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

Agree. My satnav tells me that even if I'm stuck behind a tractor for miles on end, it only adds a minute or two to my journey. A policeman told my friend that the biggest cause of accidents on the roads is impatience.

It’s slathering.

No. I religiously do 5mph under the limit to keep from getting too close to the prescribed limit because there are a lot of zero tolerance morons out there who will shame you into thinking you shouldn't be driving if you're even 0.5mph over.

I've been behind slip road snails doing 40mph in a 60mph and it's extremely dangerous. If you lack the confidence to give it some welly where it's appropriate, then it might be worth considering some refresher lessons on high speed roads.

As my MIL says it's better to be 30 minutes late in this life than to be 30 years early in the next.

90% of my journeys up and down the A9 are fine, but that doesn’t make it a good road.

I'll take 'things that never happened' for £500, Alex.

Learner drivers are restricted to 45 mph, so she would not have been failed for driving between 40 and 45 mph.

They aren’t restricted to 45mph in England, Wales or Scotland.

How exactly are nervous drivers supposed to get over their nerves then, given practice is usually what helps?

With an instructor.

Not in England. I did 70mph on a dual carriageway on my test. Roads were far less congested back then, too. Clear run, no constant slowing. A dream drive.

You could say that about most major roads TBH. I was lucky that it wasn't busy and it was a nice day both on the way up and on the way back.

It is a nicer road than the ones near me.

And then they get into a car by themselves and are magically transformed into a confident driver.😂

In the real world, some people take a while to build up confidence. Some people have to rebuild it again after trauma. And yes, some people will remain nervous. Better that than the many arrogant drivers who believe they are invincible.

If they're still nervous months or even bloody years after passing their test then they shouldn't be allowed on the roads. They are a huge liability.

And surely they should have had sufficient practice whilst learning? If you don't feel competent and capable after passing your test, then you should not be driving.

TBF I’m not sure how many people feel competent and capable immediately after passing - I know I certainly didn’t! My instructor always told me that you pass the test and then learn how to actually drive.

But you drive as you’ve been taught and the confidence and capability should come pretty quickly for most people.

Quite. Tbh I'd be more concerned about someone who passed their test and instantly 'felt' like a confident experienced driver, because over confidence is such a (literally) fatal flaw in driving.

It's not the nervous new drivers that pull out in front of people, do risky overtakes, speed, risk having a drink etc. Its the ones that get in a car thinking they're invincible and the rules don't apply to them because they are such a 'good driver' who do those things.

Whilst not all confident drivers are arrogant risk takers, all arrogant risk takers would describe themselves as confident drivers.

Having at least some humility and knowledge that it's a learning curve at the beginning is a good sign, not a bad one.

Oooh yes, we could could talk about the A96 too! Super fun!

And it's the nervous ones who break unexpectedly, who slow down unnecessarily, who hesitate excessively and who stall dangerously. All of which can and do cause accidents.

If you're a crap driver then just own it. Don't try and dress it up as somehow being morally superior.

And whilst I agree that driving is a learning curve at the very beginning, still being nervous to drive on motorways, or drive at night, or drive on new roads years after passing your test is frankly ridiculous and inexcusable.

Those things are deeply annoying to other drivers, but if the other drivers leave a safe distance and are observant, shouldn't cause a crash. If someone brakes unexpectedly and you drive into them, it's still your fault legally.

Nervous & hesitant drivers = very annoying
Overconfident drivers = more likely to actually cause accidents.

Not true!! The only place learners have ever been restricted to 45mph has been Northern Ireland, and that's being changed now. Also, the test has recently been changed to include more driving on high speed country roads. You would definitely fail for doing 40 on a 60.

Sorry, quoted the wrong person, too early 🫣😆 Meant to quote the person who said learners are restricted to 45mph, apologies AlcoholicAntibiotic!

People don't ride their horses on the A9. 😂

@irisetta thanks for letting us know where the 45 had come from. I was intrigued. Here DD was driving to work at 70 week in, week out, long before she passed her test. I did not enjoy accompanying those trips.

I agree 50 is fine. I often do 60-65 on motorways nowadays when the traffic is a bit heavy, even if others are going faster. I used to drive on them at 75-80 but I find it's a lot less stressful in lane 1 and I get much more mpg out of my tank!