Should I change my driving style for other road users?

AdrianC

Aretnap wrote: »

(It doesn't sound like the other fellow exactly covered himself in glory either...

I don't believe the exchange rate between rights and wrongs has changed much since my mother assured me it was not 2:1...

molerat

Stevie_Palimo wrote: »

I find a quick tap of the brakes normally suffices in these situations.

I thought that was what rear fog lights are for

POPPYOSCAR

IMO driving standards have dropped considerably.

The number of drivers who do not indicate, pull out without even looking etc. exceed the speed limit seems to be on the increase.

Perhaps it is indicative of society today ' all about me'.

motorguy

Aretnap wrote: »

Highway Code Rule 168

Being overtaken. If a driver is trying to overtake you, maintain a steady course and speed, slowing down if necessary to let the vehicle pass. Never obstruct drivers who wish to pass. Speeding up or driving unpredictably while someone is overtaking you is dangerous. Drop back to maintain a two-second gap if someone overtakes and pulls into the gap in front of you.

(It doesn't sound like the other fellow exactly covered himself in glory either, but yes as a rule you should allow people to overtake, and if necessary slow down to let them do so safely.)

+1

Totally hits the nail on the head.

If someone is overtaking you, you have an obligation - under the highway code - NOT to accelerate.

By doing so, you are obstructing them, as defined above.

motorguy

molerat wrote: »

I thought that was what rear fog lights are for

Or your handbrake.

:eek:

AdrianC

molerat wrote: »

Stevie_Palimo wrote:

I find a quick tap of the brakes normally suffices in these situations.

I thought that was what rear fog lights are for

Last night, the car in front of me suddenly slowed and indicated. I braked - gently, as much to give the guy behind plenty of warning as to shed speed faster than simply lifting was doing...

...and he flashed his front fog lights at me. The car I was driving doesn't have a central brake light, so I guess he assumed I was flashing my rear fogs at him...

motorguy

superpauk wrote: »

Nothing wrong with your driving from i have read.

Yes there is - as per Adrians extract from the highway code, you shouldnt accelerate if someone is performing an overtaking maneuver.

superpauk wrote: »

If someone drives like that behind me i will drive even slower.

Fantastic idea. Antagonise the situation further. That always ends well.

Why cant people just people maintain a steady speed, and facilitate the safe overtaking maneuver of another driver?

I used to see a variant of it quite a bit on my commute home from my last job. Cross country route for maybe 20 miles, only a couple of good safe overtaking points, 60MPH national speed limit, some gimp driving along at 25 MPH oblivious to the queue of cars behind them when you couldnt pass them and any time there was a straight where someone could overtake them they were away like Michael Schumacher then down to 25MPH again for the next corner...

motorguy

deaston wrote: »

I posted on here the other day and enjoyed hearing others' opinions, so thought I'd ask this on here, too.

I was driving through a village at about 5.30am this morning. A car appeared behind me and seemed frustrated I was doing the 30mph limit and demonstrated this but trying to see how close he could get to my rear bumper.

After a couple of miles, I entered a national speed limit and the road straightened, so I accelerated. It was at this point that the car decided this was the perfect moment to overtake, even though we were going up a hill.

Headlights appeared in the distance and he was forced to pull back. As the car passed there was a lot of beeping, as it was uncomfortably close.

I was then subjected to a lot of flashing from my friend and he spent the next couple of miles seeing if he could get even closer to my rear bumper.

Should I have changed my driving style to accommodate his desire to overtake?

Out of curiosity, you're bound to have had an inkling he was going to pass you once you hit the national speed limit - why speed up at all (so hard that he couldnt pass you safely as it happens). Why not facilitate him passing first?

motorguy

superpauk wrote: »

Nothing wrong with your driving from i have read. I would rather drive sensibly and safely

If someone drives like that behind me i will drive even slower.

So speeding up when someone is trying to overtake you or slowing down when someone is on your back bumper is driving sensibly and safely is it?

Gloomendoom

agrinnall wrote: »

Perhaps you could provide a link to the legislation that says if you have an "emergency" you can drive like a !!!!!!.

Common law doesn't work like that. Maybe you are thinking of France?