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

More likely than if driving at an appropriate speed for the road and conditions ?

You've not read the thread, have you? The law has been cited already and yes, there is a law about driving too slowly. I'm not posting it again because it's all there in the thread already or you could just look it up yourself.

The A9 is tricky partly because it shifts from dual carriageway to single repeatedly. And because of the mix of traffic - lots of tourists plus lots of haulage plus commuters, all going at different speeds, and trying to overtake before the dual bit runs out.

Driving at 40 is okay if people can overtake you easily, but not if they can"t.

We established she meant the A9. Although the A90 might be a better option for her tbf.

Please take the train or the bus and stay off the road in your car.

Could be - comment as written didn't make sense.

I can understand why you might be anxious about driving the A9, there have been many crashes on it but the main reason for that is that it’s single carriageway and if people drive slowly it causes frustration and people then take risks. People are not driving at 60 on that road, it’s more like 70/80. There’s a reason they’ve been talking about dualling it for years.
If you’re planning to drive at 40 on that road it will cause major congestion and I don’t think will do your confidence any good. Maybe rethink your travel plans and then invest in some advanced lessons to build your confidence.

According to TheTrainline, you should have no problem getting a seat on a train from Inverness to Edinburgh and back.

If you're worried about getting to your meeting once you reach Edinburgh by train (and believe me, it is a hellish city to have to drive through - makes the A9 look like a walk in the park) just google your destination and get directions from either Waverley or Haymarket stations; Edinburgh has a brilliant public transport system of buses, trams, taxis and local trains, so you'll be able to get to your meeting easily.

Driving at that speed would impact other road users.
I’m pretty sure if you drove 40 in 60 in a driving test you would fail.

Of course you’d be able to get on a train :/ it’ll probably be a lot faster than driving at a snails pace anyway

If you need to ask this you don't sound capable of making decisions on the road conditions and traffic. You don't sound confident as a driver and my advice is you take some lessons again to build your confidence.
I don't know anyone who decides in advance what speed they will drive at.

Speed limits are not a goal to drive to.
They are the maximum speed.

You need to drive according to the traffic, weather, and whatever else is going on.

You risk annoying other drivers if they can't overtake and this in itself can cause accidents if they get impatient.

There is something called appropriate speed for the road and conditions - if you drove at an inappropriate speed on your driving test, you’d fail. Driving too slowly can be considered driving without due care and attention, and without reasonable consideration for other road users - regardless of whether you cause an incident or not. You can be fined and receive penalty points, so there is effectively a law against it.

And some roads, or sections of them, have a minimum speed limit, indicated by blue and white signage. It’s an offence to drive below the minimum.

It’s because most journeys are within 5 miles of home anyway

You wouldn't fail.

The road from where I live is a narrow country road with a speed limit of 60.
It's madness at times to drive at 60.

Sorry, but why would you do that?
Would it really not concern you to have a long line of traffic behind you, all being delayed by your odd driving?

I live in a similar area, but that's quite different to doing 40 on a major trunk road, as the OP is proposing to do.

I don’t think some posters realise what this road is. It’s not just a “main road”. It’s the arterial route connecting the north of Scotland to the major cities in the central belt. Pottering along it like Miss Daisy is wholly inappropriate and dangerous.

This isn’t about your narrow country road, though, or any others (we have plenty of them in Scotland).

The OP is suggesting driving main arterial routes in Scotland at 40mph, for several hours.

Doing so will definitely attract the attention of the police.

Absolutely this. Any driving instructor will tell you going too slowly is dangerous. Only drive significantly lower than the speed limit if the road conditions merit it. Why on earth would you drive at 40 in a 60? Defo dangerous. If you are an anxious driver, tackle that.
ps just seen your update - I know that road well, and yes, its not great, especially if you are a nervous driver. Lots of tourists not sure where they are going, lorry drivers who do and want to get there, lots of locals who do know the road and hate slow drivers.. Going deliberately slowly is as bad an idea as going too fast. Again, if you are a nervous driver, consider going early, or better yet, take public transport (plenty of buses do Inverness/Edinburgh).

It's a beautiful relaxing train journey, why not just do that ( I've never been unable to get a ticket on the day). Also saves the hassle of finding somewhere to park in Edinburgh!

It’s dangerous. No you shouldn’t be doing it. What’s wrong with you?!

There are average speed cameras in place - people are not doing 80. Although, if stuck behind the OP doing 40 for miles, they may well be doing 80+ to make sure they get past her at the dualled stretches before they revert to single again.

What I was about to say.

You can’t be doing 40 OP. You’ll feel intimated by drivers over taking you constantly, you’ll get angry drivers tailgating you.

At some point you will reach a lorry, just drive behind that for as long as you can.

No. Its dangerous to drive at much slower speed than the rest of the traffic. If you can't drive faster than 40 on a bloody A road, you really have no business driving at all. Get some lessons for Christ's sake. You're driving a large, heavy machine that can easily kill people, even at 40. You need to be confident and capable handling it in all situations.