driving slow : your views ?

UsernameAlreadyExists

Iceweasel wrote: »

But the 'goon' may well think that he is doing 70mph because his high-reading speedo tells him so.

... but he's being undertaken by "powerful cars such as Merc's, Range Rover's, BMW's and what not"
Cleary he should move over

Iceweasel

UsernameAlreadyExists wrote: »

... but he's being undertaken by "powerful cars such as Merc's, Range Rover's, BMW's and what not"
Cleary he should move over

Of course he should - but this is the self-policing attitude which is only encouraged by too low speed limits.

aileth

This thread is an eye opener for me.

I always thought the right hand land was for BMWs only

Cornucopia

We're still confusing two different scenarios in Motorway driving.

1) Lane-hogging where the slower vehicle is definitively in the wrong lane because lanes to their left are empty or have traffic moving at roughly the same speed as them. ie. they are in an overtaking lane, but they are not overtaking.

2) Slow overtaking where someone is legitimately in an outer (overtaking) lane, but isn't making the kind of progress that people stuck behind them would wish them to.

(2) splits further into (a) those slower drivers who are already at the limit for their vehicle on that road, and (b) others.

I have no issue with 2(a) whatsoever, and anyone who harasses them ought to face punishment.

2(b) is a question merely of courtesy, and I have suggested that people should give due consideration to speeding up temporarily to the limit for their vehicle on that road.

1) is an annoyance, and can be dangerous as it can promote occurances of 2(a/b). I would tend to overtake them, with a flash of the headlights as I pass behind them. If they are blocking the outside lane, I would sit behind them (not too close) and wait for them to see me.

Cornucopia

Iceweasel wrote: »

There is similar speed-dictatorship on rural roads in France where they often have signs posting the limit for a 'dangerous' corner.

The speed must have been decided taking a Citroen 2CV with a heavy roof-rack load in mind. LOL.

Not just in France. The new slip-road from M25(s) to A2(e) at Dartford has a fairly normal motorway slip-road curve to it, with excellent visibility. The prevailing speed limit of 60 is perfectly safe for the curve. However there is a additional hazard sign with a "Maximum speed 40" notice on it... which all car drivers ignore.

nobbysn*ts

Iceweasel wrote: »

This is the problem that I experience too.

But the 'goon' may well think that he is doing 70mph because his high-reading speedo tells him so.

I normally drive in the leftmost lane except when overtaking and often have trouble entering lane 3 because of the folks doing 80mph plus who are not prepared to slow down for someone doing 70mph to overtake the middle lane hoggers and those who wish to drive at less than 70mph.

The unrealistic speed limit of 70mph is the underlying problem as it takes away the decision making of the individual.

I don't need a government to tell me what a safe speed should be, anymore than I need yellow lines to tell me where I shouldn't park as it will cause an obstruction to traffic-flow.

There is similar speed-dictatorship on rural roads in France where they often have signs posting the limit for a 'dangerous' corner.

The speed must have been decided taking a Citroen 2CV with a heavy roof-rack load in mind. LOL.

So why do we need a government to state we can't overtake on the left? It could be up to the individual to decide that as well. The USA can cope with passing on any lane on the freeway, so why not here? It would solve the middle lane hogging problem, it would solve the slow overtaker in the third lane.

UsernameAlreadyExists

... and their speed limits are higher in many states, and they can turn right on reds.
Having driven over there a few times, many of them (not surprisingly) average well over that, and seeing things like F150s glide past at 90+ is quite interesting when you're in a Euro sized hire car.

Iceweasel

Yes - they have some interesting alternative takes on driving rules - but I find the US of A a tad boring, unless your in the Rockies or the Adirondacks, or a few other places in the states.

Too many long straight bits and not enough interesting 'wiggly' bits and I've been coast to coast and north to south.

I prefer mainland Europe - much better scenery, INHO.

A couple of months back I left Innsbruck early on a Sunday morning - and I mean 5 o'clock early. Over the Fernpass (mostly easy fast sweeping bends but with a few opposite lock hairpins possible) to pick up the A7 just past Reutte.

Turn up the music, engine thrumming away nicely, get the speed up to around 130mph, switch on the cruise control - Mrs Iceweasel calls it the auto-pilot and - lets head North.

For two and a half hours my speed never fell below 110mph - had to slow down for a few slower vehicles coming up past the European Watershed (water flows North to the Rhine/South to the Danube) - lots of Porsches and BMWs went past me at warp factor 4 - at least it felt like it - but they were probably doing around 180mph, and a couple of Ferraris and a Maserati.

My point being that with no limits to worry about the traffic does not bunch up - everyone travels at the speed that suits them. Especially on a Sunday with no trucks (except perishable stuff)

No-one holds anyone else up more than for a few moments to complete their own overtaking - and very importantly - even the Ferraris and the Maserati drivers are prepared to let up for a moment to allow others to do their thing.

None of the M25 type of "Get out of my f***ing way." at 70mph stuff.

A relaxed and pleasant journey.

almillar

I don't know where this idea of dictating terms to other road-users comes from. It's a very bad starting point in terms of one's attitude to road use.

I absolutely agree - and the road is a shared resource, and the highway code tells us to drive with consideration for other road users.
My about you driving at 65 is, that if you overtake a lorry and end up with a queue behind you that wants to do 70, it would be YOU that is driving without consideration, and sharing badly.
Don't confuse driving slowly with being courteous and considerate, in certain examples, it can be the opposite (see also letting 1 person out of a side street without a natural gap, and causing the queue behind you to stop).

prowla

almillar wrote: »

Don't confuse driving slowly with being courteous and considerate, in certain examples, it can be the opposite (see also letting 1 person out of a side street without a natural gap, and causing the queue behind you to stop).

Yep that's really annoying too, especially if there is a natural gap a couple of cars back anyway.