AIBU to think learners should try to reach the speed limit?

[MsImpatient]

Have namechanged as this will make my location obvious (plus I suspect IABU )

My city is made up of estates with main roads between them. The speed limit in the estates is generally 30mph. The speed limit on the main roads is generally 60 or 70mph (some are dual carriageways, some not). AIBU in thinking that learner drivers shouldn't drive on the main roads unless they are confident in driving at least close to the speed limit? I got stuck behind a learner today who was barely hitting 30mph on the main road - why, when there are plenty of 30mph roads to practise on?

I do have sympathy with new drivers - I've been driving for less than a year myself - but surely they should reach a level of confidence/competence before going on busier, faster roads? AIBU?

Perhaps the instructor is trying to get that particular learner to go faster? My instructor took me out on the dual carriageway to "encourage" me to feel confident going faster, but it took a few goes before I could manage it. I don't think any amount of practising on 30mph roads would have done the same thing.

I can forgive learners not keeping up with the traffic but I was always taught to reach the speed limit if safe to do so, 70 mph felt scarily fast on my first driving lesson!! It is irritating though, yesterday in rush hour was stuck behind a learner driver who went through three traffic light cycles before they actually managed the hill start!

But it's the people with a licence scared to go fast enough that annoy me - I'm talking 50 mph on big wide roads not 60 mph on winding country lanes. If you're not confident doing that speed on those sorts of roads I'm not sure you should be on the roads.

Just overtake if they are going too slow.

If you have been driving less than a year, then take yourself back to the time when you first got in the driver's seat.

Better to go slowly until you feel ready than to go faster than you are able and find yourself not in proper control of a vehicle.

And how do you practise going faster when you are on 30mph roads?

Perhaps they can go 30 and it's time for them to go faster. Do you think you can go from being able to control a vehicle at 30 to being able to control it at 60 in one lession?

They can't practise 40 and 50 on a 30 mile road and they can't go 60 when they've only done 30mph roads.

Give them a break!

You have to go on the faster roads to find out whether or not you are confident going at that speed. My instructor took me onto a dual carriageway on my 2nd lesson. As it was I did get fairly close to the speed limit and driving at speed is not one of the things I have an issue with but I wouldn't have known that without him taking me onto the road in the first place.

If you are talking about the place with the roundabouts, then YADBU!

There are very few main roads there where you can't overtake.

So, get your speed up, look in the rear view mirror, nobody behind? - then overtake!

er, its a limit not a target. Whilst I agree that going too slowly can cause accidents it shouldn't be encouraged to reach the limit as soon as possible. It actually makes virtually no difference to your overall journey time if you are driving 10-15 miles an hour slower for a few minutes whilst you are behind a learner. Unless you are an ambulance driver, it really doesn't matter. Give them a break. oh and YABU.

Yabu-the speed limit markers are there to tell you the maximum speed. Totally agree with Trixie-it's not a target. Chill out, we've all been there. Give them a break!

YANBU
I failed a drive test for "failure to make sufficient progress" or whatever they call it - basically, not having the confidence to drive at a speed appropriate for the road conditions and weather.

Driving excessively slowly can be a contributing factor in accidents.

Ive just failed a driving test today due to excessive use of speed.
Maybe you should try getting stuck behind me next time eh?

Yabu

I'm a learner. I'm actually a bit happy on the gas but how else do you expect people to learn?

I'm sure drivers develop amnesia once they've passed their test. Forgetting what it's like to be a learner, probably imagining that the first time they got behind a wheel, they knew it all.

FFS.

YABU.
It's a limit, not a target.

YANBU. Driving at 30 on a 60/70 mile limit road is dangerous, end of. If you come up behind someone like that, flip your hazard lights as a warning to people behind you.

It's fair enough for anyone (learner or not) to go a bit slower than the limit, but 30 in a 70 zone is not ok.

Sorry YABU. It takes time to learn. They are probably being encouraged to go faster but it won't happen instantly. By the time they are ready for their test then they should be faster. They will hold people up even more if they crash. I like to think I am tolerant of learners and those displaying new driver plates.

Ah well, thought maybe I was BU

octopus, it is dangerous. That's why if you come up behind a traffic jam, you flip your hazard lights. Anything that causes traffic to change speed or direction suddenly is dangerous - that is a very basic part of the driving test.

I know sometimes it's unavoidable, but I don't think a learner on a dual carriageway doing 30 is unavoidable. Nothing to stop the instructor taking the wheel if the learner needs to get home down the main road and can't drive that fast.

How the hell are they supposed to practice, and GET confident to go on the dual carriageways unless they actually DO IT???

For heavens sake!!!

I agree with octopus. Learner drivers have big old signs on the top and L plates. If you can't see them, maybe you should re do your hazard perception test

octopus, I don't understand? L Plates aren't any more visible than a sudden traffic jam, or an accident, are they? So it is exactly the same: an unexpected slow point on a major road. No-one thinks the learner is to blame, but it is still dangerous and inappropriate, and imo the teacher should be driving at this point.

purple - um ... someone who can do 'barely 30' should be on 30/40 limit roads. It's not rocket science!

Well, of course it's the driver's responsibility to recognize a hazard. But last I looked, it's also a learner driver's responsibility to understand that causing anyone to change speed or direction, is a very bad failure.

This is really basic. A learner who makes this mistake doesn't just get told off (as for a minor): they get failed, because it is dangerous. Now, if someone has an accident in front of me and can't move, I understand that. If a learner stalls and can't move, I understand that too. But if the car is in control of both the learner and their teacher, and yet they choose to move at a dangerous speed ... well, of course, I think they are in the wrong. It's not hard to judge, surely?

It is dangerous to change speed or direction suddenly. Often, it is also necessary - as, for example, when you come upon a sudden queue, or an accident. A learner driver should not be adding to that danger if there is someone else in the car to avoid it (as, by law, there must be). I really don't understand how there can be a question here?