It’s bad when someone does 40 in a 60, and you cant get into top gear, or pass.
Why should you be held to ransom? There are car parks for these people. the law doesnt allow one to set up such road blocks. They should have to pay for your extra petrol ,time, costs etc. The public road is not a holiday resort. Its there for a reason
Self entitled much.
Mean while I'll correct your post
It’s bad when someone does 40 in a 30 as the likely hood of a pedestrian being killed if hit is much higher
I assume that's what you meant as it makes a whole lot more sense than "get out my way I'm important"
It’s bad when someone does 40 in a 60, and you cant get into top gear, or pass.
...or pass at 20mph speed differential? - my money would be the 40mph driver is driving to the road conditions not treating the limit as a speed target
There is a minimum speed established on motorways, but not the roads in general.
Back to driving school for you!
this is min speed sign, and they are placed in places where (for instance) driving at 40 in a 60 zone will cause congestion
You know in 15 years of driving I've never seen one of those blue signs.
Ok, poor phrasing by me there... motorways do have a minimum speed.
*Most* other roads don’t (what I meant by ‘roads in general’). Very occasionally non-motorway do have a sign like the above, and yes - in those cases they do have a minimum speed.
But *in general*, they don’t.
Have you seen those minimum speed signs in the wild? Or are you just using them to win an internet argument?
Subscriber
Ok, poor phrasing for me… motorways do have a minimum speed.
Do they? I have never seen one quoted anywhere - educate me please. what is the minimum motorway speed?
I like the smugness of those who stick to the speed limit. Does it make those who stick to the speed limit any safer/better drivers?
No does it he’ll, just makes them more smug
You know, TJ, I learned something today!
No minimum speed on the motorways! In general.
I had misinterpreted the requirement for motorway eligible traffic to do be able to do 25mph (as in the big “non-motorway traffic” signs you see...). But no, mandating that you can go that fast isn’t the same thing. Unless there’s one of those blue signs.
More evidence that roads in general don’t have minimum speeds!
I like the smugness of those who stick to the speed limit. Does it make those who stick to the speed limit any safer/better drivers?
No does it he’ll, just makes them more smug
Sticking to the speed limit doesn’t necessarily make folk good drivers.
Choosing to break it definitely makes folk bad drivers.
Of course it makes them safer: if they hit someone at 30 they will do less damage than if they hit someone at 40.
They do exist. Now you've seen them here, I'll bet you'll notice them more 🙂
Driving is a communal activity, we all have to agree (by and large) to drive to rules, sticking to the speed limit seems the minimum standard we should all try to achieve whether that's in 50 or 30 zone, IMO
Sticking to the speed limit doesn’t necessarily make folk good drivers.
I'm willing to bet knowing the driving laws (and the signs) certainly does....
, sticking to the speed limit seems the minimum standard we should all try to achieve whether that’s in 50 or 30 zone, IMO
Thats not what the highway code says nor folk like IAM IIRC
😃
I can’t stand morons that speed in 30mph zones
I'd love to see a bit more proper enforcement of town speed limits instead of the lonely camera van on some NSL straight ticking off drivers doing 70 in a 60.
I regularly drive through Ilkley on the A65. It's a wide road but there are schools, nurseries, and parks close by. I can pretty much guarantee a few things, that some idiot will be a few inches off my bumper throughout and the car in front will disappear into the distance at 35+. And that when I get to the lights at the edge of town, I'll catch up the car in front.
In the 2 weeks since I got rid of my Galaxy and git a Berlingo in ‘blue rinse metallic’ colour I’ve noticed other drivers, especially in white German cars seem to be much more likely to tailgate me or make stupid overtakes. When I used to drive a battered old ex MOD Landrover 90 I was even slower but seemed to have a force field generator fitted as people gave me quite a wide berth, presumably worried that something might fall off it and hit them!
Having been caught by mobile cameras twice in the last 2 years, one in a 30mph and the other in a 40mph zone and paying the resulting costs of awareness courses I have been making a concerted effort to stick within the speed limits.
I realised that when I looked at my driving I was generally sitting at 70 or less on motorways (to save fuel and avoid the stress of fighting it out with all the fast boys in the outside lanes) but was generally poor at sticking to the limits in lower speed zones. Laziness/complacency I guess and just becoming one of the majority who seem to have a ‘plus 5-10’ attitude to the limits.
I’m quite vocal in my disapproval of ‘red plus 1’ light jumpers and phone users, both of which are seemingly the majority in Portsmouth and I guess that I realised the irony of castigating one group of bad drivers whilst belonging to another.
Have noticed it definitely helps with fuel consumption, barely affects journey times locally as lights, junctions, other road users affect speed far more but also find other road users much more likely to behave like dicks around me. I’m getting better at letting it wash over me rather than getting annoyed myself like I used to do. I really can’t afford to get points on my license so I’m not going to be bullied into speeding just so someone can get to their next sales meeting 2 min earlier.
instead of the lonely camera van on some NSL straight ticking off drivers doing 70 in a 60.
The most dangerous roads are single lane- 60mph, that's why they're targeted by enforcement.
tails
Member
My favourite was on the A1M near Peterborough which is 4 lanes IIRC on a Sunday. I’m in lane 2 at 70 with cruise control on, I’m not in lane 1 as I don’t want to keep weaving in and out of the lorrys in that lane.
I use this bit of road for my commute Monday to Friday. It's a lovely 4-lane stretch of virtually straight road.
But, poor lane discipline frequently reduces it to a 2-lane stretch of road (lane 3 & 4) and I suspect when asked most of the people who could/should move over have this attitude.
Actually, going in Lane 1 on a >2 lane motorway is pretty frustrating. As you get caught behind trucks doing around 55/60mph but there is a constant stream of cars in lane 2, and even indicating you can spend ages waiting to get out.
The most dangerous roads are single lane- 60mph, that’s why they’re targeted by enforcement.
Maybe they wouldn't be if the totting up system applied in town had thinned out the numbers able to use them. I've never understood those that speed away from or into their drive. Don't pooh on your own doorstep people.
My current best/worst is the neighbour who close passed me one evening. He's an uniformed copper and was put out when I called around to ask why he thought that was good driving. The excuse "... but I'm a cyclist too".
I’d love to see a bit more proper enforcement of town speed limits instead of the lonely camera van on some NSL straight ticking off drivers doing 70 in a 60.
I just got done for 36 in a 30, right at start of the 30 zone, slowing down but not quick enough. Whoops.
HTH.
I was generally sitting at 70 or less on motorways (to save fuel and avoid the stress of fighting it out with all the fast boys in the outside lanes)
.
But, poor lane discipline frequently reduces it to a 2-lane stretch of road (lane 3 & 4) and I suspect when asked most of the people who could/should move over have this attitude.
Not accusing mattbee of doing the latter quote, but this is why I have found trying to do 65-70 on the motorway (if its busy) to be infinitely more stressful and tiring than 75-80.
Roads work much better when everyone's going at the same speed. So why not the posted speed limit? (In the absence of any other adverse conditions or obstacles etc etc obviously)
I like the smugness of those who stick to the speed limit. Does it make those who stick to the speed limit any safer/better drivers?
No does it he’ll, just makes them more smug
Smug?
You seem to have an odd attitude towards folk that drive as the Law and road condition(s) illustrate.
Makes me laugh at these threads, and I do think over the years that these threads have popped up that there are quite a few folk on here that have changed their driving style from one of aggressiveness to passiveness.
Drive within the Law and conditions and DGAS about anyone else.
Try hitting the hazzards if you think they’re too close. Doesn’t always work, and in the last year I think I’ve only done it once.
Slowing down further just enrages them, so continue as you see fit then at an appropriate time they will overtake you you or drop back.
Let the arrogant gits overtake, they’re much better off in front of you because just down the road in about 25s you’ll catch them back up again.
In 20 years of driving I’ve perhaps been tailgated on a single carriageway road 2 or 3 times.
Is the OPs speedometer broken?
If someone tailgates me the first ting is to slide my left foot over and give a quick dab of the brakes to light up the brakelights without losing speed ( keeping my right foot on the throttle). If they continue to tailgate I just slow down. I will not allow anyone to put me in danger by tailgating. I will not be bullied into going faster than I want. If they are reducing my safe space behind me then I want to at least double the safe space infront of me and to reduce the speeds involved
I don't particularly mind people driving slower than the speed limit, you understand - my frustration mainly stemmed from being overtaken whilst doing around 30 in a 30 zone by someone who clearly wasn't in much of a hurry.
If someone tailgates me the first ting is to slide my left foot over and give a quick dab of the brakes to light up the brakelights without losing speed ( keeping my right foot on the throttle).
so the first thing you do is something stupid...two wrongs don't make a right.
Almost exactly 22 years ago, a (much) younger version of me was driving a hot hatch through a rural village with my then g/f in the car at around 11pm. A policeman jumped out from a hedge and pointed his speed gun at me, giving me no time to react.
It's a good job that I was driving at exactly 30mph - the look of sheer incredulity and annoyance on the policeman's face was something that I've never forgotten.
how very dare he!
Loss of control and having their dreams of freedom crushed, innit
This.
Driving to/from a job they hate to pay for a car they'll never own, from/to a house they can't afford, bought to appease a partner they now can't abide in order to impress people they'll never meet and to feed and clothe kids they regret having...
Still, nearly Friday, eh? 😆
Why do other drivers get so angry when you abide by the speed limit?
Why anyone would actually need to ask this question is beyond me. I mean, is it just a case of "Look at me! I'm a fantastic driver!"? The answers are bleedin obvious -
- people are impatient (I know I am)
-there is a driving culture in this country that you must drive fast (see Top Gear etc), it's a race!, I'm a better driver than you cos I'm [i]faster[/i]! you're in my WAY!
-everyone has cars capable of doing 100mph+, so why would they want to dawdle around at 30
-and mostly, the one the effects me, driving is shit in most places, mixing with these idiots, so getting to the destination as quickly as possible is the only goal
As I've got older and (slightly) more patient, I tend to drive more to the speed limit, usually because I have my son in the car, but if I had to drive everyday, I'm not sure how I'd cope. Especially round here, where there is so much traffic.
my frustration mainly stemmed from being overtaken whilst doing around 30 in a 30 zone by someone who clearly wasn’t in much of a hurry.
Indeed it is a frustrating event, but the you are not in control of the other drivers actions nor abilities.
If they deem it appropriate to over take you in a 30, when you are doing 30, then that’s their own decision and there is nothing you can/should do to change their decision. The consequences of deliberate aggressive actions on your part will only escalate the situation and deliver road rage type scenarios or worse the risk of harm or injury to other road users.
Releasing aggression or frustration whilst driving simply stimulates more acts of aggression and takes away conscious rational thoughts whilst piloting a vehicle at speed. You are the one in control of Your vehicle, and it’s the primary initiative at all times to act within the constraints of you as a driver and other road users.
We all encounter moments of WTF when someone overtakes You whilst you are doing the speed limit (or below) my reaction is to either laugh or tut. For you know very well that come the next junction you will be in their mirrors and they will Know you are in their mirrors.
Thats enough to make you laugh isn’t it.
Thing is with this is everybodies perception of safe for the conditions and actual ability to drive are vastly different, it's like riding an mtb down a hill, some will get down at their own pace witjout a drama, some (like me) will be on the ragged edge trying to go as fast as possible and still get down and others will be quickest down whilst making it look easy.
If everybody just got on and drive considerately all wood be good, I had two people indicate over yesterday to let me and my nasty van past whilst up in the Snowdon hills, I wasn't tailgating but they wanted to go steady, I didn't, they all get a friendly Thank you as we safely went by.
Ha wait till your in Sarf London by Spa Road in a van that is speed monitored and your company has a zero tolerance/sackable offence for speeding. 20mph in a 20 at 0230 on a Saturday morning is asking for a stabbing/bullet/hiding as you hold up distribution of a certain products delivered by slammed BMW's/Merc's. Management were very upset when I declined to do any further night jobs in that local unless I got an untracked van that wouldn't interrupt the flow of traffic/trafficked goods.
1) Many people are dicks, doubly so behind a wheel.
2) Most speedos over-read. Your indicated 49 will probably be closer to the low- to mid-40s. But mostly, see 1).
some people will sit permanently at 43 mph in every zone
Gorram monospeeders boil my piss. My old commute had a stretch which went 60 - 30 - 50, almost daily I'd overtake someone doing ~40 in the 60, come the 30 zone they'd be so close to my back bumper you couldn't get a razor blade between the two vehicles, then when it went back up to 50 I'd leave them for dead. Happened more days than it didn't.
IME it depends what vehicle you’re in.
I was going to ask, "what car do you drive?" I saw a marked difference in driver attitudes when I had the misfortune to get a Micra as a company car once. Not confirmation bias, I thought "what the hell is going on with everyone today?" before making the connection, after being almost run off the road for the umpteenth time that day.
30-31 and cruise control.
Guilty of 33 when late although that’s probably really 31 real speed.
Had a police on my tail for driving at 30 mph only for them to pass me in dual lanes with 30 mph?!
I did 40mph downhill on my road bike...
Likewise the ones that flash and swear at you when you legally and safely overtake them.
I get this a lot. Someone (usually in a Honda Jazz) driving along an empty 60mph limit road at 30. I safely overtake at 50mph and they start flashing as though I am some sort of maniac. I can only assume they think the speed limit is 30 or even worse they only feel safe driving at 30
Then if its a duel lane ...
To the death.
I don't really recognise this behaviour. I can't think of any times I've been tailgated on an NSL single carriageway or a 30mph road while travelling at the speed limit.
Yes I see tailgating, but its usually on the motorway or when someone is well below the speed limit on an NSL road.
I regularly overtake slow drives on NSL roads but I don't tailgate. Its stupid and dangerous and actually makes a safe overtake harder as it limits your visibility. Also the car doing 40mph is probably doing that speed because, for whatever reason, its as fast as they feel comfortable. Sitting up their arse constantly tapping your brake pedal as you sit a car length away isn't going to make them speed up. This seems lost on a lot of people though.
so the first thing you do is something stupid…two wrongs don’t make a right.
What would you suggest as a better course of action, out of interest?
I get this a lot.
Are you sure it's as safe and legal as you believe. I can't recall ever having it happen to me.
Yep, absolutely sure it is safe (straight road, no cars ahead, 60mph limit). How many people doing 30 in a 60 do you overtake per week? If the answer is low/none that may explain why it hasn't happened to you.
What would you suggest as a better course of action, out of interest?
Just ignore them and carry on as your were?
I learnt my lesson about 18years ago as a newish driver where I dabbed the brakes and nearly had a Corsa in through the back window. I've never done it since.
(I know the original post said he didn't actually brake, just flashes his brake lights at them).
Although thinking about it I don't get tailgated very often, can't recall the last time at the moment.
The consequences of deliberate aggressive actions on your part will only escalate the situation and deliver road rage type scenarios or worse the risk of harm or injury to other road users.
Say what? There were no aggressive actions on my part, deliberate or otherwise.
(I tell a lie - I may have tutted, and Mrs Pondo and I definitely had a good moan.)