driving slow : your views ?

BillJones

dada44 wrote: »

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.

Yes, they say that as it's the only possible conclusion from what you have written.

You seem to want to argue the fact as you take it as a personal slight when it is pointed out to you that your driving is not up to scratch.

Have you considered advanced driving lessons? I've done them in both the car and on the bike, and they really can be worth it. They do tend to emphasise making good progress, which is something that you clearly struggle with.

jaydeeuk1

The speed limit is aimed at the lowest ability drivers. A lot of people are capable of driving 80, 90 even 100 on a motorway and be perfectly in control and be no less dangerous than someone doing 70. In fact, that copper who was caught doing 150mph wasn't charged with anything as he was deemed to have sufficient skill at driving a vehicle at that speed.


Its also a one size fits all, France at least takes in to consideration rain and snow.


If you can't/aren't able to drive a car in perfect conditions at the speed limit, then imo you are a danger and shouldn't be on the roads.

iolanthe07

the driver who drives slow is not responsible for the frustration of other drivers that may result,

Of course he/she is! Drivers who drive at an unrealistically slow speed are selfish and a menace on the road. It is not always possible to overtake, and most of the them are blithley unaware of the frustration and anger building up behind them. They rarely pull in to let you pass, in my experience.

motorguy

jaydeeuk1 wrote: »

If you can't/aren't able to drive a car in perfect conditions at the speed limit, then imo you are a danger and shouldn't be on the roads.

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:

motorguy

iolanthe07 wrote: »

the driver who drives slow is not responsible for the frustration of other drivers that may result,

Of course he/she is! Drivers who drive at an unrealistically slow speed are selfish and a menace on the road. It is not always possible to overtake, and most of the them are blithley unaware of the frustration and anger building up behind them. They rarely pull in to let you pass, in my experience.

What about the drivers who drive unacceptably fast? I drive at bang on 30 in a 30 and the amount of times people just *have* to get past and glare at you like you're in the wrong - maybe speeds limits dont apply to them?

OR the people who, when you are driving in traffic insist on sitting on your back bumper, just to get *one* car further up the traffic at the next roundabout?

Definitely agree in keeping a reasonable speed of knots, but NOT necessarily straight to the speed limit every time - as has been pointed out - its a limit, not a target.

notanewuser

sinbad182 wrote: »

Driving at 55 on a motorway (which you stated you sometimes do) does not equal less accidents. You're creating a hundred unnecessary flash points every time a lorry has to move out to pass you.

Sorry but at best you're not a competent, confident driver and at worst you're just plain thoughtless.

Not to mention that a car whose speedo reads 50 might actually only be doing 45............

There's a lovely NSL road here (60 limit) that people will pootle down at 40mph even when it's completely empty. If you dare to overtake (and I do) they flash their lights and get all animated because you want to drive at an appropriate speed.

Slowly_does_it..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQZownCGnYg

Stoke

I don't like people who drive unnecessarily slowly and then refer to those behind them as 'impatient'. Ultimately, if you work a long way away from home, you may have to get up early just to be in on time. If you're then held up by someone driving 40 in a 60 zone without good reason (e.g. poor weather conditions, debris on road, using a space saver 'get me home' tyre) then I think people have the right to be impatient. I myself work about 36 miles away from home. That's a good hour to an hour and half travelling for me, it can be very frustrating driving on the A34, which is a predominantly straight road with a 60Mph limit, when I'm sat behind someone who is doing 35-40Mph, especially as it's usually a busy road which makes it harder to overtake. It's not selfish to drive slightly slower than the speed limit, but it is selfish to drive much slower than the speed limit, especially as in many cases there are other routes can you take which would give a more relaxed feel to your drive.

The concept that reducing the speed limit would somehow help is also wrong, because how far do you go? It's currently 60Mph so let's make it 50Mph, but oh wait, what if we reduced it to 40Mph, and hell, 30Mph isn't that much slower.

!!!! it, no cars at all. Everyone should walk or take horse and cart.

Stoke

sinbad182 wrote: »

Driving at 55 on a motorway (which you stated you sometimes do) does not equal less accidents. You're creating a hundred unnecessary flash points every time a lorry has to move out to pass you.

Sorry but at best you're not a competent, confident driver and at worst you're just plain thoughtless.

Normally I'm the first to disagree with you and your mindless ramblings but I have to agree with this. Spot on. There's certainly no way that driving 55Mph on a motorway can equal less accidents, especially when most other people are doing the speed limit or only a few MPH less (excluding a few HGV).

Your unnecessarily slow speeds (e.g, 55 on the motorway which means you're really doing 50) means there will be an increase in congestion in the middle lane which will also make it harder to perform lane manouveres for people on the left. If people follow the rules correctly, there's a definite chance that someone in the left hand lane would be going significantly quicker than you and would not be able to pull into the middle lane due to the extra congestion you have created. It's also forcing lorry's as sinbad said, to perform such manouveres which are already a bit of a hazard as it is.

Call it relaxed driving, I call it poor driving. Nothing more. Forget the confidence thing, if you're struggling, take some top up lessons.

tberry6686

KatieDee wrote: »

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.


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!

You are being critical of your mothers driving when you are as bad as she is. Learn how to overtake and do so when required. All it takes is 1 slow driver or artic and 2 or three people unwilling to overtake and you have queues building and frustration setting in resulting in reckless overtaking and accidents.