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

why should we have a clue?
does it matter which particular road it is?
for other users who may have an issue with fast driving, they may like solutions non specific to actual ROAD

Not possible unfortunately. There are smaller A roads that could be taken to avoid parts of the A9 but it would double the length of the journey and they are possibly worse than the A9 as so twisty.

you will be fine @ScarboroughFairy
you will be encouraged by the other drivers to drive fast, speaking as a nervous driver myself
i found myself doing 60 quite easily just keeping up with the traffic.

The A9 is kind of in a class by itself, tbh. It's a horrible road and there are many accidents.

I agree. My friend was so self-righteous about being a safe driver yet never acknowledged she drove 40mph everywhere.

I've driven behind other strange people who have their brakes on down hills and other areas @ 30mph and fail to prepare for speeding up later, drives me nuts.

@ScarboroughFairy I hope your day so far has been good and you are travelling safely or have decided not to go after all.

I'm very familiar with the A9 (which I'm sure is the road you mean). You are correct that there are often crashes on it, I always allow extra time for this reason. The crashes are almost always caused by an impatient driver dangerously overtaking. Even if there is no crash on a particular day, you will see these idiots overtaking, it is breathtaking how big the risks are that they take.

However, the road itself is fine. There has been a lot of work done in recent years to have more and longer stretches of dual lanes. If you do choose to drive it at some point, doing 40 rather than 60 will not help you at all, most of it is perfectly fine to do at 60, depending on conditions.

If you do drive, any alternative route will take at least twice as long and those roads will be very windy, it definitely won't be any safer.

That said, I am a very confident and in my opinion capable driver, and I avoid driving in Edinburgh if at all possible. The outskirts are fine, but I find the centre and even around Leith very difficult to navigate despite having lived in Edinburgh for years. It's all weird one way systems and tight turns, and if you go wrong it takes ages to correct. Parking is hugely expensive too. So if possible, take the train.

Those of us who know the road are suggesting specific solutions. A train or a bus are the only sensible options for someone with this level of anxiety about driving. Coming on and off B-roads would be madness and probably a much more difficult drive. This is not a good solution for OP. If anyone else needs some help with a route then they would presumably start their own post?

If driving causes you this much anxiety, you shouldnt be driving at all.

It impacts your decision making, reaction times, thought process, all of which not only affects you driving a machine, but other drivers too.

You have not considered that it might be you that causes an accident by your actions, which is very flawed thinking.

Yes I guess so. But if it’s causing that much anxiety when there’s a perfectly practical alternative, that makes no sense.

Think it depends on the road - there's a winding narrow country road near me that's national speed limit but it's so bumpy, full of potholes and hard to see that doing 60 would end up taking your suspension out or causing a crash (it's better at night because you can see the lights of other cars heading your way - it is technically a 2-way road rather than one with passing places etc but because there are a lot of turns people tend to take the racing line a bit).

If it's a big dual carriageway-type road then doing 40 in a 60 seems mad to me and I think you'd fail your driving test for it.

I can tell you all about the A90 too if you like? If you don't know the roads, why contribute? Would be like me havering on about some road in England that I've never clapped eyes on.

You sound a hazard can you get the train

So why are you giving advice about a road you know nothing about? Who's the know-it-all in that scenario?

It shouldn't really make a difference - she shouldn't be considering doing a 3-hour journey at a consistent 40mph on English/Welsh A roads or motorways either. (Country lanes don't count anyway unless you want that 3-hour journey to become a 30-hour journey!)

What fucking B road? Do yourself a favour and get a map!!

That practical alternative definitely being a bus or train in this particular case. Someone that anxious shouldn't be behind the wheel at all.

Agree the only alternative is a bus or train. Both of which would be quicker than driving at 40.

Either way? You're still talking like there's some alternative route. Do yourself a favour and just stop now. The arrogance is beyond the pale.

I did the I Am Road Smart Advanced drivers course a few years ago because I felt that I was losing confidence in my driving. Just about the first thing I learnt was to drive as close to the speed limit as possible according the the state of the road and weather conditions. It did wonders for my confidence and general safety.

I strongly recommend the I Am Road Smart course. They also have a one hour review session for mature drivers.

I agree with everyone who has said that for this journey you are probably not safe to drive and a danger to other road users.

Edit to add: I've just seen that today is the day of your journey. I hope that you have arrived safely.

I hope the OP has taken the train or the bus, not least because if she's so anxious about driving on the A9, then driving in Edinburgh itself would probably worry her even more. It's not a fun city to drive in if you don't know your way around. The bus is cheaper than driving, and about the same time. I don't understand her concern about not being able to get a ticket, though. It's also easy enough to buy a ticket online.

You're telling her to take alternative routes where there aren't any so of course it matters which fucking road we're talking about. Start your own thread if you want to wang on about country lanes in England.

TLDR so sorry if its been posted - got a meeting to go too..

www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202400439878/

😹😹😹…..I 💖 Viz! You’ve made me smile!

And the car approaching you and the one behind that and that having to brake when they realise you are going too slow.... its a pile up waiting to happen

😂the Scottish roads expert gives her final recommendation based on mince she pulled out her own arse.