Other drivers

The hovering to overtake bit is the driver behind flashing headlights and so on. Not the OP.

It means they're over the centre line looking for an opportunity to overtake. Suggests they're too close to the OP as well as you can see ahead if you're the appropriate distance behind.

The speed limit is the speed limit though, not a target. You don't have to drive at it if the conditions are not suitable. 'Conditions' can mean lots of things.

I'm originally from a rural area. Most of the roads are national speed limit. They're also windy, narrow lanes, not lit at all and full of hazards like ice, wildlife darting out etc. My brother had 2 friends die as 18 yos on those roads. Legally you can do the NSL but you absolutely shouldn't, especially at night, even on the 2 lane parts, despite what some nocturnal boy racer (probably pissed) thinks you should do. And you absolutely shouldn't get up behind someone if they're not going as fast as you would like. Just wait. It happens a lot to me with cyclists- I'm a cyclist as well- and you come under a lot of pressure to close pass cyclists. I won't do it. So tough, you'll just have to wait until it's safe to overtake- and you probably can't see what's coming the other way anyway.

One of the places I lived had different speed limits when it was raining which I quite liked.

I (and doubtless everyone) have had some lunatic driving much faster than the speed limit and trying to bully me out of the way.

But it's very rare. If you are getting this a lot then the common denominator must be you. What is 'hovering to overtake' @Desperatetime? If you mean you are blocking the road by driving at the same speed as the person on your left then just move back in until you can pass safely.

Being technically in the right won't make the inevitable accident any nicer for you. Just drive in a way that is considerate of other and move in.

It's absolutely ridiculous. The other week I was on some country lanes, with the speed limit being mostly 50 but going down to 40 in some areas and I had a motorbike tailgating me and flashing lights for the entire journey. I was doing the maximum speed and there were opportunities for him to overtake. Tailgating in a car is bad enough but it could've been lethal for him if I'd had to do an emergency stop. Also a huge roundabout by me with yellow boxes, most people ignore them and sit in the yellow box and block the flow of traffic. I stay out of the box and they all blow the horn at me. Ffs!

As the un suggests, I'm a new driver.
I travel a little under the speed limit 27/8 in a hilly 30 for example while I'm adjusting to a new car and no, sitting on my arse is not going to make me go any faster - I can't afford 3 of the 6 points I've got for the first two years because you don't like the speed limit. And it's not like I'm doing 28 in a 40 or a 60.

I've improved in the 2 weeks I've had the car and I must say that 80% of drivers don't hassle and give me space and time, but for some the P plates make them lose their heads, I've been cut up more than once on a roundabout, pulled out on because they don't want to be 'stuck' behind me and tailgated going 60 in a 60 and overtaken while shaking their head or making gestures, beeping the horn.
It's like the speed limits are optional or a suggestion to some people from my short stint on the road!

Yes.

The highway code says the one reason for flashing your lights is to alert another driver to the fact you're there - that's exactly what you want to do, as realising you're there will (hopefully) also make them remember that it's an overtaking lane.

Oh, the clue. Because it would just be too easy to say something straightforward. Well done for deciding to stop risking the safety and lives of other road users. Or are you just thinking about it in terms of the fuel you've saved?

Why do lorries flash and blast their horn and then overtake.
If I reacted to the horn and lights and DID speed up, then they wouldn't get back in or have to pull back behind me causing them more anger.

The clue was in the original sentence.
I think this has just gone over your head a bit.

So... what is the posted speed limit?

You're winding us up right?! You do know that NOT merging at the end is completely the wrong thing to do? You are supposed to use all of the available open road until the end and then merge in turn like a zip.

The trick is just to relax, and that goes for those getting apoplectic about someone doing 45 on a country road when you think they should be going faster. It really doesn’t matter.

Traffic is supposed to merge like a zip!

It works and makes sense yet far too many UK drivers don't seem to understand it. It also reduces traffic congestion further back, hence you go right up to the end THEN merge in turn.

What gets me is that the dangerous drivers rarely kill themselves. They always end up killing other people. How does that happen?

It means I may have often (completely accidentally) gone a tiny bit over

Highway Code states:

"Rule 110. Flashing headlights. Only flash your headlights to let other road users know that you are there. Do not flash your headlights to convey any other message or intimidate other road users."

And:

“Do not flash your headlights to convey any other message or intimidate other road users. Never assume that flashing headlights is a signal inviting you to proceed. Use your own judgement and proceed carefully.”

So, OK to let someone know you are there in the scenario you describe. But nothing else and definitely NOT repeatedly which will count as aggressive driving.

While I'm on the subject of flashing headlights, it counts as obstruction of a police officers duty to flash drivers warning them of police monitoring traffic speeds under Section 89 of the Police Act 1997. This should not be happening.

It’s literally what the Highway Code tells you to do. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Merging gets me stressed. Why leave it to the last second? Why make it a game?

I don't understand the scenario you are suggesting. If I'm in the second lane of a dual carriageway, driving at 70 mph, approaching a car that could move over to the first lane but has chosen not to, I can legitimately flash my lights at them to encourage them to move over?

Do you mean accidentally crossing the white line?

Or do you mean that in situations where it is safe to do so, they take a line through the corner which uses the whole of the road?

The former is poor driving, the latter is good driving.

One of the specific behaviours the OP mentioned was cars behind flashing their lights.

To be clear, there is one scenario that is entirely legitimate - if you're on a dual-carriageway or motorway and are in an overtaking lane but not overtaking.

Doing it just because you want the car in front to speed up is thuggish and rude.

Oh, yes, my favourite – still indicating right even as they're now exiting. People don't understand how that doesn't make sense, indicating one direction while driving in the fucking opposite direction.

It's because they're all-round shit drivers who don't actually give a fuck about being good at driving. Actually, probably most of them think they are indeed good drivers, and wouldn't even be able to see what they're doing wrong if their life depended on it. They are probably also stupid. Recently, I've realised that most people are stupid.

Up until a year or so ago, I would have said yes. Don't get me wrong, I am still tailgated and flashed by apoplectic men in vans no matter how fast I'm going, but I'm seeing a rise in fucking horrendous driving by women in high-end SUVs. Really aggressive, erratic driving with zero use of indicators.

Of course there are shite drivers in all demographics, these are just the most common two around here.

As an aside, the lack of indictors seems to be a general trend and it drives me batty. Particularly at roundabouts - 90% of people don't indicate that they're exiting 😒

I'm confused, is it the impatient tail gaters who are the baddies, or the middle lane dawdlers?