Slow drivers - why do you do it?

[Kibble29]

If you’re a slow driver who chugs along the motorway at 50mph in a 70 zone, or one that does 17mph in a 30, why do you do this?

Are you afraid of driving? Or is it something else?

Yes the limit is a limit, not a target. Yes there can be roadworks or lane closures, or torrential rain. But I’m just talking about a standard road with no issues or adverse weather.

Yep, according to MNers, all of the following deserve flak:
drivers, non-drivers, fast drivers, slow drivers, people who think everyone should drive, people who don't think everyone should drive, young drivers, old drivers, cyclists, people who drive in X lane or Y lane in any circumstances, people who overtake, people who drive big cars, people who park their cars... (I never look at the weird parking threads with diagrams, so I'm not sure how). Have I missed anything?

I think rage-induced blood pressure issues might might be more of a danger here than people driving at 40 in a 60 zone tbh.

Nothing to do with drivers alone. You could say exactly the same things about walkers, cyclists, dog walkers, shoppers, customers, patients, etc. Most are absolutely fine and reasonable. But whatever and wherever you are, there are morons and idiots who screw things up for everyone else by doing stupid things, showing no consideration for others, having no awareness of other people, selfishness, arrogance, etc. Basically all the traits of all humans, wherever they are or whatever they do. The fact is that vast majority of drivers are pretty good, considerate, safe and law abiding - the accident statistics prove that, as in relation/proportion to the number of drivers and cars and miles driven, the number of accidents is remarkably tiny. As with all things, you only notice the tiny minority of total numpties doing stupid things, whether that's driving too fast, too slow, wrong lane, etc - the vast majority drive like you do and so you really don't notice them.

This x100.

We'd also all do well to remember that we were all learners / just passed / otherwise a bit less than fully confident once, and give a bit of grace. You have no idea what the reasons are for a more sedate place. Unless the slow speed is egregious or actually dangerous in itself- per this poster - just continue to drive safely yourself and wait for a safe place to overtake, if needs be.

Road rage and making stupid decisions on the road because you want to get somewhere faster is much more dangerous than someone pootling along (however annoyingly) under the speed limit, by the way, and if you cause an accident driving aggressively, too close or trying to overtake them unsafely that is entirely on you. They haven't "made" you do anything and you will be responsible for the accident.

Patronising much? And what makes you think I need you to tell me it is fine?

Oh, and I can and do drive faster than that when I feel like it, so quit with the 'someone like you' as well.

I also think these are the people who beep at you when you're not pulling out of a junction fast enough for them. Ok, sure, I'll just pull out into a stream of traffic or side swipe a cyclist because you're an impatient arsehole who can't see the road anyway.

Chill out. Half the time when someone does an idiotic overtake you end up next to them at the lights anyway.

And yes to the deer! You definitely want to be able to stop if one of them runs out.

if you cause an accident driving aggressively, too close or trying to overtake them unsafely that is entirely on you. They haven't "made" you do anything and you will be responsible for the accident.

This. "She made me do it" is no excuse for doing something unlawful or dangerous. Driving too slowly may be dangerous in itself sometimes, but there is a distinction to be drawn between those times and other drivers reacting dangerously to a driver they deem to be too slow. Slower drivers are not to blame for the impatient and dangerous behaviour of others in response to them.

When I did my police and advanced driver training, (different times, different reasons), both lots of trainers/observers told me the same thing. It doesn't matter who legally causes an accident, what really matters is whether "you", the potential innocent party, could have done something to avoid it, or indirectly caused it. They made it clear that, legally, the third party would probably be liable/responsible if they "caused" it, but that to be a good driver, every driver has to do whatever they can to avoid accidents/incidents, even if "caused" by someone else, in the legal sense.

One instructor once gave an illustration. He said that he was in a car park, waiting for a car to reverse out of a space, and as he was waiting, a car opposite started to reverse out at the same time, and they were heading for collision. It was a herringbone car park, so neither would see the other if they were looking behind. He had two choices. Either to literally watch a car crash in slow motion as the saying goes, or do something about it. He instinctively aggressively beeped his horn many times to get their attention and they stopped an inch or two apart. He didn't have to do that, he may have not even noticed. It wouldn't have been "his" fault had the two cars collided, but he WAS in a position to help avoid it happening.

Not everything is black and white and not everything is down to the legalities. The World would be a worse and unhappier place if people only did the things they were legally required to do and only not do things that were illegal.

Well exactly, I was driving through a car park yesterday and a car came straight out of one of the 'roads' without looking and across my 'carriageway' into the space opposite, broken white lines across the junction he came out of. Didn't even look. Had I not braked I'd have been very close if not hit him, all be it low speed & impact.
It was my priority as an established vehicle, he was joining, therefore any collision would have likely been his 'fault' so should I have just kept going knowing I was right? Or braked as I did to at least try and avoid a collision? And I think it's very likely to have gone 50/50 liability wise as I quite easily could (and did) avoid a collision and surely I have an obligation to do that? Not just carry on as I intended to regardless because I'm right?
I feel some people are more intent on being right, than being safe at times, I get the frustration, sometimes you feel you're always the one going out of your way to make up for other people's behaviour, but then everyone, no matter how good a person they consider themselves to be, makes the odd mistake or has temporary poor judgement, that other people have to accommodate, not just while driving.

If you can't drive 60 or 55 on speed limit You no should drive at all .Is too many of them driving 17m in 30 or carry on 40 m/h doesn't matter how much speed should be !
They couldn't pass driving test now beacuse they are too slow !Huge hazard they are ,because ppl try overtake.
I want as well see cyclist which do 20 ,beacuse for sure they does much more !

I have a friend who pootles along. Completely ignores speed limits and gets really angry when other motorists "get up her arse" . Shell drive 20km under the limit, won't overtake and utters this phrase "Better to be 2 miles early than 30 years too late"

This with bells on. If you are in an average passenger car and you are getting overtaken on the motorway by HGV’s in normal free flowing traffic conditions then please do us all a favour and hand in your driving licence.

There are plenty of roads out there where the ‘legal’ speed limit and the ‘sensible’ speed limit are 2 different things. Windy narrow Cotswolds lanes, 60 not sensible. Snow on the road, 60/70 not sensible. Charity Bike Ride signed, be more prepared for bikes round the corner and take it appropriately. Learner on L-Plates, give time and space for them to be unpredictable. No problems with any of that. These are the cases where ‘it’s a limit not a target’ make sense. Dry motorway on the other hand, 50 is just incompetent. If your car has a mechanical issue then put your hazards on and get off at the next exit. Otherwise get with the program there’s no reason not to be driving to the limit here. See also, people who brake when a car comes the other way on their own side of the road. Just get a taxi! Mind you, most taxi drivers seem to be prime culprits so maybe don’t. The sooner Toyota stop selling the Prius and the Avensis hybrid the better for the motoring community as although not exclusively, it is disproportionately these that are driven by those unaware of their surroundings.

Haha, braking when a car comes in the opposite direction. Anyone doing that should be put in jail.

I live in a rural area with a lot of tourist traffic which is, of course, vital to the local economy but also a massive fucking PITA.

Every year, the local council and police run campaigns all over both social and traditional media aimed at drivers from outwith the area, asking them to be considerate, drive to the speed limit, use passing places etc.

Many people round here have to travel hundreds of miles a week to reach their jobs as carers, medics, firefighters, teachers, retail workers etc - this isn't fucking McDisneyland, it's a living, breathing economy and the people who live here all year round can't rely on public transport or cycling or WFH: they literally HAVE to drive in able to provide vital services to a rural community.

Yet every year there are multiple incidents of people being held up or massively inconvenienced by wankers who choose to dither about on country roads that they don't have the skills to drive on (or the empathy to care about others).

I beg you - if you are on holiday, I'm really pleased that you're having a nice time and yes, the scenery is lovely, we're very lucky to live here and so on, but we do this 365 days a year and have to go to work.

If there's a queue building up behind you as you pootlle along an A road at 30mph admiring the loch / a cow / whatever, please just pull over and let the cars behind you past.

Everybody will be happier and safer.

There's such a thing as making progress. You're not the only person on the road and not the only one trying to get somewhere. It's this general selfishness I can't stand from people like you

So you live your life with the sole aim of pissing other people off trying to go about their business? Nice. Says a lot about you. Don't be so egotistical

Because if you're going about your life aiming to disrupt others business for no reason other than you "feel like it", then you're the problem, not them.

Who are you even referring to, @Jimbobby ?

Most speedos are set conservatively, so if you think you are doing 50 you are probably actually doing 45.