New driver, stressful incident

One word of caution, I wouldn’t use the speedometer from your satnav over your car one. You said it’s more accurate but how do you know this? Stick to using your car one.

Plus I don’t know what satnav you have but I use Google maps in my car and the speed limit displayed on this is often wrong. Not saying you rely on this to see what the speed limit is but stick to reading the signs.

i had some idiot right on my tail alongn country roads, eventually i turned off and he then honked his horn.
so he was clever

Ivbeen driving for 15 years.
I get tailgated by twats on country lanes. Esp at night.
They are wrong, not you
Drive at a speed you feel comfortable at. As long as its sensible
(Like not doing 30 on the straight, well lit bypass, unless you are a tractor)

She won't report you as her driving was shit. People are so impatient and aggressive these days even with learners. My learner son stalled at a roundabout and the girl behind sounded her horn. She was young and should remember what it's like to learn. Had it happened again I would've got out and had very strong words but he kept calm and carried on. I would definitely recommend you get a dashcam front and rear. Insurance companies are a nightmare and it took my husband 3 years of fighting when a woman sideswiped him and the insurance company tried to say he had moved lane so was 50% liable. He had dashcam footage showing he hadn't so won after 2 appeals to the ombudsman but he would've lost out had he not had one.

You know you could read the op before commenting right?

Road rage… hmm.. I think understand them. I feel like this when I go inside my local Waitrose and get stuck behind 90+ year olds (with too much money 😬) who move way below the acceptable speed limit also won’t let me overtake them comfortably. I feel indoor road rage 😡 as I often just come for a free coffee 😸 and can’t afford much else 😏

Some drivers have no idea how to drive and how close they are.

I live in a city and stick exactly to the speed limit. The tailgating, the beeping, the overtaking and speeding off, the sheer aggression on the roads is unbelievable.

Get yourself a dashcam.

And congratulations on passing your driving test.

You can get fined for giving the finger? Shit...Ive extended my arm out the window to give the finger many times

As I e told my newly passed 17 year old you drive to the road the conditions and what you feel comfortable with in the day. Ignore everyone else if they don’t like it.

I've been driving 30 years OP and tailgaters are the thing I hate most. With other types of shit driving you can just let them get on with it, but tailgaters you can't get away from!

I've been in the same position on country roads where I'd have happily pulled over and let them pass, but if you're doing 50 and they're right behind you it feels too unsafe to stop.

I've also seen horrible accidents on the winding hilly roads near me, which act as a reminder not to be bullied into going too fast for the road conditions.

I would try not to give them the finger though, simply because some people could get violent. Just mutter/swear under your breath about what an idiot they are!

If you are being tailgated all the time, you might be driving slower than you think. If you’re obviously and clearly holding up people and aren’t comfortable moving along, pull over.

i know people shouldn’t tailgate but I think you’re the problem here, as it’s an ongoing issue. You need to allow for the fact that speedos in cars under read and people who know roads well expect to be able to do 30 in 20:zones (not saying I agree or disagree but this is a thing). So if you’re doing 16 in a 20 zone it will be painful for others.

suggest doing an advanced driving course. Oh and don’t over think things! There is no way on earth anyone would have reported you, bloody hell.

🤣 I was just about to say something similar. Most people get a muttered "fecking arsehole" but the special cases get the window-wound-down full appreciative-of-their driving skill gesture.
As for reporting you OP, first they would need evidence and secondly, that evidence would need to not incriminate them so I really wouldn't worry.

Can’t you read? She obviously knows about speedos reading low from what she’s written.
The problem always is with the tailgater. If someone in front is driving a bit slower than you want, you still need to keep a safe distance until it’s safe for you to overtake. If you hope they’ll slow down you don’t drive so close up their arse that they can’t brake if they see a passing place, which is the sort of thing the OP describes.

If you gently touch your brake pedal your lights will come on without actually engaging the brakes. It can be enough to give a tailgater a fright and back off.

Just drive at whatever speed you feel safe at, regardless of the speed limit on that road. Even if you did ever need to drive at 30 on a 50/60 road, (though I know you didn't in this case), there is nothing wrong with that when the road conditions dictate slowing down to that speed.

Whoever is behind will have to handle it. Tailgaters who don't read the road conditions are found dead in collisions with tree trunks, walls, telegraph poles and lamp posts every day. Others are found high in branches after aquaplaning. Your ability to read the road, which you're already showing, is what will serve you. :)

This can be potholes (that were not there when the road was given 50/60 limit), puddles, fog, bad rain, ice, cyclists, cars coming the other way, high winds, fallen branches, bad road markings, oily surfaces, gravel, surface damage, animals likely to dart out (for example when driving through a forest or in the early morning on country lanes). There are so many reasons to go slower than NSL.

There is not a minimum speed limit but we need to be seen to make due progress given the limit and conditions.

Because you felt that driving at 50mph was already dangerous given all the potholes and the narrow lane (as well as having just passed your test), you were within your rights to go slower and whoever is behind would be irked but they also don't want a shunt, so focus on what is ahead, and what feels safe to you.

Sounds like you're doing really well, so don't let tailgaters get to you because even if you had been doing 60, there would always be someone urging you to go faster. Well done on passing and getting out there!

You can flick your lights on - safer than braking.

I had this issue earlier today OP. I signalled and pulled over to let the moron past. I got beeped at for my trouble. I beeped long and loud back. Childish but well deserved!

What has her age got to do with this?

Just ignore it where possible. And never give them the finger, you never know who will stop and smash your head in for it.

Personally I found P plates helped when I first passed my driving test. Maybe I was imagining it, but it did feel like people gave me more space.

Other than that, just try to ignore tailgaters and not react to them at all. I've never heard of anyone getting fined for driving to the road conditions. There's several rural roads near me that are marked national speed limit but you'd be suicidal to try and take them at 60.

Please don't let this put you off driving, just last night I was driving at 30 in a 30 and someone tailgated me and beeped their horn to try to get me to pull over/go faster. I just ignored them and carried on. I've been driving for 20 + years and this is not uncommon unfortunately, just remain calm and ignore the pricks.

You did absolutely nothing wrong don’t give it another thought You were right to drive to the conditions of the road the National speed limit is not a target. Tailgaters are a pain and best ignored

I never used P plates when I passed my test. I pull over at a safe place and let people overtake if they're going to be tailgating like that, its not worth it. Especially if I'm on a country road with bends.

This. I am a new driver too. The biggest lesson has been to experience how many deranged twats are on the road with you.

I would say that giving someone the finger in public is doing something wrong