...to drive at 50mph on motorways and dual carriage ways...

[BistoBear]

...when the speed limit is 70mph?

I used to drive at 70-75mph but have cut down to 50mph and I am saving so much money due to reduction in fuel being used :) Before, on a full tank of petrol I could do two return journeys from halls/uni back to my home-town (150 miles) and I would need to refuel pretty quickly. I can now do THREE return journeys on one full tank and still have some left :)

I'm really happy to be saving money but I am a little bit worried about hindering other road users? So, am I being unreasonable?

Ha ha my dad still says new cars need breaking in

Your an idiot. Driving too slow is an offence too you know

I'd throw a stream of invective your way if I were behind you, or suddenly had to slow because of you.
I live in a very touristy area and hate it when I'm trying to get to school on a sixty mile an hour road and tourists are pootling along admiring the scenery at twenty, or if you're really lucky thirty. No alternative routes, nowhere to overtake.
Aaaaaaarggggghhhhhh!

YANBU. Ignore all the impatient tailgaters.

Well, you save yourself money in a less irritating way, why not - maybe by not owning, taxing and insuring a car? But as you've done those things, bloody well drive at the ambient speed or get off the motorway, because not everyone wants to pootle along at 50mph!

You know a lorry is only doing 60, you don't expect a car to be doing 50. It is dangerous. Accidents happen on motorways, why behave in a way that makes them more likely. You should be able to cope with slowing down from 70 without either getting hit from behind or swerving into traffic in the middle lane but you also should be able to step out onto a zebra crossing without looking as the onus is on the driver to stop for pedestrians but people don't do it because they would be killed.

It has to be a target speed, surely, as teh point of motorways are to move lots of traffic quickly. Imagine if everyone just tootled along at whatever speed they felt like? YADefinitelyBU and dangerous. Slow cars appear to be standing still/going backwards if you approach then at 70-77

We have a lot of tractors and high population of older drivers here.

I live on the 2 lane A1, when a lorry pulls out to overtake it causes serious congestion, and yes, it causes drivers to slam on when they are pootling on at 70mph and suddenly come across congestion!

God yes said, that car I was coming up behind on the motorway appeared to be standing still. Have only been driving a couple of years so was the first time it had happened to me - really had to break for ages. Luckily road was quiet. Was a bit disconcerting to say the least.

But you can always overtake. It's a maximum, not a target speed.

"It has to be a target speed, surely, as teh point of motorways are to move lots of traffic quickly."

Tailgaters?! Well it's the first time I've been called that . Am hardly a speed machine!

Bet you live near me, Petisa

Hmm, seems to me that there is often a stream of lorries, vans etc in the inside lane travelling at 50 or a little over. So if you are in that stream, then it seems that YANBU.

Overall I suspect that 55 might be a more suitable speed to stay with the flow of traffic in most circumstances.

Certainly on my last long drive when I was aiming to cruise around 60 - 65 (our van has terrible fuel consumption above that speed) I was having to overtake a lot and found that if I wanted to stay in the inside lane I needed to drop back below 60.

Lot of grey perms and flat caps in Land Rovers Sarah? Not looking either left or right or in any mirror?

Ok, it's a limit not a target, but 20 miles below the limit is too much, particularly on a motorway. I think 60 is realistically the lowest it is reasonable to be doing - assuming the weather is fine, of course.

My husband failed his first motorcycle full test for riding 50 in a 60 section of a dual carriageway (I passed.....)

YABU.

But then I'm in an Audi doing 100, so don't listen to me.

said "It has to be a target speed, surely, as teh point of motorways are to move lots of traffic quickly. "

In fact, the reason for 50 mph limits in crowded sections of motorway is because it is a more effective way to move large numbers of cars with minimum delay / congestion.

Oh yes.

You can't always overtake though - one junction before the Ikea turn off, anyone?

What if it's a dual carriageway and there's a horse box in the outside lane - and OP is pootling past it at 50? Annoying at best, dangerous at worst.

I say again - save money in a less irritating way. I'll flash my lights at you if you do that in front of me, and I bet I'm not the only one. I don't drive fast or dangerously, but when I get on the A1(M) for example, I do not expect to be driving at 50 if there's not reason other than some git trying to save petrol money. Get yourself on a minor road instead.

you lots have very low tolerance i'm quite surprised

it really doesn't bother me, people can go at 20mph if they want, it's easy to overtake

If you are traveling below the speed of the surrounding traffic then people will brake behind you. Other people further back see the brake lights and they brake too, just for a second, but the people further back from them have seen lots of brake lights so they brake a little bit harder. Eventually someone brakes so hard than they stop, just for a second and behold, 100s of people are caught up in a traffic jam.

horse boxes don't go over 50 surely

this thread is mad. although maybe it's cause i use the m25 alot so am used to going slowly

Interesting comments which I have taken on board :)

Going forward, I'll up the speed to 55-60 and go for the lorry slip-streaming idea.

I'm actually quite horrified at the thought of being considered so dangerous! At no point have I been tailgated or flashed or gesitculated at. And I have been looking for it as I was aware that I might be annoying other road users.

Thanks for the input :)

No, horse boxes don't go over 50. If someone tries to overtake them at only 50, though, that person is using the inside lane and doing only 50 in it. Do you see?