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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

267 replies

BistoBear · 17/11/2011 22:05

...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?

OP posts:
Hardgoing · 17/11/2011 23:39

Well, you can insist it's your right, and hope for the best as they swerve around you. My personal experience it was pretty dangerous, especially moving into the middle lane say if you are approaching a split in the road.

Bunbaker · 17/11/2011 23:42

"I wonder if it's tolerated more up here in Scotland where we have fewer cars on the road"

Interestingly, the A9 has reminders posted every few miles asking slow drivers to pull over and let others past because "Frustration Kills".

There is a happy medium where you can be less irritating to other road users and conserve fuel, and I would say that 60mph is far more acceptable.

I drive up the A1 to Northumberland a lot (from South Yorkshire) and find the journey extremely dull, so I admit that I tend to drive a tad over the speed limit. One day the road was very busy but moving and I must have averaged 60 mph during the entire journey. I used a lot less petrol that journey.

I'm afraid that I still find the journey so dull that the idea of doing 60mph all the way to save petrol isn't enough to keep my foot off the accelerator.

Towndon · 17/11/2011 23:46

If everyone was meant to go at the same speed on a motorway then why is there more than one lane?

Collaborate · 17/11/2011 23:48

YABU and dangerous, causing traffic to bunch up behind you as lorries and then cars queue to overtake you. Get off the motorway and take the A roads if you're going to drive so inconsiderately.

JustRedbin · 17/11/2011 23:49

OP if you see lorries pulling out behind you to overtake, accelerate to 61MPH. This gives me hours of fun on otherwise boring journeys.

Towndon · 17/11/2011 23:50

Couldn't agree more, banana.

LaurieFairyCake · 17/11/2011 23:52

There is so much utter rubbish posted on this thread Hmm

OP, you are fine driving at the speed of the inside lane - try to drive so you don't have to overtake too much or slow down too much - try to avoid braking and speeding up, use the highest gear possible.

When highways want to move large volumes of traffic they impose a speed limit of 50 or 60 to avoid mass accelerating and breaking. The m25 is not controlled speed because of accidents but because of volume at busy times.

If the speed of the inside lane is 50, fine travel at that. If it's 60 you might be better keeping up with the flow to avoid overtaking or braking, or forcing others to do so.

bananaistheanswer · 18/11/2011 00:11

YABU and dangerous, causing traffic to bunch up behind you as lorries and then cars queue to overtake you

Hmm Causing traffic to queue is dangerous is it? The need to overtake suddenly becomes life threatening because there's a car driving at 50mph in the slow lane?

Get a grip.

squeakytoy · 18/11/2011 01:56

It is an offence to drive too slowly if you are causing a hindrance to other traffic, and driving at 50mph on a clear running motorway IS likely to be a hindrance as well as putting yourself in danger from someone ramming into the back of you too.

Hardgoing · 18/11/2011 02:27

The need to over-take isn't a life-or-death thing unless a lorry suddenly pulls into the middle lane to avoid a very very slow car (perhaps some of you haven't driven at just under 50 on a motorway recently, as I have, and are perhaps thinking of pottering along at 60/70). It's like middle-lane hoggers, they think they are safe as they are not swerving from lane to lane, but others end up getting frustrated and start doing silly things. Going round the M25 at 50 all in lane is very effective at keeping the traffic moving, but the OP isn't on the M25 and on a motorway with average speeds 65-85, she'll be a hazard.

trixymalixy · 18/11/2011 04:11

No one is saying the OP should be speeding or doing 70, most have said 50 is too slow but that the OP should try and go at least as fast as the trucks as that will achieve a balance between fuel efficiency and not causing a hazard.

trixymalixy · 18/11/2011 04:25

And having driven on a motorway in our campervan at 50mph after having a new engine fitted (it took a while to ease up and be able to go faster), I'm baffled as to why you would choose to, we felt very very vulnerable as trucks went past at 56, that 6 mph seemed so much faster and the trucks seemed to absolutely thunder past. It is much safer to go at the speed of the trucks.

callmemrs · 18/11/2011 07:05

Yabu, not because it's necessarily hugely dangerous but because you are deliberately doing something which causes a hindrance to other road users. If the motorway is generally flowing at around 70mph, someone trogging along at 50 just to conserve fuel is deliberately not going with the flow in the way motorways are designed. Its selfish really rather than massively dangerous ( because I agree that if others drive on your tail or suddenly pull out to overtake, they are causing the danger not you)

Sirzy · 18/11/2011 07:16

Justredbin. What a dangerous way to drive, driving like that is likely to cause accidents! Idiots who speed up when you go to overtake them really pisses me off!

Chandon · 18/11/2011 07:30

"I agree that if others drive on your tail or suddenly pull out to overtake, they are causing the danger not you". Me too.

people get so frustrated so quickly.

Sometimes I get stuck behind old people tootling along at 30 MPH on a 60 road where you cannot overtake. You just have to allow for that when planning your journey (ie leave yourself enough time) and slow down and not care.

There is no minimum speed in the UK so you can do what you like, speedwise.

McPhee · 18/11/2011 07:32

Driving at that speed on a motorway causes a lot of nervousness for other drivers as they don't know what the fuck your doing! Driving too cautiously is actually worse than speeding. Soon enough you'll get a car doing 70, right up your arse!

SoupDragon · 18/11/2011 07:39

As others have said, 50 is too slow. 60 is far better.

maxybrown · 18/11/2011 07:59

you wouldn't want to be in our vehicle and go more than 55 I tell you, you'd hear your brain rattling Grin

maxybrown · 18/11/2011 08:01

Oh and thinking about it, maybe it depends on what you are driving - never seen anyone get frustrated with us, sometimes they even slow down. We'll be able to do 60/65 in a couple of weeks when our other car is ready - but they are both over 40 years old Grin

squeakytoy · 18/11/2011 08:08

There is no minimum speed in the UK so you can do what you like, speedwise

That is incorrect. If your driving is causing a danger to others, then you certainly can be prosecuted for it. It is classed as "driving without reasonable consideration to other road users"

valiumredhead · 18/11/2011 08:19

Squeaky And Fabby are right.

HarryHillatemygoldfish · 18/11/2011 08:27

I think YABU but then I'm one of those tossers in an Audi doing 100 Grin

GraciousLife · 18/11/2011 08:50

If you want to go 20mph under the speed limit, then go on the main roads.

valiumredhead · 18/11/2011 08:52

Part of the new driving tests is to take you out on a dual carriage way/fast rd to see if you keep up to speed. If you were doing 20 miles under you would get a fault.

Hardgoing · 18/11/2011 08:57

I went on a dual carriageway as part of my driving test about 20 years ago. I pootled along at about 55-60, for fear of going over 70. Although I passed, the examiner said I was going too slowly and he thought we would never get back to the centre. He didn't fail me although it was a fault, as I was otherwise perfect:)