People who drive slow...

neilmcl

warehouse wrote: »

Fish in a barrel.

Not really. I have nothing against people making progress but given that statistically rural roads are the most dangerous, 10 times more than motorways, I don't have issue with others driving with due care and attention in certain circumstances.

cubegame

The problem is not helped by car manufacturers catering for incompetent and nervous drivers by making big chunky small elevated cars for them to hide away in (see Nissan Juke).

And of course, it's further exacerbated by the fact these drivers have no concept of the width of their cars.

lister

iammumtoone wrote: »

The UK has plenty of national speed limit single track/very narrow winding roads, when on an unfamiliar one I always drive slow according to your definition, to do so otherwise would be dangerous to me.

There is also one of these roads local to me which I know very well therefore enabling me to drive at a speed acceptable to your definition. I often meet a motorist in front of me driving 'slow' on this road - do I get annoyed no as I try to understand they are probably not local and experiencing the difficulties I face on this type of road that is unfamiliar to me.

Highlights the biggest problem nicely with the majority of drivers who are somewhat off the pace (based on what a skilled, confident but safe driver might do). A safe driver never judges what speed they can do on the basis of what they know, only on what they can see.

Doesn't matter a jot if you know the road or you don't, the maximum safe speed is still the same, and still determined by what you can see. Admittedly on a road you know well, you can take some mental shortcuts which reduce the cognitive load, but shouldn't affect your judgement of safe speed.

The trouble is that very few people are taught how to do this when they learn to drive, and it does require practice, so many never develop the skills for themselves. As a consequence, most 'experienced' drivers are unnecessarily slow on roads they don't know, and often actually start to introduce risk by being a bit quick on roads that they do.

Ultimately, good and safe driving is about cooperation. You will get the best reactions from other drivers if you keep up with a typical pace (within the speed limit...) and if you can't/won't etc., then make sure you give other drivers every opportunity to get by. Of course, the following drivers should also be cooperative and patient - if you are close behind and looking pushy, don't expect the driver in front to cut you any slack.

For most drivers, following someone who is unnecessarily and unpredictably slow creates frustration, which leads to risk taking, which inevitably leads to accidents. That is precisely why it is not uncommon for people to fail driving tests for driving too slowly

Of course, even if you play nicely with the other drivers, you can still find you upset folks. I did once overtake someone doing 40mph in an NSL - cruised passed easily. Dead straight road, well over half a mile of view, no oncoming, no side roads, and one gateway near the end of the straight (well after I completed the overtake). Thought nothing of it.

Got to the next town about 6 miles away and pulled into the local beauty spot car park to have my lunch. A few minutes later the car I overtook pulled in and the driver came across for a 'word'. My mistake had been to still have my driving school headboard on... I was a disgrace to the profession etc. After a little bit of bemused discussion, I discovered she thought the national speed limit was 40mph - so out came my highway code. Even when she finally left me, she was still convinced it must have changed and had been 40mph when she passed her test...

Strider590

lister wrote: »

I discovered she thought the national speed limit was 40mph - so out came my highway code. Even when she finally left me, she was still convinced it must have changed and had been 40mph when she passed her test...

There was some survey done got to be nearly 10 years ago, in which drivers were asked what the NSL sign actually meant, over 60% didn't know and of the remaining 40% nearly half though it meant "no parking".

There are more recent figures which are less damning, but those drivers from 10 years ago are unlikely to have gone home and read the highway code since then......

neilmcl

Strider590 wrote: »

There was some survey done got to be nearly 10 years ago, in which drivers were asked what the NSL sign actually meant, over 60% didn't know and of the remaining 40% nearly half though it meant "no parking".

I remember watching the news not so long ago about different drivers surveyed about the NSL and it was surprising (or maybe not so) to see how many still don't now what speed(s) the NSL applies to.

There's a speed camera on the A52 near Barrowby and everytime I pass there, even though the NSL applies, you still get a car drivers slamming their anchors on when they're only doing 50 mph or less.

DigForVictory

At my Speed Awareness course (ahem) I was taught the 'other' name for the NSL sign - the Go Faster Stripe...

Me, when going slowly, I have no quarrel with being overtaken so long as the other car leaves me space to brake. Once the car with topbag, camping tackle & all my family aboard is actually moving, my braking distance has extended a bit.

Not wholly certain the racing demons get that, and as for use of indicators... <leaves it to the imagination>

Gloomendoom

DigForVictory wrote: »

At my Speed Awareness course (ahem) I was taught the 'other' name for the NSL sign - the Go Faster Stripe...

NSL sign? I thought they were called "derestriction" signs.

NBLondon

Gloomendoom wrote: »

NSL sign? I thought they were called "derestriction" signs.

Only on the Isle of Man...
At my Speed Awareness course, I got the brownie points for knowing that NSL was 70 on a non-motorway dual carriageway when the rest of the class thought it was 60.

iammumtoone

lister wrote: »

A safe driver never judges what speed they can do on the basis of what they know, only on what they can see.

I don't necessarily think it is that, it is more to do with confidence. I feel confident on a road I know well not so on those I don't. I dont go over the NSL limit on roads I know I still stick to a sensible speed I appreciate whilst I might know where the next bend is and how sharp it is I do not know what is coming round it.

Stoke

prowla wrote: »

...and get upset when you overtake them.

What's that all about?

I was taking a lift yesterday and this actually happened with surprising results.

A34 between Congleton and Wilmslow. People who know it will vouch that it's a safe road to do 60 on.

Lady in an Astra doing about 35-40. The guy giving me a lift, casually overtook her with no real hassle, only for the woman to immediately speed up as he was passing her, hold her hand on the horn for a good 10-20 seconds once we were ahead and then repeatedly flash her main beams at us.

A totally bizarre incident really. If she was happy going 35-40, then that was fine, we just wanted to go a bit quicker and the move was safely executed. No idea why she lost her marbles.