civil police cars enforcing these limits. Its important to raise awareness and remind people of their responsibility. It would also help to have mandatory driver trainings on closed circuits to learn handling manouvers on wet tarmac, to hold a sliding car on the lane. Germany has no speedlimits on most highways but has the lowest accidents per mile driven. Proper training is what people need. Then they are not bored and will not play with the phone.
43:20 People don't like the police because of the way they treat the people they swore to protect. They do as they please with impunity as they protect one another. No police officer would EVER agree with this statement, especially as they could be seen as "bringing the police force into disrepute". I know from personal experience that police often abuse their perceived powers and our rights. I also have a close family member that served for many years and has confessed tales from within. All you've got to do is watch some of these audit videos to see how police behave
Is there a driving course you can go on comparable to the police blue light advanced driving? I would be interested. I also understand that you would be hit harder if you were driving dangerously, as you should know better.
Regarding driver training. Why not simply limit the power and size of the car until an advanced course has been completed? This is how motorcycle licencing works. This would be simple as insurers would not insure you without the DVLA record of the advanced course, so the policing does not really change.
What I find appalling is that there are no mandatory refresher courses. No one picks up the Highway Code having passed the test. The standard of driving is dire. Everyone relies on the technology of the vehicle to make them a better driver. Absolute rubbish. Anyone using a handheld mobile phone whilst driving should get an instant one year ban.
To add to the discussion on speed, there's no need to add more laws to have variable limits. 1000s of people speed and drive in a spirited manner on public every day. if you are experienced enough driver you know when and where you can do it. if you're doing it somewhere you're likely to be caught by the police the odds are its not the time or place for it otherwise they wouldn't be there.
It's a real shame Owen can't earn money from Social Media. He delivers the messages so well, and hopefully between him and George at least one life has been saved due to education. Sometimes the telling off hits home and is just what someone needs. Keep up the great work Owen.
Yup to many people are far to selfish stuck in there own priorities and giving no consideration or care to anyone else bar themselves on the road. Then when shit hits the fan because they caused an accident they’re so surprised. Law and penalty needs to be greater.
My son is starting driver training here in Germany and it really is another level. You have the night drives and autobahn lessons (mentioned by Owen) but before you go anywhere near a car you have to do a first aid course, then do 14 theory lessons, and pass a theory test with up to a 1000 questions. I also can't teach him myself (as was possible in the uk). When I arrived in Germany I thought that aspect was a bit officious, but knowing how switched on you have to be on the autobahn I'm now fine with that stipulation. quick note on Autobahns: Most of the network is restricted / If you are involved in a collision in an unrestricted section then your insurance may not payout if speed is a factor. This could open you up to huge lawsuits if people are injured / it's rare that you ever get enough space to really get up to speed (during the day) without considerable risk. You may be happily cruising at high speed, but then someone pulls into the far left lane at 120kmh to overtake someone doing 100 in the central lane (who is in turn overtaking a truck doing 80). / Most German instructed drivers have been taught to a high level (see above) but the German autobahns are full of foreign drivers (with very different levels of ability) criss-crossing the country to get to France, Netherlands, Poland, Czech Republic etc. / Making the whole network restricted is discussed every few years in parliament.
Being German myself and getting thought German driving from my mum along with the Irish driving were I done mine it opened up and made me better driver we done it all rain day night fog sun hail cold warm motorway. Long distance town every possible drive you could do we did hours and hours of it before she was happy to let me drive myself around and I am truly grateful for that. And I agree it's not Germans as such that cause the accidents it's the other nations and lorry drivers
Restrictions for “safety” are never the right choice. Humans need freedom to choose, or we’re just mortgage slaves. A speed limit on the motorway in all sections is ridiculous and not necessary, you may like to be treated like a child, but I don’t. It’s discussed by the left who as we know love to erode freedom and choice.
The reason to add a "please subscribe" message clip at 12:54 dumbfounded me. Have some respect for the humanity of what was just said. That every time a police officer has to notify a family member of a fatailty hits the same. Sometimes retention and playing the RUclips game isn't everything
Modern cars are a big problem! Pre 2000 let’s say. Most of us learned to drive with no ABS, no power-steering. And certainly no traction control. Car tech’ was old and so was tyre tech’. Everyone had to “drive” their car. Also. Pre 2000, car distraction lesser. Cars didn’t have gadgets or nav’ or screens. And there were no electric bikes/scooters on the road. I genuinely see a change in driving habits of current day. And I’m convinced much of it is due to the advent of tech’ inside of a modern vehicle.
Only a fool breaks the 2 second rule.... I knew this when I was a kid, and it's stuck with me all my years driving. My dad was a HGV driver. So many complete fools on our roads! The space you leave infront isn't only for breaking it's for thinking also. If someone is driving up your backside then the only sensible thing to do is increase your space infront (annoying them more) but it gives you options and you are less likely going to have to brake hard, meaning you can bring those behind to a stop more slowly, stopping them hitting you (as long as they are paying attention anyway)
Increase the level of being able to pass your driving license. The level of driving standard combined with pure traffic density is the cause of accidents.
I agree with if there was reason with speed adjustment people would follow the rules closer. But I also agree that not enough people look far enough ahead. I was much better when I got my cat c license
I think theyve been doing a good thing. There are all kinds of things that could be done by the government from a law standpoint, many would be quite invasive…. But arguably required. But the number 1 thing is education. The more people can truly understand that dangers of driving, the impacts of accidents, drink/drugs, unsafe mods or vehicles the absolute better. It really would save countless lives on the road if everyone had a deeper education on road safety and awareness of what can go wrong and why.
@@Paul-D roads where i am potholes are linked with some broken tarmac. since a massive 3year+ campaign that is still on going local council has upped the budget for road repairs in our area. the man that started this campaign is an ex traffic officer that did all the gathering of information at collisions. he is very worried that our area will suffer a fatal collision due to very poorly maintained roads. when someone like that is very concerned about standard of road maintenance it worries me.
You talk about "pounding a square peck into a round hole", and it really fits. Fines being higher or jail time going up means nothing... Exhibit one: Police in Denmark has to confiscate your car if you go more than 100% over the speed limit (including other "crazy driving" behavior). Does not even matter if you are the owner of the car, a rental can be confiscated, your mom's car that you used to go shopping can be taken. (A few restrictions and such, but that is basically the law) 1st of April 2021 - The law is in effect. 31st of March 2023 - 1.902 car have been confiscated. 18th of April 2024 - 2.966 cars. It does not seem like that number is going down... Very few (And I mean A FEW) will be given back to the owner.
A couple of years back I got hit by a car turning right across my path into a junction. To be fair to the driver they had messed up but for weeks I kept thinking what could I have done differently. Yes the drivers fault but I was still thinking was my position able to be seen. A bus had filmed the incident and the driver did get charged. One Saturday morning the officer took the time to phone us and actually talk to us and how was getting and had being back on the bike on the road and how did I find it with cars . I've had other crashes on the bike in races and every time I've had there is a phase of getting used to thinks and building the confidence back up. I also explained strangely even when driving if any cars come towards and there was a junction on my left I was super nervous despite being in a car . I then asked if I could have done anything different and was told quite frankly no. I did I think see her a couple of weeks back and was thinking of going upto her and saying thank you for taking the time out to help us . I didn't as she was on patrol and drove past while i was in the car. If I'd been walk past I would have waved her down, to say thank you for helping us through something
I always keep my distance on the Motorways, but as Owen says most people (99%) do not but also in regards to someone going fast, they would if they know what they are doing will slow down for slower traffic, understanding that everyone around is not that great at driving!
Amazing episode guys, thank you for giving Owen the time to talk about our endeavors.
Just want to put on record my appreciation of Owen coming on and doing what he is doing to raise awareness for safer driving. Over the past 2 decades of me driving I’ve seen standards slip and I believe it’s all down to what has been discussed and on top a much higher level of self confidence (and in some cases reliance on driver aids) and impatience giving rise of the slip in standards. I also advocate highly for track day driving 2 fold, 1 is to get the speed devil out of you in a safer environment, but secondly training you to look further into the distance and anticipate another driver’s movements so as to inform on what action(s) you need to take to enable you to continue making smooth progress at speed. I personally have benefitted from it and can see I’ve become much more calmer on the roads, especially when witnessing others breaking the rules or driving dangerously. Instead of getting in their way of doing so I now let them continue making progress towards their own grave(hopefully not involving other innocent bystanders). It’s not my job to educate them so I make it a non event and let the Police do it instead. If it is a big enough issue I don’t mind spending 20minutes filling in an online form and submitting my front and rear dashcam footage to help the Police do their job more effectively.
Typical younger driver thinks it's an 'accident' killing innocent motorists due to distractions caused by phone users. This is not an accident it's a collision caused by negligence and prison is the only outcome for murderers. No phone use is acceptable behind the wheel or handlebars
Killing someone while driving is a reckless accident, it wasn't intended. Am I saying it's ok? NO but I also can see the point where that driver has to live with alot of regret, a lot of people commit war crimes and don't see a day in prison
Feel like this could of been a better podcast with a more mature person.
Yeah thought the same. He just doesn’t realise how series this issues is. Just a young lad with a Lamborghini. He needs to grow up a bit
100% agree 👍
Agreed, Owen appeared frustrated with some of the questions and the blasé attitude directed at him. Shame as the message Owen wants to, and tries to deliver is an important one.
I struggle to watch him. He’s hard work!
100%
Some of your questions were embarrassingly immature and self indulgent.
It was like listening to a teenager questioning an adult. He needs to learn to ask then shut up, we're not watching for his opinion but for what the copper has to say.
You could see Owen role his eyes… lots of
Owen was most definitely not happy with a few things, and to be most honest I could not blame him Owen trying to make a positive impact there you get Mr money bags with a immature attitude
precisely this. A valuable learning point will have been missed because Owen was repeatedly interrupted. Such poor etiquette and manners, not to mention the nature of the immature questions towards the end.
Couldnt have put it better myself, my thoughts exactly, owen seemed irritated by his childish attitude
This is one of the best online videos I've seen! I'm a proper car and speed nut and have been for decades! I've had my fair share of collisions as well.
I have been racing cars properly on track for a few years and this has enormously slowed down my driving on the road. I was actually talking to some fellow racers about this at the weekend and we all agree. When you race and handle cars at high speed in a controlled environment, you experience risks differently and appreciate how dangerous the roads are. I often drive at 60 or even 50 on the motorway and I do get ridiculed for this at times, but I now have an increased awareness of speed and see so many hazards that could cause a collision or problem. I can clearly see other drivers putting themselves and others at risk who just don't see these hazards.
Becoming a race driver has really slowed me down on the main roads!
Owen made a great point about drivers using their brakes on the motorway, often reacting to a situation that could have been avoided had they been looking far enough ahead. I see this all the time!
Experience, education and intelligence plays such a huge role in road safety. You can clearly see this relates to individuals who make negative comments on these types of posts and I guarantee they are the individuals who lack experience, education or intelligence.
I do not think the UK driving test is fit for purpose and should be far more comprehensive to educate drivers more around the risks and management of speed!
Driving at 50 on the motorway makes you a massive hazard, lorries are forced into the middle lane to overtake you.
@PointNemo9 it is condition specific if I drive at 50. For example if it is bad weather or heavily congested. Rather than driving up everyone's backside and try to force my way as so many do, I'll just chill in the left lane.
@markgoodwin69 That's fine then, I meant if conditions were suitable to go above that.
@@PointNemo9if lorries are overtaking then someone would have to be doing sub 50mph which if conditions are good could be hazardous. Excessive and lack of speed can both be dangerous is certain circumstances. It's about being an intelligent driver and driving according to the conditions to minimise risk and dangers to yourself and others.
Proud to say that Owen works for my counties police force. And that he and the police are always at local shows and meets, always been friendly and willing to chat. Good bloke
Owen, take ben out on an advanced driving course, see how well he does, I think he might scare himself, and invite him out on a shift where you deal with what you do, then let's see if his thoughts are the same after. I agree with everything you have answered Owen. keep up the good work.
Also add to that, send him with a good truck driver for a day (notice i said good). It would open his eyes how bad drivers are. 😢
Owen deserves an award for his services to road safety! He puts his points across so elequently, not just for road safety but to make you aware of the struggles the police force has a whole. He comes across as firm, but fair. Which is how all officers should be.
Owen, thanks very much for all you've done & are doing. Personally, I'm very grateful we have police officers like you. 💚
I honestly find it terrifying that so many people actually need to do a special course to be taught to *look at what's further down the road* while driving. Like, are these the people who stop when they're in the doorway of a shop as they haven't thought about where they're going next? The people who queue for 10 minutes at a checkout and *then* get their wallet out and look for their money? Like what's going on, why don't people automatically realise they need to see what's further down the road than the car directly in front of them?
You're right. I think they are the same people.
They cross two lanes at a motorway junction without indicating amd then queue to park right near the front entrance of the supermarket.
Enjoyed that, thank you. I don't follow GCM but see their stuff pop up every now and then, always have a lot of respect for Owen. Would love to have the opportunity to chat with him one day, although not at the side of the road!
Im a lorry driver and the footage of trucks going into the back of cars stopped on motorways is fucking scary. Makes me leave my phone alone when im driving an HGV.
Should leave your phone alone regardless of what you're driving
Aren’t you lorry drivers normally watching a tv or almost asleep at the wheel. You lot are an absolute menace.
@@EAD_0Hgv driver here, do you drive trucks?
Yeah mate, the fact that you needed that to know that and still only do in a HGV means you failed the intelligence test
my first experience of driving on a derestricted autobahn was a scary experience. i was in a fast car but when traffic is moving in excess of 100 mph it is very different to 70mph. after 2 weeks of driving on autobahns it became very easy to cope with the higher speeds. as owen said german drivers are better drivers than most other drivers in the world. my return to UK and motorways was an eye opener on how disciplined german drivers are behind the wheel.
Fantastic episode. Owen's work is brilliant and should be applauded. Far too easy to berate the work that the police have to do. Thank you for the great job you do!
To me, 4 years per person (12 years total) prison sentence for that lorry driver seems so insignificant compared to the trauma caused to the families involved.
I’m totally with Owen, it’s not an accident if you take your phone out and start using it while driving. You know it’s illegal, you know what can happen if you do it. So if the worst does happen, while it wasn’t intentional it still isn’t an accident because to quote hot fuzz “accident implies that no one is to blame”
12 years is a bit of an insult to those that lost loved ones imo
To be fair, sentences must reflect the totality of the circumstances. As pointed out, he's a normal person who made a really stupid decision and deserves to be punished but when you think of it like this, the difference between a 6 points and a nominal fine, and more than a decade, is what happened to be in front of him. He isn't any more culpable because people died, yes he did more harm, but the fact than 1 second is the difference between a summary offence without prison and 12 years inside is incredible.
The trauma isn't made better by increasing sentence. The sentence is now, finally, akin to that for manslaughter. It isn't a deliberate act, and juries would be reluctant to convict if sentences were too harsh, because they can imagine themselves, by the end of the trial, in the place of the defendant.
I hear this, 12 years regardless of how and why, it will never bring those 3 innocent people back!
This is a great episode. I am a traffic management consultant and design temporary road layouts for works and events. Road safety through design is a huge part of what I do. When it comes to road safety there is too much emphasis on speeding. The fact of the matter is its a CAUSAL factor in something like 7% of accidents. We need to tackle root causes. Yes its a contributory factor in more KSI's but we need to reduce inattentive driving and improve driving standards. 70% of drivers middle lane hog, and they're oblivious. Oblivious to whats around them and oblivious to the rules of the road. Most speeders know they are speeding. Knowing what you're doing is a big difference. We need to up the standards of driver training. The test is so basic and suitable for novice drivers. But we need retests every 10 years. We need very stringent theory tests too repeated at the same time and we need to promote advance driver techniques to anyone whos driven more than 10,000 miles. It drives me crazy that people don't know which lane they should be in, they don't know most of the traffic signs, that they don't know that right of way is given not taken. Speed awareness courses are a joke. They use disingenuous stats to distort the reality and fund there own existence. A major reason people speed is because the design speed of the road allows it. Take 20mph zones for example - broadly speaking they are self enforcing. Chicanes, humps, parked cars etc force drivers to slow. However, slapping 20mph plates on a road that was 40 and not doing anything to slow the drivers and expecting them to obey is lazy engineering. If people can driver safely at higher speed they will. So design it out and improve the training. Not cash fines.
Good points. The focus on speed is just a very lazy approach and more lives could be saved if the efforts were focused elsewhere.
Spoke to Owen briefly at a car show a few years ago. Lovely guy, great episode.
"Shouldn't be using brakes on the motorway." Yes,yes n yes. The vast majority of people using motorways n dual carriageways have no clue about how to drive correctly and safely on them.
Mother, Magistrate and Mortuary! My earliest experience of a very wise motorcycle traffic cop! 3Ms - think of them before you make a rash decision on the road.
One thing I learned as a heavy MHE driver, is there are 3 kinds of definitions for accidents. 1. Near-miss. 2. Incident. 3. Accident.
Each one has a gauge of severity due to one or multiple parties recklessly disowning a responsibility for Health & safety and the well-being of others. A near-miss is one or multiple parties being inattentive to almost come together with the potential of becoming an incident or accident. An incident is defined as someone operating recklessly and inattentively to cause a crash or damage to an object that is not a life and 3. an accident is the recklessness, inattentiveness and disregarding of rules which cause harm to self and/or others.
The punishments range from: near miss, slap on the wrist, caution. Incident, suspension from the machinery and retraining. Accident, possible dismissal and prosecution.
This is just in a basic industrial setting.....The fact is, the safest workplaces are those who do not flirt with the rules and disregard the safety of others. If you are trained, and then assessed and passed to operate MHE, you are immediately in control of a large machine that has the potential to kill someone. That and that alone, should ensure the operator knows the risk of disregarding his/her responsibility. Now, The definition of killing someone by intentionally disregarding the rules is manslaughter. I have been in the building while two people were killed by MHE, one due to their own recklessness and one by the MHE operator.
The reason why I am saying all this in this context, is the fastest these trucks go is about 10mph at the best of times. The smallest truck can weigh the same as a modern car, yet even at those speeds they have the potential to kill. The key point here, is control. Either having control with vigilance and operating within the rules, or being completely oblivious and neglecting operating within the rules.
A car is only under the control of the driver by how well the car can grip, condition of the road, awareness of the driver. But what a driver is not in control of, is what other people do, the environmental conditions at that second and every second forthwith, the functionality of the car, how fast the brain is reacting.
All it takes is one thing that is not in your control, to remove any control you had. The faster you drive, the faster those uncontrollable elements strike, and thus a smaller window in which to react. Once your control is gone, you are immediately at the mercy of everything you are not in control of. And that also applies to the outside world impacted by you.
This is cause and affect, the law which says you create every cause, and the affect is the outcome. If you create a safe environment, 99% you stay in a safe environment. Everything works for each other.
If you create an unsafe environment, everything else around is in jeopardy including yourself. The moment you decide to create that unsafe environment, everyone else is unaware what you are able to do. Therefore, the control they create to be in a safe environment gets violated by what they are not in control of, namely, YOU leaving safety and creating unsafety.
This is the formation of a selfish, reckless, irresponsible and indifferent mindset that rejects all regard for the well-being of every other thing around you. You become a trojan horse, a danger, a risk, and every time the controls leave the risk taker, the ones at risk suffer the consequences, a deadly ripple, like an earthquake in the middle of the ocean becomes a tsunami for everyone in proximity.
The way I shove naysayers back in their box is, I ask would you be ok with airline pilots behaving like you? They can fly a machine at 500mph, but literally every man and woman who walks aboard immediately expect them to stick within the strict universal safety rules like you are expected to adopt when you pass your test and drive a car. How would you feel if a pilot suddenly flirted with the rules like you want to and started speeding in limited zones while there was a stack full of other planes? It's no different to you speeding in a limited zone with other cars around you. If you expect plane drivers to adhere to 100% of the rules, then why do you think you belong outside of that same expectation when driving a car?
Very insightful and fair play for the good work you do. The media can be very toxic, but it’s down to us to look beyond that! The media will have conscious bias, which we all know about and should be called out more often too.
Ben needs to look at the old top gear (maybe 5th gear) test of what happens to a car in a crash at various speeds..
It is old and the cars are less sound in an accident.. but the difference between 60, 80 and 100 are utterly devastating.
Also, smart cars are (or at least were) suprisingly sturdy in an accident.
But the occupants of a smart car would die from internal injuries, the human body is not designed to survive suddenly stopping from high speed although some people have which is unexplained as far as I’m aware 🏴👍🏻
@@ewanstewart8011 Indeed. In the test the Smart car almost bounced off which is not a good thing in an accident. Lots of metal deforming in designed crumple zones is taking up energy which would otherwise get sent into the occupants.
@@ewanstewart8011 Modern belts have devices which lock the person to the seat in the first milliseconds of an accident, then the mount essentially rips in a controlled way to reduce energy transfer. One of the problems which no standard safety device can prevent is basal skull fractures, where the are of the skull around the spine is damaged and results in instantly fatal brainstem damage. After the advent of roll cages, harnesses, energy absorbing structures and other measures in motorsport it became one of the most common causes of death. The body can survive 50-100Gs but the brain can't, even without that sort of injury the sloshing can be dangerous.
I doubt we will ever see HANS device in road cars (they also can cause accidents with the visibility reduction from restricted head movement).
UK driver training 'lessons' teach nothing but how to pass the test.
My instructor in the early 80's would not let me on public roads until I had learned to control the car on an unused industrial estate.
He took me out in appalling weather including snow/ice.
When I passed my test he taught me how to drive on motorways.
When he left for the last time he said 'now you can learn to drive'.
my driving instructor was the same. when it snowed or was icy went out for lessons. also had lessons in the dark. motorway driving was taught on a local dual carriageway as nearest motorway was 30+ miles away.
Jeremy Clarkson - 'Speed has never killed anyone. Suddenly becoming stationary, that's what gets you.'
High quality tyres have more benefit to handling, stopping and safety than any other part of the car. Pay the extra few quid per tyre, it is so worth it.
I agree just don't by perreli tyres I had 2 out of my 4 brand new tyres bulge within 2 weeks and the other two deflate within that period had two fronts changed for different brand no issues and rear ones re sealed rims checked and still had issue went back to manufacture about it and they said it wasn't there issue and I'm down 1200 pound do research and by the best and now u can do payment plans so you have no excuse not to buy good brand tyre instead of budget crap.
Why people buy any other brand than Michelin is beyond me. They are by far the best tyres you can get for cars of every type.
@@JelloTypeRnot for track they aren’t, but for road tyres I tend to agree. PS4S/PS5/Cup2/R and they do some great all seasons
Or just slow down.
@@leariggthat's all very well. But road tyres do not have performance engineered for driving fast. They're engineered for performance for when you really need it.
Like if you need to emergency brake or swerve, or if the conditions are unexpected.
You could be doing 20mph, but a good set of tyres are still going to stop you quicker than a budget set. And that could be the difference between hitting something or not, regardless of how instant you think your reaction was.
One question I have for Owen: I feel like the 20mph zones being rolled out everywhere has made everyone including myself more impatient and less tolerable with speed limits, especially the speed limits on the motorway just for congestion relief, or claimed pollution reduction. Have you seen an increase in people breaking the speed limit since these zones have started rolling out? In my opinion, the more restricted we are becoming, the less people will feel like following the law. I'm not asking for an increase in speed on the motorway or local areas, I just feel like the restrictions are going a bit too far.
I had a tyre blow out on my saxo vts as I was taking a sweeping right hand corner at 60mph. I managed to pull the car back onto the right side of the road out of the way of on coming traffic but I ended up in a field.
It’s crazy how quickly things can go from having an enjoyable drive to carnage. Ever since then I keep a real close eye on my tyres tread depth and pressure. As Owen says it’s the only thing between you and the road
you learnt that tyres are absolutely critical. poorly looked after tyres means that braking and steering can become unresponsive
@ I don’t even think they were poorly looked after tbh as it was only a 3 year old car at the time and hadn’t long passed its first mot and the tyres were all fairly new. I think something must have happened to that tyre without me knowing. But after then I always do a quick walk around before heading out for a “spirited” drive.
Fantastic vid Ben. At 17 I had to do my Advanced Driving Course as there was no way of getting insured on my mum's car and get to college! The best thing my parents ever told me to do. I went on to race and do all sorts of crazy stuff on wheels, always on a track or private fields... It's hard to teach respect of road use but if the courses are done in school, all the better for it 👍 (remember cycling proficiency?)
Love Owen and George, bringing great informative information to us modifiers. Would actually love to be pulled over by Owen. 🤣 😉
As a above average driver …. The standard of driving in the last few years is absolutely crazy , I drive 500/800 miles a day and some of the stuff I have seen is crazy , nobody pays attention to what’s around them I think now to pass you’re test it should be a 2 week intensive corse
As a coach driver msyelf, who is labelled as a professional driver, I 100% agree. There are far too many people on the roads that have absolutely no clue about what they are doing behind the wheel. Most people don't even pay attention to what's more than 5ft in front of their bonnet, even some HGV drivers. I had one particularly nasty near miss on a tight road in the Lake District and it shocked me just how careless the driver of that Scania rigid was in how quick he came round that corner.
Curious to know what makes you an above average driver? Not saying you’re not, just wondering 🙃
They should do it like Germany by right my mum done her driving test and license she would not let me drive by myself until she thought me what was thought to her and we done driving in every condition on every type of road and day night also hours and hours of it and how to correctly use a round about and turn signals stopping distances hasards on the road awareness speed everything and she is shocked on how people drive or can't drive in UK and Ireland. It's driving in every condition every surface every situation and day and night and the main cause of accidents in Germany are not Germans not saying that don't but 80 to 90 percent is other nations that come into it and drive true it who don't know how to deal with the volume or the speeds. Wagon drivers or HGV are the biggest cause on autobahn.
@@alfiehawes2412 Over 80% of drivers think they are above average.
@@Budha75 this is exactly my reason for asking lol
Great insight into what can actually happen on the roads in comparison to the perceptions of those who don't have to deal with realities of it.
Having been a young driver in the 90's myself and smashing up 4 hot hatches in this era, I look back now and thinks it's vital we have guys like Owen trying to make a difference to our young drivers.
One of your best chats yet Ben and fair play for staying humble at the points where you were being schooled in your 'debate'🙂.
You are like old school police. I learned a lot when younger from these lectures. More should do this. There is no comparison with a speeding course. The moment has passed.
Thanks Owen.
Your focus should be as far as you can see, slow as you overtake others on the motorway, they are unpredictable (I would love a chat with Owen)
Once passed, then speed back up. People that complain of speeding tickets in town are laughable. Only doing 38?? No, your speed was telling you at the time that you were doing 41. Unless a calibrated speedometer. I am guilty of speeding, on clear roads and within my braking distance. My reaction is faster than most also my attention.
I have driven at 180mph. (Not in this country)
1 second is a slow reaction time. Maybe ADHD helps my attention as I always hyper focus when driving. Ahead and behind. I have never had a serious accident in 50 years and happy to take any test. Always stay close to limit in built up areas. I’ve had blowouts pre run flats on rear and front of both cars and motorcycles. You don’t want a front on a bike but I stayed within my lane.
I was once stopped on motorway in traffic, I always leave an exit. A truck approaching from the rear I could see wasn’t going to stop in time. Check mirror for approaching inside traffic, accelerate and get out of the way. It hit the car in front. Luckily not too fast by then. All were ok. All this in a split second. All by being alert
Doesn’t bother trying to have a conversation with me when driving as only 10% would be on the conversation if that.
I was refused the police as a career as I have Crohn’s that was in the 80s.
I have friends that are ex police. One went for a drive with me to observe after a chat.
He had no issues with my observation and reading traffic etc or my driving in general.
I can’t believe some of these sad cam videos where people seem to be totally intolerant to other’s mistakes to the point of driving into them??
I also think everyone should take a motorcycle test also. Being more vulnerable makes you think.
As you have guessed, I am watching as typing lol. Tyre tread should be increased in my opinion. It’s too low in winter especially in the UK.
I would be interested to hear your views on these idiots on a mission to lane hog and try to personally police the roads? Blocking lane 3-4 at 65 and refusing to pull over. This causing others to undertake with caution. Sometimes, these idiots then accelerate as a car does this to the point of breaking the speed limit and then slowing down???? That has to be an offence on their part?
Keep up the good work.
Education is what is important . Especially to the kids. You remember these lectures all your life.
I have witnessed 2 deaths of friends on bikes in front of me sadly.
agree with tyre tread limit being too low. i was told by an independent tyre retailer that tyres are designed at around 2-3mm of tread left to give driver feeling/warning that tyres are not quite up to full potential. not that the tyre at 2-3mm is going to fail immediately but start thinking about replacing tyres. sadly looking at MOT failures bald tyres is far too common think it is something like 1 in 4 cars. am a bit ocd on tyres as they are your connection to road surface for braking and accelerating and steering. try driving on black ice with summer tyres and you will learn very fast about lack of grip. best brakes in the world and abs are useless unless tyres can grip.
Great conversation. Excessive speeding has huge consequences but 5 over makes no difference to the outcome of an incident. This has been proven in studies worldwide, driving standards are the biggest problem.
I suffer from CPTSD and it keeps me alert and safe, i think about the worst case scenario and it keeps me vigilant when driving
Here's the thing about speed.
It's not an issue when everything is happening as planned.
It compounds the issue exponentially when things go unexpectedly.
Time to react is far lower. The reaction options are reduced, what I mean by that is, coming to a full stop may not be an option, sometimes the only option is having a collision and your only trying to reduce the damage.
So when we start talking about skill, your improved skills will help make the best choices and execute the needed actions properly, but they won't necessarily prevent a collision in every situation.
The best skilled drivers aren't pushing the limits. They're driving with traffic and looking for trouble. The real skill is arriving without incident. That's the real goal, not arriving a few minutes faster.
exactly
Great episode guys. Top respect to Owen and all his colleagues. I wouldn't want their job, but it's a job that needs doing.
I know there are some very useful tech aids out there, but. Ref distractions whilst driving, the trend for touch screens, and the sub menu's that are often built-in concerns me. It seems that a dangerous activity can be compounded by tech.
Some really intelligent questions and really intelligent answers. Please keep doing what you're doing, Owen. You're a real credit to your profession.
Smashing interview gentlemen, thank you both.
You've come across really poorly in this interview. Owen looked fed up before you started.
in what way?
this was one of your best videos
Some good insight into the uncovered world of motoring and road safety. I feel it wasn't explored enough. There's unlicenced/uninsured, there's a general reduction of self-responsibility or care from people who have the behaviours that someone else will deal with a problem "not my problem" until it is. Remember, you only need to get unlucky once.
Fantastic interview, hats off to Sargent Owen. Regardless of anybody’s opinion he cares about life. Keep doing what you do Sir 🫡
Too many selfish people driving over powerful cars that are too big for UK roads that only care about what is in their little world. Most are so insulated from the outside conditions that they are shocked when it all goes wrong. Perhaps if they felt as vulnerable as a motorcyclist they might pay a little more attention. A motorcyclist my son works with was hit from behind while waiting at a red light, result a broken leg and a few months off work, the other driver gets a bit of hassle filling out a few insurance forms. Take a ride on the back of a bike or in a classic Mini and you will see the cause of poor driving on UK roads. If you want to race book a track day! You'll soon be humbled when you see how poor you really are at car control!
I've been waiting for a good chat with Owen. Looking forward to this one
Hope you enjoyed it!
So openingly admits which is what I have said for years ....Speed doesn't kill it is bad driving that does !
Exactly. It's inappropriate use of speed that creates danger, not speed itself.
As a modified car owner who has mad my fair run ins in my younger years with the Police. I cannot fault this guy and think he is an excellent example of police and when asked if he would ever leave to make more money monetising content said no. Fair fair play. Morals are in a solid place
I ride a bicycle, a vespa, a powerful motorbike and a reasonably powerful car - I also enjoy the thrill of travelling over 20mph on the road (I live in London). I take road safety very seriously and at 50 yrs of age I'm still working on improving my riding/driving abilities. I do think I have above average driving/riding skills but looking at the majority of motorists around me on a daily basis that is not a high bar - if we could get people to actually use their indicators properly, especially in town, that would be a big step forward. Getting to the point; I have to take issue with something the traffic cop said and I think this is where the authorities loose a lot of respect from motorists who are more capable drivers, he said that at 70mph (motorway speed) you're travelling 105ft per second but at 90mph you are travelling 145ft per second. This instinctively felt wrong, so with a quick calc. 145ft/sec. is actually 97mph... Add to this he said you travel a tennis court more per second - no you don't, you travel 28ft more - that is about 1/3rd of a tennis court. If you are going to be convincing when preaching this sort of thing you really need to get your facts straight and right there you lost me. The real reason we have so many road restrictions/cameras etc. in this country (and to quote the traffic cop, the only direction speed limits are likely to go is down), is because the authorities have given up on the idea of improving motorists abilities/judgement on the road, they just want to scare everyone into being a sheep and sticking to the limit or for those they can't control, they want to make as much money off them as possible. I'm almost looking forward to the day the self driving car takes over....
Owen old school professional police officer. Balanced opinion and years of experience to pass on to others.
Some serious body language changes through this conversation. Also, any law enforced by fine only is a law only for poor people.
Points on your license are no small deal and insuring a more expensive car is disproportionately higher when you get those points. That said, I agree: there should be means tested fines.
@@hc-nj3ve I was taking about the front plate fines.
I have a question.
Why is it OK for a motorcycle to only require a rear plate and for a car to require front and rear?
OK I know the answer is safety for the motorcyclist.
But like you say you can spin the camera round and or speed cameras and ANPR cameras can be positioned in either direction.
So why not adjust the cameras.
You just answered your own question, and yes I own and ride a motorbike, but as a suggestion, where would you place a front number plate on a motorbike……, cos once upon a time motorbikes had front number plates, but they weren’t just in a dangerous position, a camera wouldn’t pick it up anywhere
It's actually safety for pedestrians, not the motorcyclist. Look at how the black and white plates used to be mounted on the front mudguards on motorcycles, you'll see why its an issue. It's basically a blunt knife traveling at a high rate of speed with 200kg+ of weight behind it.
Where would you mount a full size number plate on the front of a motorcycle?
Great episode! Just to add to the drink driving part I think we shouldn't be giving people a limit because people will always think they are OK to drive take it away make it so even if a beer touches your lips you cannot drive for 12 hours.
26:57 The current driver training and test is Pathetic (in my opinion).
No where in any of it is lessons on how to respond to emergency vehicles.
You have to (as a blue light driver) treat other road users as "Idiots".
My hgv blue light course was 6 weeks , due to size and weight , My Ambulance course was 5 weeks again due to size , weight , speed and patient carrying.
Personally I don't think penalties for speeding, phones, drink and drug driving are high enough.
People who kill others because of their stupidity (again in my opinion) should not be felt sorry for.
I back Owen 100%
I have been to too many fatalities severe injury , accidents since 1986.
AGAIN ALL MY OPINION
Being an ex hgv driver for over 30 years car driving in my opinion is worse than when I started
Totally agree with Owen saying policing isnt at all time low .... i think more of it is captured on phones & cameras everywhere we never had or have seen before ... only the bad stuff gets shown. The police are policing well with the tools they are giving, they needs funds and support. I hate people stood videoing a police scuffle/ accident, goading the police rather than helping by stay clear so they can do their job! always be bad apples in everything, yes when you get power it can go to your head, but most are trying to keep us safe like this guy. Well done Owen for making policing human.
Looking forward too this, your smashing it💯
It's interesting how the Police are now always recruiting, when I was younger many years ago and I wanted to join there was hardly ever a recruiting campaign. Then again, it was a very attractive career back then with good pay (relatively), good benefits and a good pension.
I had to laugh at the "one law for one and one law for another". If only the police would enforce all the stuff going on that cannot be detected by an ANPR camera. My observation over the last 20 years is the reliance on cameras has resulted in people paying no attention. If the police patrolled visibly and pulled people for lane hogging, tailgating, keeping their rear fog lights on with no fog at night, flashing and gesticulating at other drivers, generally being respectful and aware, maybe we could get our roads back in order rather than making travelling more and more onerous and tedious.
P.S. Not forgetting the number of police cars exceeding speed limits when not using their lights and sirens.
and the lower speed limit on motorways like Cardiff and portabort don't reduce emissions its increased it as now the M4 two times a day in these areas turns into a car park with usually a 3+ mile tail back and i know that as a fact as iv been stuck in it more times than i can count and its cused huge amounts of accident as ppl are driving at 70mph into a line of stopped cars
my old car due to health i had to drop a gear sometime two so my knee at better angle , 50 limit was always the worst and most painful limit let alone almost dozing off so lower limits i use more fuel more pollution. the cops should be dealing with the climate fraudsters
Love this episode well done I watch all the videos they do on cars and legal and checks. On a topic u brought up on the end in Canada BC has to do it. people with alcohol consumption in that bar we are responsible for and that they get home safe from the establishment so we have to make sure they get a taxi home and do not drive if they don't and they do drive and we let them knowing they had the keys and alcohol will end up in trouble.
You know what i tend to barely watch any podcasts and i know most people dont but i believe every person on this planet should watch this because people are so stuck in their bubble they dont realize the things that happen around them or the actual implications to the risks they take. its also every person who is extremely stuck in their bubble are also very adverse to learning cause they are the best .... right?
i am a car enjoyer myself and i took riving quite seriously since the start even though i do enjoy spirited driving.
i just wish people would understand that cars as amazing and easy to operate as they are is technically part of the heavy machinery category even your run of the mill kia picanto it is still heavy machinery and as history as proved we should take operating heavy machinery quite seriously.
great podcast Ben and also Thank you Owen you genuinely are an amazing person and thank you for everything you do.
I believe if more people listened into this conversation and im talking people who dont even care about cars that much, would change the general perception on this topic.
but unfortunately a person has to care at least a little.
yes cars are a lot heavier now than a decade plus ago. small car is probably close to ton and quarter. larger cars 2 ton plus. until you realise you are in control of 1-2 tonnes of vehicle i don't think you will ever be a considerate driver. nanny aids don't help either. i learnt to drive before abs and traction control were invented. was taught cadence braking and how to pull away on slippery roads with no to little wheelspin and how to control a slide with poor traction available. still cadence brake now in difficult driving conditions even though abs would do a far better job than my right foot.
Re the braking on the motorway, i use adaptive cruise control, if the car in front brakes, I do too without touching the pedals (which also puts brake lights on sometimes). Varaible speeds wouldn't work because revenue collectors wouldnt work. In the past a long time ago now, I was caught by a speed camera on a smart motorway, when i got the awareness course option, i felt no emotion from the letter, however, when i first started driving i was pulled over by a police car and warned in person and it impacted me a lot. I had fear, it told me don't do that again. I was careful from that point. Cameras dont do anything emotionally because you don't realise you've done it until you get a ticket.
You need a serious reality check Ben. I have seen fatal crashes my self and have struggled to sleep for weeks after. I really think you should go with Owen on a shift and see a high speed accident first hand. I am a massively into cars and motorcycles. But I almost never speed. And on the very few times I do go over the speed limit it is never by more than 15 and it is always done on a lonely road with zero other road users. It is embarrassing to see so many other car interested people who drive twice the speed limit in built up areas because they think they are good drivers.
23:34 70 vs 100 - one thing to consider is that is doubling the kinetic energy - which means double the energy to dissipate or deal with if something does go wrong - double the damage if you were to hit something.
School physics: kinetic energy=1/2mv^2. m is the mass of the vehicle and contents. V is the velocity. 7^2 = 49, 10^2 = 100, so comparing 7 vs 10 'speed units' more than doubles the energy.
I know, for myself, it was an episode of, I think, traffic cops.. before this, I never bothered with laws about using my phone. If it went, I answered... then I watched that episode.. it was a young blond woman (early 20's) on her way to her job on the motorway, an HGV driver was messing with the trucks phone and hit and crushed 3 cars, you couldn't tell there wee 3 cars, they all thought it was 2... she was killed on impact, no chance at all.. they then showed an interview with her sister, the pain in that woman's face broke me, because i was often just as stupid as the guy driving the truck.. and it showed everything he did wrong, that changed my driving for the better.... im not perfect, but i try to be as safe as i can.. because I don't want to be responsible for causing that level of pain, to anyone... certainly not for something as stupid as a bloody phone...
Prime example of a guy seeing something very rare on a regular basis then thinking the workd revolves around it. He needs some perspective and a holiday for sure
Great episode, very interesting
18:00 - I think the thing that needs to be remembered here is how deadly vehicles can be, we have strict rules in many countries about gun use, prescription drug use etc. But driving a vehicle which is usually one of the biggest killers in most countries is treated as a "right" and people very much take the dangers of it for granted.
Regarding speed limits, go to a track day, typically the business owners with the Porsche 911 or whatever are slower around a track than the young guy in the hot hatch. Money and job title have nothing to do with driving skill. In reality if you have money AND driving skill you wouldn't be driving down the M4 late at night as you'd be in a fancy hotel room resting for a race the following day.
Owen hit the nail on the head with the driving standards in the UK and how everyone is constantly on the brakes on the motorway, it's ridiculously annoying and I've seen it cause phantom traffic jams. Whereas in Europe, the standard of driving is so much better, the smart sections of motorway are controlled much better and there is no such thing as a middle lane hogger.
Conditions of road are getting bad and avoiding pot holes causes accidents, and smart motorways are not safe..
Bring in a mandatory motorway test during the driving test for new drivers, and anyone not obeying the rules who has already passed must take the test
Just for younger viewers, there were computers back in the 90s and even the 80s. The racing games might not have been as realistic but they did exist.
disappointed in the fact you can feel sorry for someone who has committed murder by breaking the law and not focusing on the road.
The ease with which you can pass a driver test in America is disturbing.
Cars today are being driven by pilots, too many distractions within cars, gimmicks, to play with too many "modes" that interfere with the way people drive. Driving a vehicle used to be a skill, this element is slowly being eradicated by motor manufacturers with an additional impact the move towards autonomous driving. I am a car enthusiast and I have been working motorways in the UK for 19 years - picking up the pieces and fallout from collisions from a non policing point of view. The standard of driving I witness every day where I work, appears to be deteriorating not improving. I would also like to add, when I talk to drivers the lack of patience is evident, "why am I being held up", "why am I being turned around", " I want to pass" and "let us past the scene" are all comments we receive regularly, best wishes with the policing education aspect but I believe that the problem is formed by a fundamental lack of patience within society today not just the social media keyboard warriors seeking likes.
Owen - I actually do that 2 second rule all the time. Im not one of those HGV driver that can sit one meter from the back of another truck for 50miles no idea whats going on infront. I slow down slightly when someone is doing it to me and make them pass me.
I’m also a HGV driver. Example of today, I’m coming back to Yorkshire from Liverpool today with 24.5 tonnes (nett weight) of granite setts in the trailer, following another truck up to j12 on the m62. There’s a good gap between me an them and a Tesla gets in between us. What fxxking infuriate’s me is I leave that gap for me not them. If needed the truck in front will stop, the Tesla will stop, I’m fully loaded 44 ton gross. I aren’t stopping in time as I don’t have the gap anymore but it will be my fault, guilty until proven innocent but that’s hard to do when we’ve killed someone. Really rags me.
@@chrisfisher3145 This annoys me regardless of what vehicle I'm in. People look at a gap and think it's a lovely space for their vehicle, when..it really isn't.
@@chrisfisher3145 i would hope that a dash cam would be able to help your argument if anything was to happen. you could prove you left a reasonable stopping gap until the telsa took advantage of it.
there was a stretch of M5 motorway near weston super mare where they painted white squares. this to get drivers to adhere to the 2 sec rule. after you past the squares most drivers kept close to the 2 sec rule
27:04 actually it is enforceable. In Germany we both, limits that apply to weather conditions and limits that apply to a certain time and that works well. People need the discipline but it does work and there are indeed mobile cameras and civil police cars enforcing these limits.
Its important to raise awareness and remind people of their responsibility. It would also help to have mandatory driver trainings on closed circuits to learn handling manouvers on wet tarmac, to hold a sliding car on the lane.
Germany has no speedlimits on most highways but has the lowest accidents per mile driven. Proper training is what people need. Then they are not bored and will not play with the phone.
43:20 People don't like the police because of the way they treat the people they swore to protect. They do as they please with impunity as they protect one another. No police officer would EVER agree with this statement, especially as they could be seen as "bringing the police force into disrepute". I know from personal experience that police often abuse their perceived powers and our rights. I also have a close family member that served for many years and has confessed tales from within. All you've got to do is watch some of these audit videos to see how police behave
Not all of them treat people like that. You are proof of what Owen has said about the media feeding you
Is there a driving course you can go on comparable to the police blue light advanced driving? I would be interested.
I also understand that you would be hit harder if you were driving dangerously, as you should know better.
Regarding driver training. Why not simply limit the power and size of the car until an advanced course has been completed? This is how motorcycle licencing works. This would be simple as insurers would not insure you without the DVLA record of the advanced course, so the policing does not really change.
24:38 Yes! Fantastic point and accurately put.
What I find appalling is that there are no mandatory refresher courses. No one picks up the Highway Code having passed the test. The standard of driving is dire. Everyone relies on the technology of the vehicle to make them a better driver. Absolute rubbish. Anyone using a handheld mobile phone whilst driving should get an instant one year ban.
To add to the discussion on speed, there's no need to add more laws to have variable limits. 1000s of people speed and drive in a spirited manner on public every day. if you are experienced enough driver you know when and where you can do it. if you're doing it somewhere you're likely to be caught by the police the odds are its not the time or place for it otherwise they wouldn't be there.
It's a real shame Owen can't earn money from Social Media. He delivers the messages so well, and hopefully between him and George at least one life has been saved due to education. Sometimes the telling off hits home and is just what someone needs. Keep up the great work Owen.
This surely made me think twice about speeding 💯
Yup to many people are far to selfish stuck in there own priorities and giving no consideration or care to anyone else bar themselves on the road. Then when shit hits the fan because they caused an accident they’re so surprised. Law and penalty needs to be greater.
Standard of driving in the UK is absolutely disgusting. It's pathetic
My son is starting driver training here in Germany and it really is another level. You have the night drives and autobahn lessons (mentioned by Owen) but before you go anywhere near a car you have to do a first aid course, then do 14 theory lessons, and pass a theory test with up to a 1000 questions. I also can't teach him myself (as was possible in the uk). When I arrived in Germany I thought that aspect was a bit officious, but knowing how switched on you have to be on the autobahn I'm now fine with that stipulation.
quick note on Autobahns: Most of the network is restricted / If you are involved in a collision in an unrestricted section then your insurance may not payout if speed is a factor. This could open you up to huge lawsuits if people are injured / it's rare that you ever get enough space to really get up to speed (during the day) without considerable risk. You may be happily cruising at high speed, but then someone pulls into the far left lane at 120kmh to overtake someone doing 100 in the central lane (who is in turn overtaking a truck doing 80). / Most German instructed drivers have been taught to a high level (see above) but the German autobahns are full of foreign drivers (with very different levels of ability) criss-crossing the country to get to France, Netherlands, Poland, Czech Republic etc. / Making the whole network restricted is discussed every few years in parliament.
Being German myself and getting thought German driving from my mum along with the Irish driving were I done mine it opened up and made me better driver we done it all rain day night fog sun hail cold warm motorway. Long distance town every possible drive you could do we did hours and hours of it before she was happy to let me drive myself around and I am truly grateful for that. And I agree it's not Germans as such that cause the accidents it's the other nations and lorry drivers
Restrictions for “safety” are never the right choice. Humans need freedom to choose, or we’re just mortgage slaves. A speed limit on the motorway in all sections is ridiculous and not necessary, you may like to be treated like a child, but I don’t. It’s discussed by the left who as we know love to erode freedom and choice.
The reason to add a "please subscribe" message clip at 12:54 dumbfounded me. Have some respect for the humanity of what was just said. That every time a police officer has to notify a family member of a fatailty hits the same. Sometimes retention and playing the RUclips game isn't everything
Very good video, thank you Owen.
Modern cars are a big problem!
Pre 2000 let’s say. Most of us learned to drive with no ABS, no power-steering. And certainly no traction control. Car tech’ was old and so was tyre tech’. Everyone had to “drive” their car.
Also. Pre 2000, car distraction lesser. Cars didn’t have gadgets or nav’ or screens. And there were no electric bikes/scooters on the road.
I genuinely see a change in driving habits of current day. And I’m convinced much of it is due to the advent of tech’ inside of a modern vehicle.
my first car had no servo assisted brakes. got a strong right leg after driving it for several years
Great podcast I guess I enjoy this coppers videos. couple of moments where I felt you were a bit cringey but you got through it.
Only a fool breaks the 2 second rule.... I knew this when I was a kid, and it's stuck with me all my years driving. My dad was a HGV driver. So many complete fools on our roads! The space you leave infront isn't only for breaking it's for thinking also. If someone is driving up your backside then the only sensible thing to do is increase your space infront (annoying them more) but it gives you options and you are less likely going to have to brake hard, meaning you can bring those behind to a stop more slowly, stopping them hitting you (as long as they are paying attention anyway)
Increase the level of being able to pass your driving license. The level of driving standard combined with pure traffic density is the cause of accidents.
I agree with if there was reason with speed adjustment people would follow the rules closer. But I also agree that not enough people look far enough ahead. I was much better when I got my cat c license
I think theyve been doing a good thing. There are all kinds of things that could be done by the government from a law standpoint, many would be quite invasive…. But arguably required.
But the number 1 thing is education. The more people can truly understand that dangers of driving, the impacts of accidents, drink/drugs, unsafe mods or vehicles the absolute better. It really would save countless lives on the road if everyone had a deeper education on road safety and awareness of what can go wrong and why.
Also i must say, if the roads were taken much better care of that would help avoid alot of accidents too. Lets spread the blame where its due and all.
@@Paul-D roads where i am potholes are linked with some broken tarmac. since a massive 3year+ campaign that is still on going local council has upped the budget for road repairs in our area. the man that started this campaign is an ex traffic officer that did all the gathering of information at collisions. he is very worried that our area will suffer a fatal collision due to very poorly maintained roads. when someone like that is very concerned about standard of road maintenance it worries me.
Brilliant, very eye opening
You talk about "pounding a square peck into a round hole", and it really fits. Fines being higher or jail time going up means nothing...
Exhibit one: Police in Denmark has to confiscate your car if you go more than 100% over the speed limit (including other "crazy driving" behavior). Does not even matter if you are the owner of the car, a rental can be confiscated, your mom's car that you used to go shopping can be taken. (A few restrictions and such, but that is basically the law)
1st of April 2021 - The law is in effect.
31st of March 2023 - 1.902 car have been confiscated.
18th of April 2024 - 2.966 cars.
It does not seem like that number is going down... Very few (And I mean A FEW) will be given back to the owner.
Should get him on to review all the motoring RUclipsr’s videos. Start with Matt Armstrong.
A couple of years back I got hit by a car turning right across my path into a junction. To be fair to the driver they had messed up but for weeks I kept thinking what could I have done differently. Yes the drivers fault but I was still thinking was my position able to be seen. A bus had filmed the incident and the driver did get charged. One Saturday morning the officer took the time to phone us and actually talk to us and how was getting and had being back on the bike on the road and how did I find it with cars . I've had other crashes on the bike in races and every time I've had there is a phase of getting used to thinks and building the confidence back up. I also explained strangely even when driving if any cars come towards and there was a junction on my left I was super nervous despite being in a car . I then asked if I could have done anything different and was told quite frankly no. I did I think see her a couple of weeks back and was thinking of going upto her and saying thank you for taking the time out to help us . I didn't as she was on patrol and drove past while i was in the car. If I'd been walk past I would have waved her down, to say thank you for helping us through something
I always keep my distance on the Motorways, but as Owen says most people (99%) do not but also in regards to someone going fast, they would if they know what they are doing will slow down for slower traffic, understanding that everyone around is not that great at driving!