Why do you drive everywhere at 40mph?

thescouselander

My mother in law does this - 40 mph every where, A roads, the motorway, residential streets etc etc. Being in the car with her is absolutely terrifying. The problem is she's an incompetent and driver and should not be on the road.

GwylimT

Our road is a 30mph stretch, before and after the village is is 60mph. There is a school on each side of the road, so webhave those flashy signs that tell motorists their speed. The fast I have witnessed flash up is 73mph.

We do get people who bumble alone at 40mph as I'm regularly behind one, recently one clearly wasn't pay attention as they ran over a crossing warden who I had been able to see for around 250 yards and I was behind Mr 40mph. Luckily her injuries were minor, but Mr 40mph got out and gave her some verbal abuse until we told him where to stick it.

Due to this there has been a van in a layby each working day since, so it is satisfying seeing the sign flashing 45mph as you know the speed van is around ten yards away.

AdrianC

boliston wrote: »

I find that 50 is usually a good speed on normal 60 limit roads that balances progress with saving fuel but a lot of people have little interest in fuel saving.

The fuel usage difference between 50 and 60 will be absolutely minimal.

Norman_Castle

photome wrote: »

wrong, doing 40 in a 60 would fail the driving test.

You're expected to drive at higher speed on a driving test to prove you are willing and capable of doing so. Presumably the drivers in the OP are not on a driving test.
If you drive at 40 in a 30 you would fail the driving test. How many drivers stick to 30?

lewishardwick

I'm saving my vitriolic hatred for those who join a motorway at 40mph!
The sort that "have never had an accident in x years of motoring"! Yet leave a trail of carnage wherever they go.

There's a lower level of Hell for them!

boliston

lewishardwick wrote: »

I'm saving my vitriolic hatred for those who join a motorway at 40mph!
The sort that "have never had an accident in x years of motoring"! Yet leave a trail of carnage wherever they go.

There's a lower level of Hell for them!

Anyone who is remotely observant would not be bothered by them - a bit like those muppets you see getting boxed in behind an hgv as they cannot "read the road ahead"

AdrianC

Norman_Castle wrote: »

You're expected to drive at higher speed on a driving test to prove you are willing and capable of doing so.

No, you're expected to prove that you are capable of a bare minimum acceptable standard of driving...

bertiewhite

thescouselander wrote: »

My mother in law does this - 40 mph every where, A roads, the motorway, residential streets etc etc. Being in the car with her is absolutely terrifying. The problem is she's an incompetent and driver and should not be on the road.

Do you tell her though???

AdrianC

bertiewhite wrote: »

Do you tell her though???

Her driving is probably less terrifying than the wrath of the missus should her mother be upset...

iolanthe07

kmb500 wrote: »

Isn't everyone selfish?
Sometimes you can't avoid driving slowly. A few months ago I was carrying an extremely fragile computer in my boot that came with no packaging, and had to drive it back from work in my car with rock hard tyres/suspension, on extremely bumpy / pothole-full roads. I drove at 20mph the whole way - and it's 60 all the way. I had a massive queue behind me. I felt bad, but at the end of the day, it was unavoidable and well this sort of thing happens from time to time. It was a 10 minute journey and it's one of only a handful of times I've had to drive slowly. But you never know, there may be a reason someone is driving slow.

Fair enough, but was there no where you could pull in safely to let them overtake?