New to driving - is this normal?

[barleyspicy]

Driving 20mph in a 20mph zone. It's a long stretch of road on my commute to work but all the cars in front speed off and all the ones behind honk their horns.

I'm 100% sure is a 20 zone as there are multiple signs. Is there an unwritten rule that if there are no speed cameras everyone drives faster?

I really don't feel comfortable speeding but it happens most mornings the horns behind me and I feel awful.

I live in London where most streets are 20. And you get tickets too - so I'm not taking the risk! I was flashed yesterday and the car eventually overtook me. Idiot.
You drive the speed limit max. It's the law.

No, no unwritten rule. They're idiots. If it's 20, then it's 20 for a reason so stick to it. At the end of the day if you get a ticket for going faster or (god forbid) hit a child you'd be the one dealing with the consequences not the idiots pressuring you to go faster.

I've found that people do tend to drive at 30 in 20mph zone.
But you shouldn't feel pressured into doing so as it is 20 for a reason (usually school, residential area etc). The longer I've been driving, the more confident I've become at ignoring the idiots.

This happens all the time in 20 zones. I too stick to the limit but regularly have people overtake, It seems to me that they drive even faster in a 20 than they would in a 30.
When they overtake me they are out of sight in seconds and I rarely catch up with them.
By this logic. 20 zones don't work unless there's many cameras along the route and only leads to infuriating impatient drivers.

Most people don’t go to the speed limit. I have no time for these people. If it says 20. It’s 20. Ignore them. As a first time driver u may feel intimidated by them. Just no. U do what u want to do. If they can’t wait two mins for u to drive the proper speed. They are idiots.

thank you everyone, theres no space for them to overtake, so I think thats why they get so upset

YANBU. Just because they are late/are in a hurry/just complete arseholes doesn't mean that you have to be too.

I’m afraid you’ll have to get used to this and grow a thick skin. There are many idiots on our roads.

It’s very apparent that driving is much more aggressive now than it was even a few years ago. Ignoring the rules at roundabouts, intimidating and threatening behaviour, inability to use indicators, dangerous manoeuvres and ignoring speed limits.

Im fed up of being intimidated, pulled out in front of, or harassed by drivers, often delivery drivers and drivers of large vehicles who assume that their size means they have the right of way.

Driving is very unpleasant these days, but do what you have to do to abide by the law.

There was a ridiculous discussion on a local Facebook page where people were saying that if you are doing 20 in a 20 zone you are driving dangerously slow and so deserve to have someone tailgating you and peeping their horn.

Absolute idiots.

This happens on a few roads near me too, always the ones where it has been a 30 for the entirety of living memory but changed to a 'twenties plenty' road. I've never experienced it on an "actual twenty" i.e on a residential street or right beside a school. It's worse late at night or v early in the morning, especially if there are massive pavements and zero / few pedestrians on the road. I believe the good thing about them is they make people who would have flew down them at 40mph actually drive at 30mph if that makes sense? But I agree it's frustrating being the only one following the rules while traffic queues behind you and you see the police car in front getting further away...

Well tbh it does seem to be an unwritten rule

As many people speed, especially in 20 zones

Have you checked if the 20 zone has restrictions on it?

As some are only 20 during school hours if there is one on the road etc.

Yup, as above. There are no unwritten rules on the road, only stupid drivers.

Stick to what you have been taught and learned from highway code etc. If it says 20 then it's 20.

You need a thick skin and if someone is tailgating, keep a bit more space between you and the car in front to compensate for it, and just let them overtake.

Others will do what they'll do, you can't change that, but you are in control of you and your car.

When I was a new driver (& I've always been super safe) I experienced this all the time. I eventually let it get to me so much as it was making me so anxious, that I gave in and went over the limit to stop being hassled... that first time and only time I did it, the police stopped me for speeding!! That really gave me a reality check so the beeping flashing buggers don't get to me any more - they're not worth getting in trouble with the police!!! I just swear at them loudly instead (inside the car, not directly at them).

It doesn't just happen in 20 mile an hour roads, every road no matter what speed will have some arsehole going way over the speed limit beeping at anyone who decides to obey the rules of the road. They are very important people, the rules don't apply to them so just let them get on with it. The same with red light jumpers, pavement driving to get to a lane etc.

There are of course now police stations taking action over submitted dash cam footage for dangerous driving, poor overtaking etc and your area may well be one of them. There are videos on YouTube. It is called Operation Snap. The police cannot be everywhere but dash cams are coming in very handy.

Also do you have P plates on?

As those can be a dick magnet (not in a nice way either)

@nutellachurro no I don't because I have heard this

My children used p plates for the first 6 months, they said it made people more patient with them!

I get it all the time. I stick to the speed limit, even in the 5ams when the roads are quiet. Frankly you need to be more alert at that time ime. Many a time I get some person sitting on my bumper because the road ahead is clear.

I did find that using P plates brought out the right knobends. Husband talked me into taking them off in the end.

You do develop a thicker skin though. You can't control people's impatience, just your own car.

I did wince the time someone aggressively overtook me in a 20 and smacked his car into a speed hump. Felt sorry for his car.

I have been driving for decades but I borrowed my son's car a while back when he had P plates on it and I noticed how much more considerate other drivers were to me. There may be some idiots around who go the other way but I think most people do make allowances for P plate drivers.

I agree

Once you've got more experience on the road, you won't be so bothered by cars tail gating you or beeping.

Check if the 20mph limit is only applied at certain times and where it begins and ends, it may not apply to the whole road. Also ensure you are driving at 20mph, any slower than that would be annoying. It's better imo to edge slightly over (21-23mph) rather than having your eyes glued to your speedo and continually braking.

Speed limit on main road near us was reduced from 40 to 30 about six months ago and I still regularly get idiots beeping or overtaking and speeding off when I am driving at 30 mph. This is on them, not me. The best though was when I stopped at traffic lights and the man in the car behind me got out, tapped on my window and said "you do realise that speed limits don't apply on Sundays don't you!" 😂

They will just have to grow up then.