Should I change my driving style for other road users?

NBLondon

deaston wrote: »

Either way, seems I should have altered my driving to allow him to pass.

Temporarily....
Your opening question is not quite right. You are not changing your style wholesale - and not for other drivers but for self-preservation. There might be a bit of "why am I letting an idiot bully me here" but in the long run I'd say better to have the idiot in front where you can see them and if necessary avoid them when they encounter another idiot.

AdrianC

NBLondon wrote: »

Temporarily....
Your opening question is not quite right. You are not changing your style wholesale - and not for other drivers but for self-preservation. There might be a bit of "why am I letting an idiot bully me here" but in the long run I'd say better to have the idiot in front where you can see them and if necessary avoid them when they encounter another idiot.

It shouldn't even be a change.

Your driving style should be defensive and aware of other road users at all times.

mysicly

I'm a fairly new driver so I'm still in the 2 year probation. I won't do anything deliberately that I could get points for, it took me a long time to be able to afford lessons and a car, I'm not going to lose it for some nutter.
Quite regular on 2 local roads which are similar - start at 30 (alongside houses) and then changes to 60 (through farmers fields) I will get people overtaking me before the NSL sign. I've had people overtake when I am accelerating, I have a small but speedy car do it doesn't exactly take me long to get up to speed. I'll just let them pass, I'd rather they were in front than kissing my bumper. Then I have a chuckle to myself when I meet back up with them by the time they are at the next junction.

What I really don't like is if you are doing 70 in the right most lane of a motorway due to overtaking the other lanes it doesn't take long for someone to be right up your backside. I had someone a few weeks ago who I actually thought was going to hit my rear he got so close and I ended up accelerating to 75 because I couldn't get back into the 2nd lane due to the traffic and no safe gaps. He was still up my rear until I was able to move lanes. I ended up sitting next to him at the traffic lights at the end of the next exit slip road so he didn't get that far.
How do people who drive so aggressive never have accidents? The people who overtake when it's unsafe to do, who pull out without checking their blind spots, those who come hurtling down a road that has parked cars narrowing the road? Is it just everyone else who has to drive so defensively that prevents more accidents? They have some kind of superiority complex and expect everyone else to get out of their way because they are coming through regardless.
I don't think it helps because I am a female driver in a small car, I definitely get more incidents like this than my husband and we both drive in a very similar style.

Nasqueron

mysicly wrote: »

I'm a fairly new driver so I'm still in the 2 year probation. I won't do anything deliberately that I could get points for, it took me a long time to be able to afford lessons and a car, I'm not going to lose it for some nutter.
Quite regular on 2 local roads which are similar - start at 30 (alongside houses) and then changes to 60 (through farmers fields) I will get people overtaking me before the NSL sign. I've had people overtake when I am accelerating, I have a small but speedy car do it doesn't exactly take me long to get up to speed. I'll just let them pass, I'd rather they were in front than kissing my bumper. Then I have a chuckle to myself when I meet back up with them by the time they are at the next junction.

What I really don't like is if you are doing 70 in the right most lane of a motorway due to overtaking the other lanes it doesn't take long for someone to be right up your backside. I had someone a few weeks ago who I actually thought was going to hit my rear he got so close and I ended up accelerating to 75 because I couldn't get back into the 2nd lane due to the traffic and no safe gaps. He was still up my rear until I was able to move lanes. I ended up sitting next to him at the traffic lights at the end of the next exit slip road so he didn't get that far.
How do people who drive so aggressive never have accidents? The people who overtake when it's unsafe to do, who pull out without checking their blind spots, those who come hurtling down a road that has parked cars narrowing the road? Is it just everyone else who has to drive so defensively that prevents more accidents? They have some kind of superiority complex and expect everyone else to get out of their way because they are coming through regardless.
I don't think it helps because I am a female driver in a small car, I definitely get more incidents like this than my husband and we both drive in a very similar style.

People who drive dangerously do have accidents, you might not see them but they do. There is a road near me which goes 30->40->60 and I've twice in the last year seen the wreck of a car upside down in the fields either side of the road where someone has clearly done some stupid move and paid the price. Get home safe yourself, don't worry about others doing stupid stuff once they have gone by

Overtaking traffic in the outside lane at 70 is fine, don't be bullied into speeding, just tuck back in as soon as you have a safe gap - though if there is a lot of traffic consider whether it's worth going out to the right hand lane if you're not going to make much progress.

barnaclebill

There are a lot of road works near me with average speed cameras, on the 30 mph part, after the speed cameras it is still 30 mph for a mile or so, as soon as the average speed cameras are passed most car's speed up and if you do not they drive close to your bumper to try to force you to speed up, I just stick to 30 mph, there is no room for them to overtake if I slow down as the road still has cones on, it's just bullying.

almillar

But he didn't actually perform the overtake 'til later. If you are going to maintain speed to encourage the idiot to overtake then you need to make some sort of signal to tell him he can pass. Simply staying at 30mph isn't necessarily going to help.

If he tailgates someone through, and out of, a 30 limit into a 60, and doesn't overtake when he leaves the 30, he really does have a problem. You are giving a signal, simply by not speeding up when you're meant to.

So it seems, according to the law, I should've paused my acceleration to 60mph and let him pass

No, the highway code only says not to accelerate WHEN being overtaken, and even brake if necessary. There's no 'law' saying you should pull over, slow down or not accelerate to allow a following driver to start the manouevre.

Mercdriver

almillar wrote: »

If he tailgates someone through, and out of, a 30 limit into a 60, and doesn't overtake when he leaves the 30, he really does have a problem. You are giving a signal, simply by not speeding up when you're meant to.

I would suggest it would be better to leave no doubt as to what your intentions are in case there is any incident. If you have indicated he cannot misread your intentions. Also a lot of these idiots' reactions and observational skills aren't as good as they think they are. Better to treat them like an idiot and make sure you paint by numbers for them. That way you can't be accused of not making your intentions clear.

Many will still stick on you for some time even if you do slow down as they may have come across people that just accelerate late. Best to indicate left and pull as far left as possible. Obviously you should also make sure you have checked the road ahead.

Tinks74

To be honest the rules are contradictory.

If the car being overtaken has to obey Rule 168 it is often because the car overtaking has not obeyed Rule 163 or Rule 167.

Rule 163
Overtake only when it is safe and legal to do so. You should
- move quickly past the vehicle you are overtaking, once you have started to overtake. Allow plenty of room. Move back to the left as soon as you can but do not cut in

Rule 167
DO NOT overtake where you might come into conflict with other road users. For example
- when you would force another road user to swerve or slow down

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.

But a lot of drivers only quote "Your" responsibilities under Rule 168 conveniently omitting that "They" have responsibilities too!
If "You" have been maintaining a steady speed and have to slow down to let them in, it is because "They" failed to correctly judge the space and speed required to complete the manoeuvre safely in the first place.

AdrianC

Tinks74 wrote: »

To be honest the rules are contradictory.

No, they really aren't.

If the car being overtaken has to obey Rule 168 it is often because the car overtaking has not obeyed Rule 163 or Rule 167.

But a lot of drivers only quote "Your" responsibilities under Rule 168 conveniently omitting that "They" have responsibilities too!

What did your mother tell you about wrongs and rights?

What YOU do is within your control. What THEY do is not. It matters not how badly they behave - that doesn't justify YOU behaving badly, too.

Tinks74

I am fully aware that two wrongs do not make a right, thank you for mansplaining it to me.


However, why is it that the criticism being more fiercely levelled at the person being overtaken for not adjusting their speed, when it is the fact that the person who is overtaking has obviously exercised bad judgement in attempting to make a manoeuvre that was obviously not safe.


The OP was perfectly within their rights to accelerate from 30 to the national speed limit at the sign and then cruise at that speed.


I have been driving long enough to have experienced similar situations and have let the other drivers pass.


It is a case of the sensible person having to accommodate the actions of the idiot.


And, btw, when it comes to driving my parents, both ex police and one a police driver, always told me "You can't go faster than the car in front!"