slow drivers

brat

jase1 wrote: »

Especially when they then speed through villages -- which I note the slow driver defenders STILL haven't condemned :mad:

Inappropriate speed, whether too low or too high is either careless or inconsiderate.
There, I've said it...

...but I also said that your comment is an anecdote I've heard much more often than I've experienced.

UsernameAlreadyExists

brat wrote: »

... There, I've said it ...

Any bloke that drives a 280bhp (or whatever it was) monster that isn't frustrated by Mr/Mrs Miggins just isn't human.
Glad to hear you are.

brat

UsernameAlreadyExists wrote: »

Any bloke that drives a 280bhp (or whatever it was) monster that isn't frustrated by Mr/Mrs Miggins just isn't human.
Glad to hear you are.

I guess it must depend on the road you use regularly, how prevalent slow drivers are, how much they hold you up and how time pressed you are. I use the A6 Kendal to Shap motorway link routinely for work purposes. 'Players' drive that road at 60, but more cautious drivers will take it easy, 40-45mph. There are half a dozen overtaking places, many more if the driver is very slow, but I hardly ever get a free progressive drive up that road, because of slower drivers, whether they be more cautious car drivers or HGVs. It's about 14 miles, virtually junction free, and I'd be a bit miffed if I couldn't get past a 40mph driver for the entire route. But I prefer taking that road to jumping on the motorway early, because it's a nice driving road.

I enjoy looking for an overtaking opportunity, to keep honing the skill, so I suppose in a slightly perverse way I'm pleased that slower drivers occasionally offer me that pleasure.

IMO that's a far better mindset than sitting glumly behind them, chuntering angrily and wishing there was a law that would have them removed from the road.

steve-L

googler wrote: »

I'd love to know if the slow drivers that you pass end up catching you in a similar fashion.

Sometimes, it really depends on the type of road and circumstances.

Often the reason to overtake is just not to get into or become a part of a queue of traffic behind them especially when other traffic may filter in from the left and might include tractors and HGV's.

Sometimes it turns out to be pointless as they turn off into a drive 1/2 mile after you overtake.... and it turns out that was why they were going slowly... often I haven't overtaken and they turn off as well.

Sometimes I overtake and then a mile further on the speed limit goes into a 30 .... and then the often seem to catch up....

but in either the purpose of me overtaking is not about being stuck behind a slow driver for a mile or two but not being stuck behind them for lots of miles.

Brat wrote:

Inappropriate speed, whether too low or too high is either careless or inconsiderate.
There, I've said it...

I'll even mitigate it.... you can go slow and still be considerate.

Its really a binary thought process .... IMHO.
I sometimes go slow... but then I recognise I am and recognise that it affects others and make some effort not to impede them.

One reason I often go slow is simply a game I play with myself about trying to beat my commute MPG. However, I recognise that in reality an extra 10p worth of fuel is really 10p and that I am just inventing a game that saves me money over the year and I shouldn't inconvenience others for the sake of it.

From a different perspective it could be argued I almost always go slow. The bottom half (or even 2/3rds) of my accelerator actually sees very little action...

stevemcol wrote: »

steve-L, I don't want to get into driving experience top trumps becuase experience doesn't necessarily make us all good drivers. Our backgrounds are similar though.
It does sound like you are making some or your own bad luck.

Agreed....
The point is EVERYONE makes their own luck and EVERYONE has lapses and faults they develop.
The point I was trying to make is that it is a very good idea to take stock and recognise them especially AFTER a wake up... (assuming you even recognise the wake up).

There are circumstances (obviously) behind when I nearly fell asleep at the wheel.... (nearly might be exaggerating, but I was drifting into a danger zone) ....
As a driver I can walk (drive) away and pretend to myself I did nothing wrong, learn nothing and make no adjustments OR actually analyse HOW and WHY and how not to get into the circumstances again.

As it happens I know driving too slowly was a big contributor to that close call. This was combined with it being summer and AC turned off ... (The short explanation being I was trying to get a sleeping kid home WITHOUT stopping for fuel (and waking the kid) and that required me to get over 60mpg out of a 3L engine.....

Anyone with sleeping toddlers can probably understand WHY I wouldn't want to wake him... but I have to ask myself the very serious question, better to get a screaming/tired kid home or all die in a motorway pileup! I'd also had 1 beer about 3 hours previously (with a meal).... again that contributed... had I forsaken that and had a coffee instead AFTER spending the day on the beach .... etc.

My point is next time, no beer, fill up before he potentially falls asleep even if it costs my a pound or so extra and when driving at the maximum fuel efficiency of the car make sure I'm completely awake ....

DAVEF237 wrote:

It isn't too slow... if you're the only car around for miles. There's no law against driving slower than the posted limit.

Once you are aware of a following car that's been on your tail for some time now, or a lengthening queue, then it is obviously too slow for them, so take the hint and share the road nicely

Exactly.....

jase1

brat wrote: »

Inappropriate speed, whether too low or too high is either careless or inconsiderate.
There, I've said it...

...but I also said that your comment is an anecdote I've heard much more often than I've experienced.

One weasel-worded condemnation from someone who doesn't even appear to be part of the problem.

Well, it's a start...

brat

jase1 wrote: »

One weasel-worded condemnation from someone who doesn't even appear to be part of the problem.

Well, it's a start...

It's not my opinion, it's the law. If a driver uses inappropriate speed, it's an offence. The question is, what is inappropriate?

So while it's a condemnation of inappropriate speed, my position (and that of the interpretation of the law) on slower drivers hasn't changed at all.

Mrs_Arcanum

Stuck behind an Audi TT on the way back from Oxford. Maximum speed they managed was 35 mph even though the limit was mostly 50. Now I know the local roads are crap but that speed is taking the pee.

However, you do have to wonder where these brilliant sales people are that can sell a powerful car to someone who doesn't need it. :rotfl: We need them selling our stuff abroad.