driving slow : your views ?

BillJones

IanMSpencer wrote: »

IAM teach sticking to the speed limit at all times. You would fail your assessment (by a police assessor) if you make anything but a temporary accidental mistake and do not immediately correct it.

And on Bike Safe, the police instructors taught a different approach.

IAM is not the be-all and end-all of advanced driving. As you say, they teach to a system, irrespective of whether the system is always best practice.

As you yourself go on to say later, the emphasis is on making progress. In the context of this thread, the assertion that good, advanced driving means sitting at 50 on a motorway or clear dual carriageway in good conditions is "better" than riding at about the limit is not supported.

I wonder what some posters on here think of dangerous fools like me who'll regularly top 160mph on certain roads...

prowla

nobbysn*ts wrote: »

An interesting response. You've picked up in a different thread one of the cars I use is a corsa, so you seem to equate that with you having a bigger car, so others must be envious of you. So cars are status symbols to you. Clearly, your size of car means to you you're better off than others, so no one should hold you up, as you have decided which laws don't apply to you, so others should make allowances for that. But obviously, you're more than happy to quote "law" when you think others may be perceived to be gaining an advantage over you, such as not letting you break the law on speeding, that you don't think should apply to you? Whereas I drive following the law, having stated you can break the law by going down the hard shoulder if you need to pass, me, I really won't care, that's what the police are there for, not me, but that's just a bit too illegal for you to contemplate doing?

I don't think the issue is to do with the size of the car per-se, though admittedly most cars are bigger than a Corsa!

It may be to do with the performance of the car, but we're not talking supercars here.

If you're not driving slowly and you keep to the tenet "Keep left unless overtaking", then it equally applies to a small or large car.

almillar

Let's put this one to bed weyousa:

"Failure to make adequate progress" is certainly how the examiner would put it when telling you why you had not passed your driving test, yes.
Another subjective concept. Your "adequate" is clearly not the same as mine.

When you're doing your driving test, you should be demonstrating that you can drive safely at the speed limit, whatever that may be at the time, when it's safe to do so. It's not really that subjective - if you're not driving at the speed limit, and you don't have a reason why not, you'll get a point against you. Do that enough times on your test, and you'll fail. None of the above has anything to do with what speed you think you should be doing outside the test.

Cornucopia

GwylimT wrote: »

My journey to work is almost entirely nsl on a single carriageway, it has a lot of bends, but it is perfectly safe to take all the bends at 55mph, despite this it isn't uncommon to find people doing 30 mph. As a result I find myself having to take bends this slowly as otherwise I risk ploughing into someone who ain't capable of driving at a safe speed and in a safe manner.

No - drive to the conditions. ie. drive within a space on the road that you know is safe to drive in to. Drive at a speed that would allow you to stop if/when a hazard appears.

In most cases, the layout of a curve on a non-dual carriageway road means that stopping distance is much more relevant to speed than the performance of the vehicle.

If you can't drive safely at the speed limit, at least make sure you are driving safely under the limit, really, you shouldn't go 10% over or under the speed limit, out of these limits is considered unsafe unless you have a visible speed restriction notice on your vehicle so other road users can prepare for your speed.

No - no such rule. The only thing that slow/slower vehicles need to do is drive in the left-most lane. Some people seem to be incapable of that, which is annoying, but that's the only requirement of them.

Cornucopia

almillar wrote: »

Let's put this one to bed weyousa:

When you're doing your driving test, you should be demonstrating that you can drive safely at the speed limit, whatever that may be at the time, when it's safe to do so. It's not really that subjective - if you're not driving at the speed limit, and you don't have a reason why not, you'll get a point against you. Do that enough times on your test, and you'll fail. None of the above has anything to do with what speed you think you should be doing outside the test.

I'm pretty sure none of that is true. "Making progress" is not the same as driving at the speed limit.

I regularly drive at 65 on motorways because my car uses less fuel that way. Is that not making (enough) progress?

I generally use cruise control, and have developed a habit of speeding up to overtake, though that's mainly because of the idiots who come up behind you flashing their lights...

Weyoun

almillar wrote: »

Let's put this one to bed weyousa:

...None of the above has anything to do with what speed you think you should be doing outside the test.

I'm not quite sure what your point is, but if it is to draw to my attention the fact that I'm not driving as I would be on a driving test, I can assure you that I'm not the only one on here.

[simon]

I passed my driving test in 2007 and i have taken another driving test provided by the DVLA and driving training and assessment by the council to work for the council in 2014.

The council explain to me that during "driving lessons" you are simply taught how to pass a "driving test".

The council explained to me that by driving slower and keeping the vehicle moving will save me fuel, brake pads and keep me relaxed and alert.

The speed limit is there as a guide up to the maximum limit. Meaning that anything below the speed limit is fine.

We where taught to let the vehicle come to a slow down early by looking ahead all the time and simply coming off the gass pedal early. So if there are traffic lights ahead, it is likely that they will be on red by the time you get there so you come off the gass and let the car role and then let it role on the clutch in 1st gear slow, always moving but slow, rather than pushing the gass all the time and end up been stuck at every single red light and in traffic jams and stopping all the time at roundabouts using more fuel and break pads.

For these reasons i have noticed that i am always moving, i am relaxed and safe.

However i do notice some drivers go up behind me pressuring me, and eventually they will overtake only to be stuck stationary further down the road in traffic, on and off the breaks all the time, and they don't really get that far in front of me anyway and usually i catch up and go passed and i think what was the point in him / her doing that just to use more fuel and use the breaks all the time and to be sat stationary in traffic with the car running. (Unless they have / use start / stop technology)

We where also taught how to set off in second gear, let the car role in other gears, to save gear changes all the time, helping to give the gear box a longer life.

I am also getting so much more MPG in my vehicle and saving money on break pads and tires.

I do do the actual speed limit where possible and if clear. But if there is a roundabout or anything coming up i come off the gass early and the car slows so alot of the time i dont have to hit the breaks for red lights or roundabouts. But If i ever notice a driver pressuring me, i simple pull over in a safe place and let them passed. End of the day i am saving money and am not stressed out from driving.

The way i see it, is no matter how fast the driver in front is going, it is always the person behind who has responsibility to keep a safe gap between them self and the car in front. Always allow plenty of time for traveling. So many people leave it to the last Minuit and speed or they just think that the faster they go they will get there quicker. And the truth is they don't. They end up sat at red lights, in traffic jams and spending more money on traveling.

BeenThroughItAll

[simon] wrote: »

We where also taught how to set off in second gear, let the car role in other gears, to save gear changes all the time, helping to give the gear box a longer life.

I am also getting so much more MPG in my vehicle and saving money on break pads and tires.

If you're really starting off in second gear all the time, all the money you save on brAKE pads and tYres will come in handy to replace clutches and flywheels.


I'm sorry, but I simply don't believe that you were taught that in this day and age. 2nd gear pull aways will be fine in some commercial vehicles (even higher gears may be fine in others) but that's certainly not a 'tip' you should transfer to a modern car.


The council should certainly not be teaching people that 'any speed under the limit is fine'. Driving under the limit is fine, but the point that has been done to death in this thread is that failing to make adequate progress, or causing other road users inconvenience IS an offence and CAN result in prosecution. Would the council pay you a bonus if you drove everywhere at 25mph? What about 20? or 10?

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

BillJones wrote: »

IAM is not the be-all and end-all of advanced driving. As you say, they teach to a system, irrespective of whether the system is always best practice.
.

Don't think we are disagreeing.

The point of the Advanced Driving course is to give a reliable decision making system and a system that let's people make good progress at minimum risk. 80% is observation and planning, road positioning decisions are conservative, like not recommending crossing to the oncoming side to gain visibility (straight-lining corners where you have visibility is fine). 10% is keeping your temper and 10% is driving technique.

Like the "Hendon system" of looking for vanishing points to judge cornering speed, it is not the fastest way around a corner, but you will not get into trouble following it, and you won't suddenly find yourself slamming into the back of something unexpected.

By driving systematically, you allow your mind to make consistent decisions. With regards to speed limits, following speed limits is simply a matter of justifying why you would promote breaking the law. We all know that speed limits are not fine tuned to the instantaneous conditions along a road, but we are still suffering from drivers who consciously drive to limit + 10% on the assumption that ACPO guidelines will keep them safe, rather than driving to the road conditions and considering why there are limits put in place.

FWIW, I've been stopped at over 100mph on the motorway and not been prosecuted. The policeman took account of the car I was driving and my demeanour when I was stopped (no excuses). Don't do it now and that journey takes no longer as I don't need to refuel on the round trip.

AdrianC

GwylimT wrote: »

My journey to work is almost entirely nsl on a single carriageway, it has a lot of bends, but it is perfectly safe to take all the bends at 55mph, despite this it isn't uncommon to find people doing 30 mph. As a result I find myself having to take bends this slowly as otherwise I risk ploughing into someone who ain't capable of driving at a safe speed and in a safe manner.

Umm, if visibility doesn't allow you to see a car in front with a closing speed of 30mph, then what would you do if the hypothetical sack of anvils was just round the bend?

Remember: You should always be able to stop within the distance you can see to be clear