driving slow : your views ?

dada44

i'm not causing drivers to overtake me, i said i would prefer for them to overtake me.

there are a lot of assumptions running around the place. some ppl seem to assume that i am unconfident at higher speeds, and that perhaps i am unable to confidently drive at them.

well... i am able to drive at them. it's just that i *prefer* to drive at slower speeds. for the reasons given : eg. brakes, safety, fuel efficiency, general laidbackness. a slower speed also gives a shorter braking distance, should anything jump in front of you- ie, beyond your driving that you do not have control over, but may have to react to.

there are some reasonable opinions on here - drive slow if you want by all means, and let ppl pass if they wish to.

the driver who drives slow is not responsible for the frustration of other drivers that may result, especially if they are doing what they can for others to pass.

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.

facade

Driving is always an emotive subject. I certainly won't presume to judge your driving ability from a post on here.

I write from the position of actually being The Greatest Driver Ever to Grace God's Earth, rather than simply thinking that I am T.G.D.E.T.G.G.E like everyone else (There can be Only One, people:- :D)

I share their frustration. After a full day of agonising relentless toil at a job I detest, in order to earn enough money to stay alive long enough to be able to toil away again tomorrow, there are only a few precious seconds each day that I can call my own. To waste even one of those stuck behind someone who will not simply drive their car, or let me past to drive mine compounds the agony.

The whole reason I , and the queue of drones now building up behind me are on that lane is because it is quicker than the main road- if, and only if, we drive at a fast pace. To be behind someone doing 28mph in an NSL down the centre of the lane who could just as easily do 28 on the road we have left is immensely frustrating :mad:

Roll on retirement (and age 68 or is it upto 85 yet?):cool:

prowla

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 ?

You are driving very selfishly, and deliberately holding up people who are trying to get about their business as efficiently as possible, people who may have a limited amount of time to get from A to B, maybe having dropped off their kids at school and needing to get to work, maybe having held up through no fault of their own and fund themselves late.

If the speed limit is 30, then people are entitled to drive up to that, and they don't need someone else arbitrarily deciding that they should drive slower because they have time on their hands or are just being generally obstructive.

Of course, if you can drive at that speed without holding up anybody else, then fill your boots; it's your time you are wasting.

jetplane

OP I wonder did you pass your test many years ago? You are wrong to drive slow for your own comfort and could have some top up lessons to bring you up to date. By being over cautious you are causing a problem for other road users and you need to get up to speed, so to speak

Having said that many people drive just however they like once they have passed their test and seem to forget what they have been taught and why.

I passed my test over 30 years ago, when there wasn't many cars on the road and the speed limit was a maximum not a target. My daughter passed her test 5 or 6 years ago and how times have changed.

We had this very conversation a few months back when she was a passenger in my car and told me I was driving too slow on a dual carriageway. This, she reminded me, would delay the flow of traffic or force cars to overtake me, which in her opinion is careless driving. Officially I think it is classed as inconsiderate driving but her point was valid.

AdrianC

dada44 wrote: »

i'm not causing drivers to overtake me, i said i would prefer for them to overtake me.

So, umm, if you're not causing them to overtake you, then they're sat behind you...

KatieDee

If I was in a good mood and a decent song was on the radio, I would be pleasant, give you space and probably have a giggle at your level of caution.

If I was in a bad mood, I would probably be making exaggerated gestures in the hope you would spot me through your mirror and speed up (note, I have never had anybody speed up...it obviously doesn't work!).

I will never speed up behind somebody though, nor will I flash them or overtake. Not that I mind others doing it...I'm just a bit of a wimp when it comes to overtaking.

My mother and I always have this conversation...although she isn't a slow driver in general, she will often drive on the middle lane of the motor way at about 60mph. When I suggest she moves over, she is always very defensive, saying it's not an aim, but a limit. She does have a point but I've received so many glares from other drivers, I honestly don't know how she stays so ignorant.

I do think that slow drivers can cause just as many accidents as fast drivers...although I imagine that the majority of these accidents involve those drivers who choose to drive faster than the rest!

fivetide

dada44 wrote: »

. some ppl .

Seriously, as the hints haven't been taken, why are the rest of your posts written properly and then there is this random bit of txt spk for no reason?

I'd like to know.

CharlieRabbit01

dada44 wrote: »

generally, i try not to hold up others. if i can pull over, if i see someone is quite impatient behind me , i probably wouldn't mind. the problem with asking the question i did, in a public forum, is i'll often get answers from ppl's sense of frustration and impatience, rather than good driving or from whatever is legal.

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.

You should have a look at these stats particularly comparing the incidents on 70mph roads and 20mph roads.

For example figure 2 there were less casualties at 70mph than at 20mph, even comparing 20mph with 30mph there were more casualties at the slower speed.

It is important to note, that you should read the notes with the graph to get a clear understanding of the results.

As yes in some instances as the speed goes up the accidents also rise, but this is proportionate.

http://www.safespeed.org.uk/percentages.html

BillJones

deejaybee wrote: »

The slo-mo drivers also tend to brake whenever a vehicle is coming in the opposite direction, as they are unable to properly judge road position of their car in relation to walls/banks on side of rd and oncoming traffic.

Once the oncoming traffic has passed, they revert to driving in middle of rd..

I do live in a rural/coastal area with some narrow-ish rds, but it annoys when stuck behind someone driving like that.

One of the reasons I prefer a faster accelerating car over a more frugal one is that in vastly increases the opportunities for a safe overtake on rural roads.

Sadly nowadays the driver doing 40 in a 60 is increasingly likely to swerve out to stop me, to accelerate to try and thwart me, or to beep of flash their lights when I do make my pass.

As above, I've no problem at all with drivers choosing to drive at a lower speed, but I wish they'd show more consideration sometimes, and understand that plenty of drivers, when conditions allow, will want to drive at the posted limit.

LandyAndy

KatieDee wrote: »

My mother and I always have this conversation...although she isn't a slow driver in general, she will often drive on the middle lane of the motor way at about 60mph. When I suggest she moves over, she is always very defensive, saying it's not an aim, but a limit. She does have a point but I've received so many glares from other drivers, I honestly don't know how she stays so ignorant.

!

She doesn't have a point at all. If you aren't overtaking you should 'limit' yourself to the left hand lane;).