People pushing your speed in the dark

splishsplash

Person_one wrote: »

The speed limit is a maximum, not a minimum, there are loads of situations where its not appropriate or safe to go at the full limit. Even in ideal conditions, good drivers vary their speed as needed for bends, hazards etc.

The speed limit is the allowed speed. Your competence (or lack of) as a driver should not force me to travel at 20% under the allowed speed.
It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out if a car is caught behind you, you are slowing them down, so you should pull over and let them pass.

splishsplash

Rosemary7391 wrote: »

Surely no matter how well you know the road, you have to be driving slowly enough to stop if you round the corner and find a tree or something in the middle of the road?

It goes without saying you should drive according to your competence level, but you should be aware of other drivers who are more competent than you. No need to hold them up because you are not comfortable driving at the allowed limit.

splishsplash

Person_one wrote: »

If the call is urgent enough that the doctor needs to break the speed limit and tailgate, he should have advised his patient to call an ambulance.

Driving fast enough to risk an accident is a terrible idea with a woman in labour in the car, again, crashing isn't going to help any of them.

I agree that the correct thing to do is to pull over at the earliest opportunity and let them pass, but not because they have a right to drive dangerously, because its safer for them to be far in front driving dangerously than immediately behind. These drivers aren't only risking their own safety which would be bad enough, but other people's too.

Driving at the allowed speed is hardly driving dangerously or fast enough to cause an accident.

If you are oblivious to drivers caught behind you, what should those driver do? Just curious.
In my neck of the woods, there are stretches of roads where it's impossible to overtake for miles and miles - is it fair to hold up traffic because you're a slower driver?

Redacted

Quoted directly from gov.uk:

You must not drive faster than the speed limit for the type of road and your type of vehicle. The speed limit is the absolute maximum - it doesn’t mean it’s safe to drive at this speed in all conditions.

As another poster has said, it's a limit not a target. We're all supposed to adjust our speed for conditions. I remember getting questions about safe breaking distances and the impact of weather conditions on the theory test. And of course you now have the hazard perception test.

When all these "competent" drivers are deciding they can safely drive in the type of conditions described at or over the speed limit, are they really considering how quickly they can actually stop if they round a bend onto an unexpected cyclist, deer, sheep?

This article makes for interesting reading:

http://www.brake.org.uk/rsw/15-facts-a-resources/facts/1255-speed

splishsplash

Redacted wrote: »

Quoted directly from gov.uk:

You must not drive faster than the speed limit for the type of road and your type of vehicle. The speed limit is the absolute maximum - it doesn’t mean it’s safe to drive at this speed in all conditions.

As another poster has said, it's a limit not a target. We're all supposed to adjust our speed for conditions. I remember getting questions about safe breaking distances and the impact of weather conditions on the theory test. And of course you now have the hazard perception test.

When all these "competent" drivers are deciding they can safely drive in the type of conditions described at or over the speed limit, are they really considering how quickly they can actually stop if they round a bend onto an unexpected cyclist, deer, sheep?

This article makes for interesting reading:

http://www.brake.org.uk/rsw/15-facts-a-resources/facts/1255-speed

Yes, I'm driving 35 years and have never hit a cyclist, deer, sheep or (a hazard in our area in years gone by) a horse drawn caravan.

Still doesn't mean you have to right to police my driving just because you feel you need to go slower than me.

Person_one

splishsplash wrote: »

The speed limit is the allowed speed. Your competence (or lack of) as a driver should not force me to travel at 20% under the allowed speed.
It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out if a car is caught behind you, you are slowing them down, so you should pull over and let them pass.

So many people think they can take windy, hilly, unlit NSL roads at a constant 70mph safely.

You can't, and years of living near several accident blackspots in the pennines where many drivers with your attitude (and a fair few innocent victims who just happened to be in their way) died for their arrogance, confirms that.

splishsplash

Person_one wrote: »

So many people think they can take windy, hilly, unlit NSL roads at a constant 70mph safely.

You can't, and years of living near several accident blackspots in the pennines where many drivers with your attitude (and a fair few innocent victims who just happened to be in their way) died for their arrogance, confirms that.

I'm not making myself clear. I think drivers must drive the roads at speeds they deem safe for themselves. That doesn't mean they should be oblivious to drivers behind them who judge the circumstances differently.

Person_one

splishsplash wrote: »

I'm not making myself clear. I think drivers must drive the roads at speeds they deem safe for themselves. That doesn't mean they should be oblivious to drivers behind them who judge the circumstances differently.

That's not incorrect.

However, that doesn't mean its ok for faster drivers to tailgate and harass slower drivers. That's dangerous and aggressive driving.

Redacted

splishsplash wrote: »

Still doesn't mean you have to right to police my driving just because you feel you need to go slower than me.

The car driving more slowly isn't doing it to police you - they are policing themselves. However, it's not their responsibility to get out of your way if you want to drive faster - it's your responsibility to make decisions for your car. If you want to overtake and you decide it's safe to do so, go right ahead. If you decide it's not safe for you to do so, stop blaming the other driver. They are doing what they think is right and safe for them, which in my view is more important than you getting somewhere a few minutes faster.

summerlady_2

yvonne13 wrote: »

When I was learning to drive my instructor told me that speed limits are only a guide. Example just because the speed limit says 50 that doesn't mean you have to make sure you're driving at that speed. He actually said it means up to 50.

I don't know if any instructors on here can confirm if that's true or not, but that's what I was told.

A speed limit is not a guide, he's used the wrong word - but it is the maximum speed that you are allowed to travel on that stretch of road.


It is also not a target; if road conditions are not optimum, a lower speed will be appropriate.


People seem to think that they should aim for the speed limit (or above) under any circumstances which is why signs are going up stating that it is not a target.