Is it okay to drive well below the speed limit on a main road?

[ScarboroughFairy]

Hi all, tomorrow I’ll be driving on a main road where the speed limit is 60mph, but I’m thinking of sticking to 40mph. I know it’s well under the limit, but I just feel safer at that speed. Does anyone else do this

My daughter failed her first driving test because she was doing 20 in what was a 30. So yes I would say its not ok.

Jeez Louise. If you are driving from Edinburgh to Inverness (or vice versa) the A90 is only the bit from Edinburgh to the Forth Road Bridge, then it's M90 (dual carriageway) and A9.

Driving on the A9 at 40 because it "feels safer" is madness. The danger on this road is that there are sections which are dual carriageway and sections which are one lane each way. In the summer, huge numbers of foreign tourists who forget to drive on the left. And bad weather.

Seriously, you can't just have a blanket policy of driving at 40. This just says you are not a good, safe or competent driver.

That's an unnecessarily aggressive post.

She was making the point that yes you can get away with driving slow, but it should be the exception, not the rule.

Or her nerves will be shot and she'll be too exhausted to make the return trip.

You would be an absolute menace and threat to other drivers, and just as likely to cause an accident, even inadvertently, as someone speeding.

Book some driving lessons to boost your confidence.

OP, this will probably get lost in other posts, and maybe it’s been mentioned already, but there are heaps of Flixbus options available today for around £15 one way, so probably cheaper than fuel! And as an OP mentioned, there will be train options too. I certainly wouldn’t drive the A9 if not confident. Good luck!

Agreed.

I agree the OP doesn't sound safe...

But don't you have tractors on Scottish roads? That's the biggest hold up here (in Yorkshire) on the A roads. They need to get their tractors from A to B.

Also once had to follow a Wide Load down the A1 from Doncaster to Peterborough, at 40mph, over both lanes...

Ah, bless you. Being able to drive should feel liberating, not a cause for such severe anxiety.

You can have some Pass Plus lessons to build your confidence on fast roads, and there are some tips on managing driving anxiety here: https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/driving-advice/scared-of-driving/

Ultimately, if your objective is to avoid having an accident, your anxiety needs tackling as it puts you at risk whether you're travelling at 40mph or 60mph.

The improvements are to widen the road from single carriageway to dual carriageway to make it safer and help the flow of traffic. People will most definitely be travelling at 60mph and will not expect to be impeded by a car doing 40.

Aggressive? What was aggressive exactly?

If you aren't confident to drive appropriately for the road in safe conditions, you shouldnt be driving at all.

Just remember people, speed limit is a limit not a target.
Happy to help

Isn't a lot of that road 50 for larger vehicles, or am I confusing it with the A9?
If you stay on the left of the dual carriageway bits and can manage 50 on the single carriageway bits, I am sure you would be fine.
Really though, it sounds like you need to get used to driving more, to build your confidence. I wonder if displaying P plates would help other drivers work around your nervous driving.

You sound far to anxious to be driving any distance. Get more lessons.

You should not be driving if you are not able to drive at around the speed limit

Of course we have tractors. What's your point? The tractor drivers have the sense to let the build up of traffic pass when they can and they also aren't doing long stretches on 1 road like the OP is planning. Tractors are highly unlikely to be travelling 160 miles from Inverness to Edinburgh. They come on at 1 junction and off at the next generally and yes, it's annoying and the traffic backs up massively. Now imagine someone choosing to do 40mph for 160 miles. The police would be called to get them off the road so Scotland could get moving again! Tractors are less often on main trunk roads though and much more on roads local to their farms.

You won't get better and more comfortable at driving OP unless you get more experience. Just do what speed feels safe on any given stretch of road. Some bits of the main roads near me (small-ish country lanes) I would do 55, some i would do 40, some I would do 25. Assess what people around you are doing and use that as a barometer to help you work out are you going dangerously slow or dangerously fast, or ok. You will probably have a car in front of you you can follow by setting a safe distance between the two of you and matching their speed (unless they are a lunatic!).

My friend was similar to you driving (very anxious) and one day decided not to do a difficult trip and then lost her confidence altogether and now doesn't drive. Another friend was also nervous but then needed to drive for work and doing it every day built her confidence and now she's fine. Don't let your anxiety beat you. But maybe do this kind of tricky road on a day when you aren't in a rush and can just come and go on your timeline (ie not meeting someone). Definitely worth investing in Pass Plus lessons if you have the time/money, it really boosts driving confidence for most people.

My uncle used to do exactly this and it drove his passengers mad. And he caused a few accidents because of it.

If you are driving from Inverness to Edinburgh, do you mean the A9 rather than the A90?

I think the A9 has average speed cameras most of the way so there shouldn't be too many drivers speeding.

In my opinion the main problem with the A9 is that there are still many short stretches of dual carriageway interspersed with stretches of single carriageway. This leads to a rush of cars trying to overtake slower vehicles on a short stretch of dual carriageway, some of them "chancing it" as the dualled bit comes to an end.

There are also still too many right-turn junctions without over/underpasses so drivers leaving or joining the A9 have to cross 2 lanes of traffic. This is often where crashes occur. And that's before you sdd tourists into the mix who forget to drive on the left.

Honestly OP, I don't mean this nastily but you really don't sound either competent or confident enough to drive over 100 miles on the A9. Take the train or the bus and get some advanced driving lessons.

Did you read my whole post or just the first sentence? If you read on to the second sentence you'll find I was reassuring OP that she'll be fine driving at the speed of ambient traffic.

It’s an easy run. You will probably get stuck behind a truck on the single lane.
when it hits the dual carriageway then you just overtake.
Most of the crashes happen on the single lane when sombody overtakes when they really shouldn’t. All I can say is be aware and get treatment for your anxiety or extra driving lessons to increase your confidence.

This thread is WILD. So many comments from people who have never driven on the A9 but still feel they have the duty to share the benefit of their wisdom.

"Just take another route to avoid dual carriageways" - what would that be? Down the side of Loch Ness and through Glencoe? Over the Kincardine Bridge and through the back roads of West Lothian? Sure, if you have 8 hours or more to spend.

I really hope the OP is on her way to Inverness bus station to get a Citylink ticket.

In that case take the train or the bus.

Would you not fail a driving test for going so much under the speed limit?

The A9 isn't dualled for its full length and that's half the problem.

The trouble with driving so slowly is you can't react.

The road serves like a motorway but because it's not a motorway you get tractors pulling out of standing starts or very short slip roads, people turning off at the last minute, other traffic crossing two lanes etc.

It's a road where you'd struggle to drive at a consistent 60 because of all this.

But to deliberately decide to do 40 all the way you'll find yourself boxed in on the sections that are dualled.

Cars trying to join will expect you to move over and may pull out on that basis. If your speed is significantly slower you'll struggle to do so.

If you do drive scan ahead and prepare for junctions. Like a motorway keep a close eye on your mirrors so you know what's happening around you.

But the train is a good option.