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

Yes I am here for two days then going back but might stay a 3rd day as it was tiring getting here. I couldn't read all of the replies but someone did say 50 was fine

50 is much better. How did it feel? Were you behind other vehicles going a similar speed or gathering a queue behind you? Hope this will help build your confidence so you can pay more attention to the traffic around you and less to your speedometer on the way back.

No it is not OK.
That can be seen as dangerous driving. It the weather and traffic conditions are fine, there is no reason why you shouldn't drive up to the maximum speed allowed.

Thanks for coming back and letting us know how it went OP. Well done for doing 50. I hope your confidence is increasing and that you have a lovely visit to Edinburgh.

As a confident driver, I draw a line at driving in Edinburgh other than the by-pass (horrendous road but I need to go to East Lothian) and a few roads off the by-pass. The train or Ingliston P&R are my go-tos, although if there was public parking at Eurocentral I would use the X900.

This was due to be completed in late 2027 but it is now forecast in 2028. Apparently it was held up due to the contractor needing to assess the "impact of weather and environmental restrictions around working in rivers and streams".

I'm quite a quick driver (always legal though) but I would defend anybody's wish to drive at a speed that felt safe for them. However, if you're going to drive slowly, you do need to be considerate of people who don't want to be stuck behind you. So allowing them space to overtake, or occasionally pulling over to let people pass when you can is the considerate thing to do.

Edited to say my advice is for future reference

Hahahaha they didn't realise it would rain?

Please check out the yellow weather warning which kicks in at midnight tonight before you decide when to drive home. It affects a lot of Scotland north of Stirling and roads over 100m above sea level (i.e. the A9) could see snow.

600 odd replies and you manage to hook onto the one that said you were fine.

I hope your first job when you get home is to book some more driving lessons.

Balfour Beatty is a London company. They don't understand Scottish weather.

You literally sound like an unsafe driver. You need confidence so you cause crashes with slow driving and erratic braking. You fail driving tests for not maintaining speed.

It’s reasonable to drive at 50 mph on a journey from Inverness to Edinburgh. If all the overtaking annoys or intimidates you, do 60 mph.

Speed limit is not a target, as my dp frequently reminds me

Oh come on. 50 was not fine. You have been selfish and been a potential hazard, particularly if you slowed down correspondingly (and likely unnecessarily given your starting speed) for corners. There is nothing worse than coming round a corner at a sensible speed to find someone going unexpectedly slowly. Everyone told you that.

Perhaps you could make your return at a time when the roads are relatively empty? Or do you also not feel confident driving in the dark?

What is a sensible speed to go around corners on a single lane road?

And suppose you go round a corner and encounter not a slower car in front of you but a cyclist or a horse?

Unless posters know of can see these roads, it really isn’t possible to make credible comment.

Though I do agree that the OP seems very lacking in confidence and experience to make necessary decisions.

Safest to drive at the speed limit or thereabouts

I don't think it's people driving at 50 that lead to the high accident rate on the A9

It depends on the corner! The point I am making is that if you are driving generally slower than conditions permit then it is likely that the driving on the corners will be similarly excessively slow.

The speed limit is just that, a limit…it’s not a target.

I think people unfamiliar with the A9 are confusing single track with single carriage way. The A9 is a fast road with no blind bends, significant corners which need slowing down for (bad weather conditions ignored). A reasonable driver would have plenty of time to react to anything in the carriageway at 60mph. The OP has driven dangerously and put herself and others at risk by driving inappropriately slowly for the conditions.

Why do I have to drive at 60? I'd use less fuel at 50, still be doing a safe speed, and have more reaction time if anything untoward occurs.
I have driven to Inverness and it's not a great route at all.

I wouldn't want to be on a horse or a bike on the A90, and I really don't think that anyone else would either. Of course, one judges the likelihood of such hazards given the nature of the road and drives accordingly. This, too, is part of driving to "the conditions".

I was always taught you adapt to the rest of the traffic (but within the legal limit).

I would suggest that if you are that anxious about driving, you should probably get some more tuition. An advanced driver course may help your confidence.