driving slow : your views ?

facade

Robisere wrote: »

And before anyone says that I am wrong to do this: what else can one do, to retaliate against intimidation by dangerous drivers?

Using your vehicle to police the roads and impose your view of "retaliation" can only end in tears.

Either ignore them completely, or if they worry you let them go past.

sma11person

i do believe that if everyone drove slower, there would be far fewer accidents. i often feel quite a bit of pressure to keep up with others. i don't think it's a lack of confidence because i can drive faster, i just don't find it comfortable.

Codswallop. Speeding doesn't cause accidents, dangerous and inappropriate driving does that. My usual commute is 20 miles each way. Mostly on single lane NSL roads. It should take about half an hour, but has been known to take an extra 10 minutes, because some twonk was "relaxing" and holding everyone else up. I leave my house on time, but have been made late to work by people who drive like you say you do. Worse, I've been later home.

The number of times I've had to drive behind someone driving as you claim to, and their slow driving has added considerable time to my journey (off to see the in-laws? 2-3 hours.... with the added extra usually being some bell end pootling along at 35 on a NSL with no opportunity to over take them).

The driving style you describe is not just selfish, it's actually dangerous. If the local farmer drives their tractor faster than you drive your car, it's time for you to take extra driving lessons. Or consider a chauffeur. Or public transport.

Bonniepurple

motorguy wrote: »

Most people chose not to, not because they cant.

I dont feel an urge to drive at the speed limit everywhere i go.

Primarily i save quite a bit of fuel, but it does mean i dont arrive stressed. Amuses me in the mornings on the motorway with people "rushing" to work, just to get sitting at their desk five minutes earlier. Rushing home i can understand, but rushing to work? :eek:

My morning commute (leaving at 7am) is car, train, cycle. If I am held up in any way (often by a slow driver!), I miss my train and have to wait an hour for the next one. The only places to overtake require fast acceleration - which I don't have in the van - so it is unsafe to overtake. On the way home I don't need to panic.

OP - you seem to think that everyone else is a "boy racer", and by driving slower than them you are right and they are wrong. Town driving, motorway driving and B road driving are all different and require different skills. Drive according to the conditions, and think about others.

marlot

I'm less bothered by people driving below the speed limit, than I am by them (and the people behind them) driving so close together that I can't overtake safely...

hgotsparkle

dada44 wrote: »

i assume that most people won't want to read what i have to write, as it's quite involved. and you seem to have your own views, which i suspect won't be changed by mine. however, i don't agree with most of your points, even if you do frame them in a logical apperance, i don't believe experience supports them.


here goes

"if you're "failing to make adequate progress" even without other traffic around, then it can really only be your own driving that is "the issue"."

- what exactly do you mean by 'progress' ? and failing ? i drive 'normally' and often above speed limit when i need to. sometimes i find myself doing it naturally.


-- That is what the law states, you need to make adequate progress on the road, ie gain speed and maintain when appropriate.

"Not necessarily - if it incites others to overtake inappropriately, then it can be a cause of collisions." -

yes, but if you look at the whole picture, on the whole, i am certain that driving slower is safer than driving faster.


--No, its really not. If everyone was the drive slower, then speed limits would reduce, so say a 60 went down to a 40 so everyone would drive slower, would you then drive at 25 because 40 is too fast?


"If you find driving at normal speeds stressful and difficult mentally, then - again - that it your own issue alone."

- i think most people would find it more stressful, or more demanding, as more is happening in the same period of time, than if you were driving slower, and so you need to process more, and be more alert. you frame this as to make it quite personal. I don't think i said i find it "difficult mentally", just that i prefer to drive slower, and it is LESS stressful.


-- if a road is 60, then its 60 for a reason. Its safe in optimal weather. If its bad weather, you adjust accordingly. On most 60 roads, its safer to go a bit faster than that but obviously setting a road at its top limit is pushing the boundaries for fatalities.


"You seem to be conflating "smoothly" with "slowly". It's possible to drive quickly and smoothly, just as it's possible to drive slowly and jerkily. IME, those who drive more slowly than average are often less smooth, too. In addition, if your lower speed means you're a gear lower, then you're probably using more fuel rather than less. "

- IME that's not the case. I've often been in cars where people accelarate rapidly as soon as there is a green light, only to jerkily brake when there is a red light a few hundred metres down the road, only to have a slower car behind them catch up, in a much smoother fashion.


--Accelerating from a light and braking up to traffic is not what was being said, I have seen cars on a 60 road, doing 40/45 and jerking along as there doesn't seem to be a constant speed. If you do 55/60, you're more likely to maintain a smooth speed and to be honest, its easier to brake lightly for slight bends than having to accelerate through it at lower speeds.

You are driving VERY selfishly. Just think, the road is set at that limit for a reason and the majority of people don't have a problem with it and manage to drive it very safely. I bet if everyone was to drive between -5 of the limit and the limit, there would be less accidents as people would not be overtaking as much.

Daz2009

I've noticed a trend these last few years of people driving in the outer lane of dual carriageways at the speed limit or just under when there is nothing in the inside lane.
Now that is frustrating and dangerous.
It's not your job to control the speed of other drivers.If someone wants to exceed the speed limit then that is their choice.
By sitting in the outside lane for long periods ( I'm guessing at some point further down the road they are going to make a right turn ) you are forcing other motorists to under take you.That is legal but it's not particularly safe.

If you want to drive slowly move over to the near side lane asap and stay there

CC-Warrior

dada44 wrote: »

hi.

i like to drive slow. in that, if its a 30 road zone, i prefer 25. if its a roundabout, i prefer 15 or 20 mph. if it's a motorway of 70, i prefer 60, maybe even 55.

i have noticed that this sometimes makes drivers behind me impatient, as if i am the one driving wrong. however, when i drive i feel calm, and much safer, than if i was driving a little faster.

just wondering, is there a legal view on how slow to drive in roads ? would i be considered to be doing the right thing, legally ?

If driving conditions are fine then you should drive at the speed limit, that's what I was always told by my driving instructor.

Most of my 60 or so miles a day commute is single carriageway and being stuck behind someone driving 30mph in a 40 zone or 50 in a 60 is a most frustrating experience, and often leads to dangerous overtaking (not by myself, but certain others).

Motorway is fine as you can stay in the inside lane and others can overtake safely.

Is not being able to drive at the speed limit a confidence issue with some drivers?

notanewuser

CC-Warrior wrote: »

Motorway is fine as you can stay in the inside lane and others can overtake safely.

Not of its a 2 or 3 lane motorway it isn't. Slow driver at 50mph might well be fine in the left hand lane, but lorries travelling at 55-56mph will have to use the middle land to overtake, which then pushed anything between 56mph and 70+mph into the right hand lane. When there are too many cars in 1 lane you get ripples anytime anybody brakes which reduces several miles of motorway to around 50mph. All because one driver wants to travel 20mph below the standard speed.

If you want to pootle, use the 30mph and 40mph roads and leave the faster roads alone. :mad:

CC-Warrior

dada44 wrote: »

if i am driving faster, and i see a driver in front of me , driving slower, instead of getting frustrated, i generally see the driver ahead of me as an example driver.

An example driver holding up the traffic.

Please drive at the speed limit unless conditions prevent it.

accidentalspender

I would respectfully suggest driving lessons to improve your confidence & ability behind the wheel. Your need to drive slowly stems from your poor anticipation & observation, leading to a feeling that everything is 'rushing up at you'.
The fact that you asked the question shows that know this deep-down.