Should I change my driving style for other road users?

DoaM

motorguy wrote: »

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...

That really does my head in ... I encounter that situation quite often since I live in a countryfied location. Fortunately my car is (usually) powerful enough to be able to get past such people when the opportunity arises, but it's the sort of action that causes most people to become very frustrated - and it's frustration that leads to accidents.

It's like the story of the old driver who's driven for 50 years and never had an accident ... seen quite a few though.

motorguy

DoaM wrote: »

That really does my head in ... I encounter that situation quite often. Fortunately my car is (usually) powerful enough to be able to get past such people when the opportunity arises, but it's the sort of action that causes most people to become very frustrated - and it's frustration that leads to accidents.

It's like the story of the old driver who's driven for 50 years and never had an accident ... seen quite a few though.

Similar with our main car. There is very little that could out accelerate it stop it passing you, if we chose to overtake.

Less so with our other two - a Boxster and a modded Volvo T5 - but they're still high up there for grunt. Just not in the same league as the A45. :cool:

almillar

After a couple of miles, I entered a national speed limit and the road straightened, so I accelerated.

That's perfect driving, but with an impatient driver behind me, I would have held my speed to let him past. Defensive driving.

However this:

I'd say drive your own drive, and don't worry about the other idiots

Is good advice if you're not confident in 'manipulating' other traffic.

Also note that your perfectly legal speedos might have said 30, and his 27, so he thinks you're slow, not at the limit.

Why? The "rabidly anti-MLM" brigade make a big thing about people doing the limit shouldn't be making those wishing to speed alter their course or direction (as it says you should avoid in the HC).

No, THEY should drive on the left, as it says in the HC. Ignore speed.

motorguy

almillar wrote: »

That's perfect driving, but with an impatient driver behind me, I would have held my speed to let him past. Defensive driving.

If someone is performing an overtaking maneuver, the correct process to facilitate that is to maintain your speed - not accelerate as the O/P did?

Like you, i'd have held my current speed to facilitate them overtaking me, then i'd have sped up once they were safely past.

almillar

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

He wasn't being overtaken, he just had a tailgater - he accelerated when the speed limit changed, by my reading.

motorguy

almillar wrote: »

He wasn't being overtaken, he just had a tailgater - he accelerated when the speed limit changed, by my reading.

Yes, however once someone is performing an overtaking maneuver, you should facilitate that by maintaining your speed, not accelerating further.

Had the O/P got to say 40MPH and saw the guy behind indicate and start to overtake he should have maintained his speed @ 40MPH, not continued to accelerate.

Accelerating further very nearly caused an accident.....

agrinnall

Gloomendoom wrote: »

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

I don't know what either common law or France have to do with this thread, but to phrase my question more precisely, whereabouts in the Road Traffic Act 1988 does it state that an emergency allows you to drive contrary to the law (for example, at more than 30 mph in a 30 mph zone)?

d0nkeyk0ng

AdrianC wrote: »

MS50 (Motor racing on the highway) - 3 to 11 points.

How's it motor racing if all I'm going is simply accelerating as it's a new speed limit?

MEM62

The prudent course of action would have been to pull over and let him past.

The thought process is this, do you want him ahead of you where he presents less of a risk or are you going to accept a high risk situation where a driver you feel is being erratic and impatient is sitting up your backside for a few miles?

It's a no-brainer really.

pinkshoes

Always best to have an idiot in front than behind!

I had a very similar situation a few weeks ago. I had the kids in the car and we were following a 40mph driver down a 60mph road. (Same driver doing 40mph through the 30mph we just left...)

My 6 year old asked why I didn't overtake, so I told him that we were about to go up a short hill, so it would be dangerous, as I couldn't see what was coming the other way.

And on cue, a car then attempts to overtake both me and the slow car in front, going up a hill! And a car comes over the hill the other way...

He *just* managed to make it back onto his side, but the car coming hte other way must have braked very sharply.

The slow car infront of me didn't even brake. I'm not sure they even realised the car had over taken them!