[url] http://www.confused.com/press/releases/slowly-driving-us-car-azy [/url]
[i] Nearly half of UK drivers attempt unsafe overtaking to pass slow moving vehicles[/i]
So they'll be the unsafe ones then? Not the slow drivers, the ****wits trying to fly past them.
[i]143 accidents a year caused directly by slow drivers*[/i]
Really? Driving slowly actually causes accidents? Prove it. Prove to me that slower drivers (as opposed to accidents that happen at slow speeds), cause these 143 accidents. Or is it actually the idiots trying to get past them that cause the accidents?
[i]UK motorists call for the introduction of a slow speed camera to penalise leisurely drivers
[/i]
Give me a gun please and identify these UK motorists. It's amazing that they can operate a car in the first place since they're so stupid and selfish but hey, it's not like they're real people with feelings.
Define slow.
i can see where they are coming from, but yes it is the overtakers responsibility at the end of the day,
I got stuck behind a car doing 60 in the 50 zones and 50 in the 60 zones, so when i got to a safe place to overtake they speed up to 70 as i was overtaking!
What is needed is traffic police, not cameras. Catch stupid driving be it fast or slow.
Slow as in doing 28 in a 30. No that's me, doing 35 in a 40, somewhat irritating but the arses who speed up to 55 on a nsl road and then slam on at the slightest hint of a corner or crest are the dangers. They're the ones that infuriate most drivers because they just seem inept when it comes to keeping a decent pace on the roads. Oh and I'm a van and car driver fwiw!!
Think!
confused.com is of course tied into insurance companies. So rather than admit that half of their customers are complete bellends who can't drive and then do something about it, they target the safe drivers on the roads who cause no accidents.
Oh no, hang on, 143 accidents a year. Lets say these accidents are actually directly a result of slow drivers. 143 accidents.
wow. Yep, if we remove these 143 accidents from the roads, that'll be no accidents on the roads at all will it? Or will there still be lots of accidents caused by people who drive too fast?
Hang on, google is the key..... Hmm, can't actually find just how many road traffic accidents there are year. I can find how many severeties occur on the road in 2002. 340,000, but obviously that's not accidents, that's actual injuries.
Hang on, why the focus on these 143 accidents then? (Again, assuming they happened directly because the drivers were going slowly). 143 sounds an awful lot less than 340,000 caused (presumably) by people who don't drive too slowly.
How many accidents are caused by speed?? I would still suggest a lot are caused by errors of judgement and concentration, ie turning right at junctions and rear end shunts at roundabouts give ways etc!
Due to a puncture, I had to drive near on 100 miles on a space-saver tyre on the way back from the Wicker Man Festival last Sunday. So that's a long way at 48 mph on 60mph roads.
It was actually a very refreshing experience - occasionally, I'd pull over and let folk past. I understand how frustrating it is to be stuck behind some twit doing 20 round all the corners, then speeding up to 70 on the straights (thus rendering a safe overtake impossible), but 50 is a decent enough speed on a NSL road...
My parents live on the Isle of Skye, and maybe four times a year I drive up there from NE England. Invariably, I'll get stuck behind a hire car doing exactly the above (stupidly slow in the corners, crazy acceleration in a bid to appease the locals on the straights) on narrow roads, and yes, I'll admit it, I'll overtake on blind corners (no headlights ahead and I know the road) and it reduces the overtakees to a skidding, shite-smelling standstill.
Ex white van man here too.
My van is silver 8)
Oh! I got away with typing, "shite"! Perhaps the hyphen made it OK...
*Tries to imagine a silver van, but in my head, it looks like it's been sprayed with tins of Halfords paint*
How about 20mph in a NSL and breaking for corners/if another vehicle comes ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROAD towards them? Yet they won't pull into any parking places or make any attempt to let faster moving traffic past?
I am working, have jobs waiting... and spend so much time being frustrated by such driving in the Lakes. I actually want to get the jobs done and get home at a reasonable time to the family! I don't mind slow drivers taking in the scenery, but they could at least have the decency to allow others to progress surely. The frustration that gets caused by this CAN lead to some slightly suspect overtakes at times.
So yes, slow drivers do cause accidents.
I am also "enjoying" this year: People who get confused when they see a speed camera on a NSL road and slow down to 40 just to be on the safe side. People who cut corners when driving slowly to prevent overtaking where there is a clear view of the road (especially annoying when on the motorbike). People who cut blind corners as they think they are driving fast and nearly collect me (car or bike) - seeing a LOT of this these days... invariably they aren't going as quick as they think, could make the corner correctly and are just sodding INCOMPETENT. Oh... and people who see a short section of dual carriageway come up, and slowly overtake the vehicle in front utilising the full length so that no one else can get past... then sit about 2mph faster than the overtaken vehicle - USE THE ACCELERATOR MUPPET!
Sorry... been having a bad few weeks on the road. Gets worse now the schools are out as well 😉
all of the above
Heh. And I've been told by folk on here that it's antisocial to have a modified car that will despatch with ease even the spriteliest of slow drivers. At least I'm not stuck behind the goons for long enough to get annoyed by them.
*dons flame suit*
I see "slow drivers" no different to someone parking in a dangerous or inappropriate manner. Yes it's the responsibility of the driver to pass a badly parked car, but it is foolish to pretend that a badly parked car can't in anyway be responsible for an accident.
Everyone has the right to expect to be able to drive at the maximum allowed speed limit, and therefore estimate their journey times on that basis, unavoidable traffic jams aside. It is therefore understandably frustrating to be stuck for miles behind someone doing 27mph in a 40mph, for example.
In my experience excessively slow driver are invariably also bad drivers, they are the ones least likely in indicate and most likely to be in the wrong lane. The bottom line is that they drive slowly because they are crap drivers.
My tolerance level only goes up for elderly drivers, they have slower reactions to younger drivers and therefore it makes sense for them to drive slower, plus I accept that often walking or taking public transport is more problematic for them.
But middle-aged middle-class daft females driving Micras, should all be rounded up and shot, IMO.
In The Scottish highlands they are very wise and actually put up road signs saying; frustration causes accidents, allow overtaking
Just back from a weeks holiday in Dumfries & Galloway. It was so.refreshing. Not one speed camera, and everyone averaging 70mph on the A75. Then of course came the weekends and the 45mph driver. You could see people getting frustrated and making silly overtaking moves (which included lorries)
I loved our holiday in that part of Scotland last year. There was one camera van on the main road from Dumfries out west which we saw several times but that was it! I truly loved having a road going rally car up and around that west coast!!!!!!!!
as a rural Scot, as a teenager my dad taught me to let people pass (blip LH indicator, slow, drift left) if they were in a hurry, partly due to consideration, partly as keeping a twaat stuck up your bum doesn't really appear that clever, and partly as you might be in a hurry one day and they might return the favour. In my youth it was pretty common and worked well.
It appears now to be a langauge only spoken in limited parts of Scotland and mainly by lorry drivers, I've tried it in England a few times and you end up stopped on the verge with 3 cars up your erse.. people seem to have forgotten(or never learned) overtaking but are happy to sit 25ft behind you at 50mph.............
great point about accelerating on the straights with a per corner emergency stop.
Driving slow is like driving quick - it can be done safely by appropriately skilled drivers, and given that most people are better than 'average' drivers it's strange that so few people seem able to manage it.
Everyone has the right to expect to be able to drive at the maximum allowed speed limit
Unbelievable.
People who join motorways at 30-40 mph.
Not sure what's worse: being stuck behind them as they amble nervously up the slip road, or trapped in lane one knowing that they consider the flashing indicator to mean "right of way" and will swerve out in front of you.
143 accidents a year caused directly by slow drivers*
Really? Driving slowly actually causes accidents? Prove it. Prove to me that slower drivers (as opposed to accidents that happen at slow speeds), cause these 143 accidents. Or is it actually the idiots trying to get past them that cause the accidents?
Well said. The same applies to high speed too.
My commute by car includes 5 miles of A road, over the past few years the local council has gradually increased the length of the double white line sections and decreased the speed limit to 50mph so that now there is only one 1/4 mile section where overtaking is allowed. It only takes one old biffer doing 35/40mph to create a tailback of 30 or 40 cars. Its even more frustrating if I take the motorbike as places where there used to be loads of room to overtake are now illegal. 😡
Commercial website issues provocative press release = just another internet troll
FI Law currently doing some advance driver training. He's 65 and drives a micra. He drives too fast for his abilities, I've never been in a car with anyone who brakes so violently. However his driving has definately improved since he's been taking the lessons.
What samuri said: this is a load of marketing bollocks. 143 accidents is 0.005% of half of **** all. Slow drivers are annoying, I agree entirely, but they're not a serious problem based on those numbers. We should be concentrating on getting rid of the really dangerous drivers who kill and maim people, and on sentencing convicted murderers in cars properly. Not much money in banging on about that for insurance hawkers, though.
what gets me is where you have a gorgeously winding road which is NSL or 60mph limited, and some muppet is driving round it at 44-45mph and slowing for the corners 🙁
It is like being blocked out on a lovely piece of singletrack.
Happy to say that slow drivers don't annoy me in the slightest 🙂
people that join motorways and dual carriage ways via a slip road at stupidly slow speeds are also candidates for having to take a driving test again to make sure they are competent drivers.
The ones that puzzle me are the people bimbling along at 20-30% below the speed limit who shout abuse and give you all the hand signals when you over take then on the first bit of safe straight road.
You haven't endangered them. You haven't broken the law. You haven't driven dangerously but apparently your mother only met your father once and isn't sure which of the eight blokes he was.
People just need to learn how to overtake.
I regularly drive a tractor with 10 ton of timber off the back an an A-road with good sight lines and pulling over would equate to around a dozen gear shifts. As far as I am aware, anything can overtake a tractor doing 25mph, I know because the GF used to have a 1.0l 3cyl corsa and that could. So all it takes is one or two mincers to make the overtake longer and a que starts to appear.
If I know stuff behind me would struggle to overtake, I'll pull over, but not for a car.
Equally, if I catch you up in the Land Rover with a loaded trailer, you really should be going quicker.
Rant over, let the flaming of 'tractor driver not pulling in' begin
Slow drivers irk me and there should at least be some attempt to keep in line with the speed limit where safe to do so.
HGV drivers will actually fail their test if they go too slow and aren't seen to be making suitable progress - this even includes pulling in behind slower vehicles too soon in advance of a motorway junction - so I was told anyway, so apologies if mis-informed.
Also what a lot of people don't realise is that 60mph on their speedo is generally about 55mph in reality - GPS it and see.
With regards to overtaking, I will always do it, but when safe to do so - fortunately my truck has suitable power to make this easier. in 23 years of driving I've had no accidents and 3 points (for accelerating a little too early leaving a 30mph zone).
Motorways exhibit some of the worst examples - when an HGV is having to pull into lane 2 to overtake some fart in a Micra, this isn't doing anyone any favours and entering the motorway at inappropriate speeds has been mentioned earlier - never encountered a slip road where I can't get up to the speed of the vehicles in lane 1 yet, although I've seen plenty of idiots actually stop at the end of a slip.
Don't even get me started on middle lane drivers........
Why get so frustrated if i get stuck behind a slow driver/tractor upside down caravan what ever i either just slow down and enjoy the scenery with them or maybe pull over and a spot of lunch. Id rather arrive late than upside down on fire.
That's great if you have all the time in the world parkesie - sometimes people actually need to get to a destination on time and the tractor should pull over when it has a reasonable amount of traffic behind it. Invariably they dont.
I'm a caravan tower and take care to consider anyone stuck behind me.
How many accidents are caused by speed?? I would still suggest a lot are caused by errors of judgement and concentration
This; although the error in judgement may be approaching a hazard too fast.
It's inappropriate to drive too fast, and also inappropriate to drive too slowly. Differences in speed causes problems. If you have/want to drive slower than everyone else, then you have to create passing opportunities, otherwise you are making yourself a hazard to others IMO.
I find judging the speed of oncoming cars quite difficult and have to have a good stare before either passing, or moving back in. The worst thing is that you have to learn passing by trial and error, and the penalty for error is high.
What really irks me is when people in cars perfectly capable of travelling at 60+ mph drive on a two lane motorway at 50 mph, forcing wagons to overtake at 56mph rather than keep backing off their speed limiter. When the road is busy it can cause miles of slow moving traffic, just ne aide some got hasn't got the understanding/consideration to drive 6 mph faster. Also wagon drivers overtaking each other for miles and miles because one motor is limited to 55.7mph, and the other to 56.1...
the motorway thing, no one is actually taught how to use a motorway, you pass a test that shows you know how to drive round town and reverse round a corner, and that is about it.
The world wont explode if your late for work, unless your work is bomb disposal or something.
And if youve absolutely got to be somewhere on time and slow drivers are going to be a problem just set off earlier.
The world wont explode if your late for work, unless your work is bomb disposal or something.
having worked places where pay was docked and disciplinary procedures invoked for being late, as in 1minute late....
Like everyone you give the journey the time you need, if the journey takes 15mins you give it 15mins, you don't assume that it will take 25mins.
RE: Motorway slip roads.
Maybe i'm wrong, but don't those dotted lines at the end of the slip mean 'give way' ? A driver on the slip can only enter lane 1 of the motorway when safe to do so? Therefore, if Lane 1 is full of traffic that is unable to move out the vehicle on the slip must give way?
Say its a 15min journey but you regularly get slow drivers etc holding you up making you 5 minutes late irate and the world could explode. Set off 5 minutes early then the worst that happens is you arrive 5 minutes early.
parkesie - you live in a simple little world, don't you? Do you actually drive for a living, or drive far to work?
Re: slip roads - there's a difference between giving way because the motorway is nose to tail and being so ****less that you cant judge the speed of lane 1 and get up to a suitable speed. If you try and enter a 60mph lane 1 at 40mph, chances are you are going to struggle. None of it's hard, but chances are the farts who after 50 years on the road, still can't grasp some of the basics have insurance way cheaper than me, which I find annoying also.
I failed my first driving test for doing 30mph in a 40mph and "failing to maintain the flow of traffic".
ernie_lynch - Member
I see "slow drivers" no different to someone parking in a dangerous or inappropriate manner. Yes it's the responsibility of the driver to pass a badly parked car, but it is foolish to pretend that a badly parked car can't in anyway be responsible for an accident
Absolutely Ernie.
All accidents have a number of factors that come together and cause the end result.
I was on an A road the other day, stuck in a line of traffic caught behind a car doing 35 - 40 mph. If they are not in a hurry then pull over and let people get on with their lives.
The worst ones are the numpties that trundle along a 60mph road at 40mph, then continue at this speed through villages with 30 mph limits, blissfully unaware of their surroundings.
From what I've seen these are the drivers that seem to have poor control of their vehicle, braking on corners, squeezing cyclists etc.
i can see where they are coming from, but yes it is the overtakers responsibility at the end of the day,I got stuck behind a car doing 60 in the 50 zones and 50 in the 60 zones, so when i got to a safe place to overtake they speed up to 70 as i was overtaking!
What is needed is traffic police, not cameras. Catch stupid driving be it fast or slow.
I come across this many times during the week as the drivers are usually messing about with their phones, radio or dicks to concentrate on the job in hand of driving.
Going home last night I followed a car for 4 miles who was in the middle lane of the motorway doing 50 mph with his left hand indicator on. All other car drivers were confused as they approached him thinking he was changing lanes but then been forced into the third lane to get past him which was causing a tail back. As I eventually got past him I noticed he just busy talking to his girlfriend oblivious to chaos he was causing so I pulled in front of him and put my 4 ways on and slowed down until changed to the 1st lane and realised his indicator was on.
The modern standard of driving is very poor and more police are required to patrol the roads rather than relying on cameras. Most accidents are caused by lack of observation and planning not speed or lack off as people drive around with brains in neutral and thumbs up their backsides hence cyclists getting knocked of their bikes because the driver didn't see them despite the fact they were lit up like a christmas tree and dressed in dayglo fabrics.
Maybe i'm wrong, but don't those dotted lines at the end of the slip mean 'give way' ? A driver on the slip can only enter lane 1 of the motorway when safe to do so? Therefore, if Lane 1 is full of traffic that is unable to move out the vehicle on the slip must give way?
And therin lies the problem. What you say is obviously legally true. BUT. The only time that lane one is actually 'full of traffic' is when there is nose to tail congestion. When traffic is moving at normal motorway speeds there is always enough of a gap to be able to match speeds and filter in safely so long as you maintain good situational awarness. The gap in traffic you need if travelling at the same speed as traffic is what? 5-6 car lengths? then obviously open up a two second space with the vehicle in front. If you end up stationary at the end of a slip road, you'll then need a gap big enough for you car to be able to accelerate to around 60 mph, which is huge and very unlikely if it is at all busy.
That's correct muddy but if someone comes down the slip t the correct speed to merge in then they shouldn't have a problem , what gets me is people that drive down slip see a lorry coming up in lane 1 and totally fail to adjust their speed up or down to merge in front or behind the vehicle, then have to brake to an almost stop before giving you a mouthful because you where behind them and managed the situation to enter the motorway in the gap behind lorry, if they can't judge the situation why should I then risk having to stop just to follow them onto the road
To OP slow driving causes frustration
Frustration causes accidents
inappropriate driving causes accidents, be that too fast or too slow
really this place should be renamed petrol head world. Of course you guys have the right to drive at an over the speed limits everywhere. anyone who gets in your way, granny, newb or cyclist must get out of your way instantly.
None of you ever break speed limits I guess?
Driving slow is like driving quick - it can be done safely by appropriately skilled drivers, and given that most people are better than 'average' drivers it's strange that so few people seem able to manage it.
😆
So true.
anyone who gets in your way, granny, newb or cyclist must get out of your way instantly
Where has anyone said that?
Consideration and awareness for other road users applies to everyone.
Even you.
Driving back from Wrexham towards chester, a horse box full of uncooked cat and dog food in front,the driver seemes to not believe in steering just drove straight at both roundabouts, almost hitting us, luckily on the third in quick succession i pulled back, much to the annoyance of the two audi drivers behind, he then proceeded to drive down the bypass at 40 mph, gripimmg the wheel like a mad sea captain fighting a huge storm,at sea.
Oh and on the m53 why do cars drive like an idiot up the slip road and suddenly almost stop ,at the entry onto the motorway,even when theres plenty of space to get out,some of the on-slips are short on the m53, but offer good visability.
winston dog - its all over this thread and any other where the petrol heads gather.
its all me me me gerroutofmyway
All people have asked for is for consideration for other road users who may need to be somewhere quicker than you.
What's a "petrol head" BTW?
I think the roads would be a much nicer place if people drove slower.
*Wanders off whistling wistfully*
TJ, as you don't have children you aren't allowed to contribute to this thread.
Or something like that..
The worst ones are the numpties that trundle along a 60mph road at 40mph, then continue at this speed through villages with 30 mph limits
That was me yesterday.. 😳
I had a double thickness four tier wedding cake on board and I was not sacrificing controlled smooth and even progress to appease irate BMW drivers..
TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsSTR - MemberTJ, as you don't have children you aren't allowed to contribute to this thread.
Or something like that..
😆
Great co operative live and let live attitudes expressed on this thread
Just calm down and relax and save your blood pressure.
Yet they won't pull into any parking places or make any attempt to let faster moving traffic past?
I don't mind slow drivers taking in the scenery, but they could at least have the decency to allow others to progress surely. The frustration that gets caused by this CAN lead to some slightly suspect overtakes at times.
Everyone has the right to expect to be able to drive at the maximum allowed speed limit,
what gets me is where you have a gorgeously winding road which is NSL or 60mph limited, and some muppet is driving round it at 44-45mph and slowing for the cornersIt is like being blocked out on a lovely piece of singletrack.
Slow drivers irk me and there should at least be some attempt to keep in line with the speed limit where safe to do so.
That's great if you have all the time in the world parkesie - sometimes people actually need to get to a destination on time and the tractor should pull over when it has a reasonable amount of traffic behind it. Invariably they dont.
If you have/want to drive slower than everyone else, then you have to create passing opportunities,
Yunki - You risked a childs face/life etc. for a wedding cake?
TJ - Nowhere in those quotes does it say "instantly".
Where do I get me one of these cars that allows me to see round corners? I just got to get me one of those.
BMW or Audi. sbz. Its part of the "git kit" special parts pack
[url= http://www.westmercia.police.uk/news/news-articles/don-t-hold-up-traffic-police-urge-tractor-drivers.html ]What does this lot know?[/url]
regardless of driving cycling or getting the train somewhere surely allowing that little bit of extra time to allow for a fudge factor makes sense.
I live in the same world as you TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsSTR i just have a more relaxed attitude to driving. My daily commute is often quicker on the bike due to slow drivers and numptys blocking traffic lights and roundabouts. I just allow the extra time so i can just chill until im on my way again.
TJ - Have you ever done any Equality or Diversity courses?
To make assumptions and show contempt to individuals because of the way they look, dress, what they decide to eat, drive, where they live is wrong.
I didn't realise you were such a right winger!
Yunki - You risked a childs face/life etc. for a wedding cake?
to be honest.. I only hit two kids.. and they were already ugly and where they were living I can't imagine thay had that great a quality of life.. (oh.. and I hit one cyclist but they were on an inappropriate/unfashionable bike so they deserved it)
I did feel a bit of a git however as it was on one of the most gloriously twisty and undulating roads in all of Devon and people love driving along it..
The guy I felt most sorry for was an OAP in driving gloves in an ancient nissan micra who came up behind me doing well over 70.. he was obviously out for a bit of a blast..
No one seems to have pointed out the "Elephant in the Room".
That number on the red circle, is THE MAXIMUM speed you are allowed to travel at, IT IS NOT A TARGET.
Really, you lot need to get out and ride you bikes more.
I will be putting the body armour and 6" travel bike in the back of the BMW and driving 75 miles to a trail centre later today.
I will ensure I drive at the speed limit all the way and when I get to the trail centre I will brake heavily before each corner to make sure I can feel and enhance the bumps.
As you will be failed for driving too slowly for the conditions on a driving test, I think it is reasonable for all road users to drive at a suitable speed - therefore the ones driving unreasonably slowly do contribute to accidents as other road users become frustrated when stuck behind them. But yes of course the onus still has to be on the overtaking vehicle (often motorbikes too) to overtake safely. Such as the rider in the centre of York yesterday who flew past slow moving cars at way over the speed limit and to the right of a traffic island (marked keep left). Fortunately the pedestrians managed to get out of his way.
I am a pretty relaxed driver parkesie - I never suffer road rage, although may have a little mutter to myself.
However, I drive over 40k a year on all sorts of roads - sometimes I have spare time, sometimes I dont. People not driving suitably for the situation, or being considerate irks me - and that goes way beyond people just driving slowly. Driving isn't hard, yet some people seem to make it seem that way.