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

I wonder if my sense that 50ish is a perfectly fine speed (safety, fuel economy) even on a 60 road is linked to being legally restricted to 45mph as a learner and for a year afterwards?

The 45mph rule only applies in Northern Ireland. The OP is driving in Scotland where restrictions like this for learners drivers has never existed.

Bear in mind this is not a motorway, there are no motorways north of Perth in Scotland. This road has limited overtaking opportunities which can cause long tail backs and driving significantly under the speed limit directly impacts other road users due to road being mainly single carriageway.

Did you miss that I wrote "I wonder" and "my sense"?
It was a personal reflection

Seems like lots of the outrage about driving below the speed limit is specific to the A9/A90 where clearly the stakes are high if caught behind a slower driver, and the road supports a consustent 60 mph. I think the 'drive to the road and conditions' points are correct but don't take into account the nature of that particular route.

It does amuse me that driving instructors are teaching learners to drive up to the speed limit, whereas anyone who's attended speed awareness courses has been told to take it down a notch or two! I certainly take it easier than I used to....

I think the 'drive to the road and conditions' points are correct but don't take into account the nature of that particular route.

Surely driving to the road and conditions shoukd mean you absolutely are taking into account the nature of that particular route? That is the whole point of it!

I think this thread is so confusing because there are two totally separate conversations going on, and people are getting confused as to which comment belongs to which!

One is about speed on that specific Road, and the other is about speed on national speed limit, 60 mph roads in general. Hence why it's perfectly reasonable to both query 'what if there's a horse' and 'why on earth would there be a horse on that road' depending on which conversation you're part of.

I mused in this thread earlier when driving along a 60mph road at 45, which was slightly faster than the car ahead, and slightly slower than the car behind. It's a ridiculously wide category of road.

Driving significantly slower than people expect on a road is a sure way to cause an accident, it is not safer but very foolish.

It's more likely from people over taking people driving at 40

and we wonder why the government keeps reducing the speed limit

No, this could be classed as Careless Driving (driving that falls below the standard of a careful and competent driver). You will create unnecessary delays and cause people to chance dangerous overtaking maneuvers.

If I was behind following behind you and you were only doing 40mph in a national speed limit I would think there was something wrong (likely drunk) and report you to the police.

I can appreciate that. I just wouldn't class 50 in a 60 as "significantly under the speed limit" either. A lorry travelling on that road would be limited to 50mph too, so it's no worse than following a lorry.

Is the HGV limit on a single carriageway in Scotland actually 40mph? https://www.gov.uk/speed-limits seems to suggest so.

Let's hope the OP is home as there is snow forecast on the higher parts of that road today. Just to add to her woes.

As someone who drives the road regularly it feels very different to be slowed down by an HGV legally limited to 50mph, who have a significantly longer stopping distances should they need to slow down. Than a wee car travelling well below the speed limit because they don't mind holding everyone else up. But we just have different perspectives on that.

Yes, HGVs are limited to 40mph on single carriageway in Scotland. However the A9 is an exception and the limit is increased to 50mph because it's considered safer for everyone that they are driving faster.

When I first drove up the A9 30 years ago there used to be signs at regular intervals asking slow drivers to pull over to allow other vehicles to overtake.

They aren't there any more.

Agree with this. I live rurally and the lanes around me are all NSL, but it would be really dangerous to drive anywhere close to 60. Winding single vehicle lanes with minimal visibility, often livestock, horses etc. Sometimes it just means “use your judgement “ rather than “drive close to 60”.

The road in question is the main trunk road from Central Scotland to the Highlands. It's not a country lane.

And this message and it's quote are the perfect examples of how there after two parallel conversations going on in this thread.

.😂

That is because a large portion, but not all, of it has been converted to dual carriageway in the last 30 years. There are also restrictions on Lorries doing over 50 on the single carriageway sections which often means that everyone is travelling at 50.
There are plenty on instructions to pull over in other roads in the Scottish Highlands.

@ScarboroughFairy
did you make it home as well?

How did the second journey go - did you feel any more confident?