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

Haven’t RTFT but people do it on our local 60mph dual carriageway all the time.

I upload every one I encounter to Operation Snap. They’re a fucking liability. Stay off the roads if you can’t drive properly.

If you don’t feel safe driving at 60mph, you should be on roads with that limit. Unless driving and visibility conditions are such that everyone has slowed their speed, then no you should be driving at 50-60 in a 60. I had an accident on a dual carriage way and am not confident on them at night. I go out of my way now to take a longer detour that means I can drive at 30-40 all the way. Coincidentally the accident was because a person ahead of me decided to slow down to 40 from 70 suddenly at night in the dark without using their hazard lights - I was unable to avoid clipping them despite swerving to change lanes and slowing down myself. We all narrowly avoided being in a pile up as the folk behind me and in the R-hand lane were also were also doing 70.

It’s bloody dangerous. If you are not confident, so drive.

I live 25km outside town and go into town a few times a week. The speed limit on the road is 100km/hr. It is not a great road, it has dips (that fill up when it rains), uneven tar, some quite sharp turns. I never drive 100, and in rain will go down to about 60. I know this irritates people no end, and I pull over several times during the drive, where there are laybys, to let people go past. Much more relaxing as I don't feel pressured.

DH on the other hand seems to think that 100 is mandatory. I do not like driving to town with him.

Another who failed a driving test for failing to proceed appropriately in the conditions. I was going very slowly on country road, but the principle is the same.

Try to maintain 50mph, it'll be much safer

This really. If you're not confident to drive on all roads and in all conditions and up to the speed limit (if safe and when necessary) ....then how about booking some extra driving lessons with a qualified instructor?

Oh, I know it isn't a B road, it is the only "sensible" alternative Google maps could find me (and I wouldn't drive it). Even without the idea of the snow gates being closed, or driving at 40mph, or taking into account the tourists, it would be an extra 2hrs driving. Not even a sensible alternative for a confident driver in clear, safe conditions.

I think all the folk rocking up saying "drive the B roads!" And "40mph is fine!" Have zero clue or appreciation of the roads north of the central belt. Or even outside of well connected England.

I hope OP has opted for the bus or train.

I failed my driving exam first time for going 40 on a 50 road. Since then I always drive the speed limit. If it’s icy or bad weather I’ll drive slightly slower.

I mean, she could head through Moray towards Aberdeen and take the A90 (AWPR) South.

Nobody that's heading to Edinburgh wants to be pissing about at Loch Lomond for goodness sake. Edinburgh is on the East Coast.

Agreed. Also you're worrying about this and have decided what speed you're going to drive at the day before even making the journey, which is bizarre. Maybe you'll get lucky and be stuck in traffic on that road

Via the A96 through "here, let there be roundabouts!" Elgin, adding another 2h to the drive and running into the same problem of long stretches of single carriageway? 😆

Guid story. You can't pull over every 5 minutes on the A9 to let traffic pass.

It depends on the road and the conditions- you have to judge your speed by what is safe in the circumstances. A speed limit hasn't a requirement to drive up to it- it's an upper limit. But you shouldn't drive slower than is reasonable given the road and conditions. Where I live, the national limit is a pipedream on many roads, because they are narrow, hilly and twisty- 45mph feels reasonable most of the time. In other places that would drive people mad to he stuck behind. If you really want to drive slower in relation to other road users, I agree with pp that you should monitor the road behind you and pull over to allow others to pass.

I guess what's hard to understand us why you would make up your mind in advance?

I see this so much on the roads! Someone doing 40 in a 60 zone, then still doing 40 in a 30 zone. It's bizarre. I think 'are they making the film Speed 3 or something?' Like, they can't go below 40, or over it!!! 😆

No. If you're not confident to drive at 60 mph when the conditiions merit it then you shouldn't be driving. Get some refresher lessons.

She meant Loch Ness - A92 to Spean Bridge, then A82 through Glencoe, then down to Stirling and onto Edinburgh from there. But yes, very circuitous and slow, we got stuck in snow once in Glencoe and it wasn't fun.

Part of the issues with the A9 is that the scenery is just glorious so in summer especially you have tourists slowing to a crawl to drink it all in.Rather than just pulling into a layby.

I think 40 on a 60mph road in good conditions is dangerous. People have no chill now, will tailgate, and take on a risky manoeuvre. One day, someone will get that manoeuvre wrong, especially when frustration boils over and opportunities to overtake due to a windy road are low.

If you are thinking a day ahead and so nervous about this, maybe life is saying it's time to retake your test or hang up your keys. Driving so slowly is dangerous these days as you are just getting in the way. Add potholes and the awful road stare and it's even worse. There will (guaranteed) be a string of cars and fed up drivers behind you.

Sorry, but maybe time to look for alternative public transport. I'm looking forward to retests post age 70. Sounds like a great idea. My grandparents were deadly in the 1980s.

If the road surface is decent, YABVU.

If, however, it's as full of potholes as it is round here, I doubt anyone will be going very fast.

Someone suggested it as an alternative. I've had it suggested before by Google maps but only as a means to avoid some road works. I didn't go that way as it was madness. (Edit - yes, the Loch Ness option not Loch Lomond.)

But unless you creak around the really awful back roads, you still have to join the A9 north of Pitlochry and have to drive past Birnam and Dunkeld junctions.

Well there is, but it will add many hours on! I've gone round via Aberdeen when the A9 has been closed due to accidents/weather before. It was no fun.

People get very angry on here about slow drivers OP so I wouldn't take this as a representative sample of the population.

It depends on the road and how busy it is. I'm a slow driver and I'm hardly going to give up all my independence because people on here tell me I shouldn't be driving. I just stay within my limits - something many drivers don't do. The roads near me are mostly small lanes with very little traffic so it's quite safe. If I have to drive on a road that's 50 or 60 I'll do that at a quiet time and pull in if a queue forms behind me.

I know sections of that road. There will be parts where you do have to drive below the limit, and parts where you really should drive near to the limit. You should always drive appropriately to the conditions and determining what speed that will be beforehand is impossible. It is important that you do not drive too slowly as that road is single carriageway in many parts, and driving unduly slowly will make people want to pass, which it isn't always safe to do so and that is what causes accidents. Many of the accidents of that road are also tourists unfamiliar with driving in Scotland.

Yup, exactly. Last time I did that route I think I counted 18 roundabouts...or was it 28 🤔. Probably a slightly less busy route but still the same issue of her causing massive tailbacks on the single carriageway sections for miles on end. I mean, she could have meant A90 🤷‍♀️. It certianly doesn't add 2 hours. Maybe 15 mins to half an hour now the AWPR is open. Either way, I hope she's on a train.

If you are conscious of those behibd trying to get past then sure go at the speed you want. I only don’t appreciate it when people go past lay-by’s when thry have cars behind them and think it’s ok to make everyone do 40 in a 60.