to think that if I'm doing the speed limit people shouldn't be overtaking me because I have a tiny car?

[Wigglewoo]

Ok this is a ranty one.

I drive a fiat - like the inbetweeners car. It has an 899cc engine.

When I'm driving along at 60mph - as I did this morning - I always seem t get some utter twat driving up my bum as close as they can as if they assume I'm not driving fast enough in my little car. And several times this week I've had people approach a roundabout behind me, then use the lane to the right tovertake and pull in front of me when going straight ahead!!!! Totally fucked off with it now...!

When I drive my mums larger car I never have this even when driving the same speeds etc.


Grrrrrrrrrrr!


I wish people wouldn't assume my car can't keep up with the speed limits just ebecause its small! More often than not I end up stuck behind the car that overtook me!

[Mia4]

YANBU, people do that with my tiny car. Infact they get all manner of aggressive.

One time i was coming down a road, cars blocking the other side but mine was clear and instead of waiting at the end a large car tried to speed up towards me. We met 3 cars from the end of a row of about 20 and he got out to shout at me and tell me to reverse back 17 to let him go going so far as to come and lean into my passengers window and try to shout some more.

I got out and let the pillock have it, telling him it was my right of way not his and he could clearly see me therefore he was being an aggressive twat and spoiling for a fight I'd gladly give him, I then waved my phone and told him i'd call the police unless he moved. He moved sharpish and i very slowly went through allowing a good glare and the double decker bus that was slowly turning the corner behind to start going past the car meaning he had to wait for that to. Joy.

I don't normally get so annoyed, i usually write people like that off as 'large mouth, large truck, tiny junk' but my poor passenger had the norovirus and I'd just collected her from work, she was vomiting into a poly box as he ranted. I suspect he didn't even notice but since he got close i fucking hope he got it.

[Avuncular]

Sallyingforth

Bang on. Highway Code Rules 137 & 138.

The only thing I would add is that drivers need to develop the art (and the courage) of moving between Lane 1 & Lane 2. Requires a bit of co-operation and anticipation from those in lanes 2 & 3 though.

Guideline: if you're going to need to leave Lane 1, ideally you need to start this about 4 seconds from the vehicle in front. Otherwise your margins can get a bit tight if you can't immediately find a gap in Lane 2.

[Sallyingforth]

The only thing I would add is that driving along at the speed limit does NOT give you the right to stay in the middle lane or the outside lane when there is room to pull in to the left.

[Lueji]

Avuncular, that is why I always keep a 3 sec gap particularly in heavy traffic.
And dispaired of ex.

On overtaking, smaller cars are also... smaller, and so require less space to overtake, which is why most people will feel more confident overtaking than bigger cars.

[Midgetm]

I don't care if people overtake me as long as it is done safely. I do very much care about people that seem to want to stop you overtaking and stick right on the speed limit as if they are traffic police, so I think YABU but you are pregnant so will let you off. And people do it regardless of what car you are in, it's how you drive, not what you drive.

[HappyNewHissy]

I drove a Fiat Seicento years ago, it's kind of the predecessor of the Fiat 500, kind of (ok it's not, but it's similar in size/engine/performance)

I was routinely bullied by bigger cars (basically ANYTHING then) and it used to really piss me off. My other cars at the time were a 4.5L Merc and a 6.75L Bentley. I didn't get overtaken in them, even when driving under the speed limit.

yesterday I was really fed up seeing a tanker driver driving RIGHT up the back of a Corsa, in the foul windy, rainy weather, just because that person was observing the speed limit. I knew that if that Corsa, for any reason, had to break suddenly, it would have been FLATTENED by the Tanker.

The Corsa turned off and the wTanker then started on the next small car in front of him. Just cos he's in a HGV .

So I may have taken my Land Rover and kind of cut in a leetle early in front of him. Funny... he didn't bully ME.... Left me PLENTY of space.

[Avuncular]

ONCE UPON A TIME .....

I calculated that if you get 10 cars driving down the motorway, all keeping 'Highway Code' distances, but reacting only to the car immediately in front, then if the leading driver just releases the 'gas' (i.e. doesn't even brake), the 10th car WILL hit the 9th.

THEN ....
(in a fit of pique following a 30mph speeding ticket on an empty rural road)

I decided to drive down a busy M4 at EXACTLY 70 mph. Was in lane 3 as there were a few vehicles in 1 and lane-hoggers in 2. (Must admit I didn't have a satnav then so I must have been doing only 67 - sorry everyone)

I waited til there were 8 'close followers' behind me in the mirror, then gently and momentarily took my foot off the gas, and watched ..... The last vehicle was definitely in distress - bonnet well-dipped. Then I drove on - with a slight conscience, I have to admit.

The motorway is not the best place for uncontrolled scientific experiments.

What happens - as some of you will know - is the 'Peloton' effect. (Look it up on Wikipedia, as half the world did during the Olympic cycling). There is elasticity in the group, and those nearer the back get a very raw deal.

Message:- keep a 2-second gap. If it's so busy so that this is difficult to achieve, then at least look well ahead, to anticipate changes in traffic and slow down without having to brake.

And if there is a 'gaggle' of close-followers ahead, leave a 'firebreak' gap so that you can deal more safely with any 'shunt' incidents ahead. Otherwise you'll eventually become part of one of those '3-car, minor injury, collisions' which hold everybody up on hot sunny motorway trips.

The 'victims' always look SO surprised that it has happened to THEM in their precious little 'first car'. And on police TV shows, their line is often 'the car in front braked too hard with no warning'.

YHBW (You Have Been Warned) !

For interest, watch YouTube "M6 Crash 22 Aug 2012" - caught on my 'black box' camera. No idea what actually happened, but it illustrates why full Highway Code stopping distance is a good gap to leave.

But the kindest thing to do in busy traffic is to keep up towards the speed limit if it's safe, keep a safe distance (Highway Code Rule 126), and be patient.

Nowadays we need to co-operate, not compete.

Maybe I should change my name to 'Notacompleteangel', though.

[SamuelWestsMistress]

Hey, I drive a Jaguar xFR Supercharged with a 5 litre v8 engine that does 0 - 60 in 4.5 seconds and people still do this to me! I chose to drive at the speed limits but some others don't. If they want to drive like twats then that is up to them! At least when they've over taken they are out your way.

[ConfusedPixie]

"I always think that if you cause another driver to brake because of you car's presence, then you have driven badly."

Totally disagree with that. If you're going the speed limit and they are speeding then it's their on bloody fault for speeding if they need to slow down. Though if you are talking about under the speed limit then I agree.

[GrimmaTheNome]

I always think that if you cause another driver to brake because of you car's presence, then you have driven badly.

Unless of course if they are coming up behind you in excess of the speed limit or what is safe for the driving conditions. There are sections of many derestricted roads where 60mph isn't safe but some nob will try it. There are conditions on all roads where doing the national speed limit isn't safe. Of course in such cases if the speeder is otherwise a good driver they will anticipate and slow rather than needing to brake when they're nearly up your arse.

[MrsHoarder]

Sordid can be the problem, we were travelling in convoy with sil in her ka and whilst we slowly accelerated so a to bit drop her, we were losing her in the long straight sections. We were going at 70, her Speedo was reading about 90.

[GrimmaTheNome]

Sorry not read the whole thread but all speedos show you speed as higher than it actually is by 10%

I thought it is up to 10% tolerance. Its always has to be above the true speed but not necessarily 10% more so please don't assume that if its reading 60 you're doing 54. DH and I both have the same sort of cars, different year - mine is the full 10% out and his is rather less. (yes, we use satnav speed as a reality check)

[complexnumber]

I always think that if you cause another driver to brake because of you car's presence, then you have driven badly.

(Of course; accidents and emergencies excluded)

[FeistyLass]

I don't think it's anything to do with the size of the car and everything to do with the speed you're driving. I often get undertaken by other cars (because I drive at the speed limit). It makes no difference whether I'm driving a mini or a pick-up.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

My DH drives a Nissan Note, another old man car ooooooooh Sabriel I'm wounded.
My Nissan Note is a mummy car (when they were first introduced IIRC about 2004- they were marketed as a Small People Carrier )

Not the first away from the lights admitedly.
I'm sure in my case it's my flat cap over my eyes and the tartan rug on the back that does it though (very ancient 46yo)

[ConfusedPixie]

I have that happen to me in my Vauxhall Astra! It's just doing the speed limit I think, some people don't seem to understand that concept DP and I are anal about doing it, I once overtook somebody on the A12 doing 55mph and I stayed at 70mph. The people behind us pulled right up my arse as I overtook and then started swearing at DP and I and pulled funny faces as we pulled back into the left hand lane. We were perfectly legal doing the upper speed limit to overtake, they just wanted to go faster!

[BoneyBackJefferson]

fiverabbits

You are aware that the speed limit for caravans is 60 on a dual carriage way and motorway?

[fiverabbits]

AVUNCULAR
My DH did slow down and he knew how much room a HGV needs to overtake because he was a HGV driver at the time. He has driven all sorts of vehicles and since he passed his test in 1970 he has only had one accident that was his fault and that was in a car park at 5 mph,he couldn't see properly because of the 6 foot high bushes that were cut down to 2 foot the next week because of the accidents.

[sparklesandglitter]

Sorry not read the whole thread but all speedos show you speed as higher than it actually is by 10% (with the exception of police cars etc) I did a paper on this at university it is standard practice so when you are doing 60 you are actually doing closer to 54. Put a sat nav in your car and look at the speed it says you are going this us much more accurate as it goes off GPS. This was massive bugbear of my (very) old lecturer, that people drive off their speedo not the actual speed, but he also thought it was very unfair that you could no longer get away with no tax, insurance etc as "it took the fun away"!

[ChristmasNamechangeBridezilla]

I drive a new Audi so everybody must assume I'm a twat and drive accordingly.

Actually my DH chose the car and I am a very cautious (fairly new) driver who never exceeds the speed limit so I quite often get overtaken by grandmas in battered cars. As I'm doing the speed limit. Which surely means they are speeding.

[Avuncular]

Hi fiverabbits - I'm afraid DEFENSIVE DRIVING is the answer - you need to look ahead and maybe think - see the problem coming and pull back /ease off the gas ; just let the HGV in. Maybe the HGV driver just misjudged things. (Highway Code Rule 147)

I'd rather be behind and alive than ahead and DEAD!

But I must admit on the whole I find towing a caravan quite relaxing ..... there's never anyone ahead (tee hee)*. ..... Happy New Year everyone.

• yes I do check my mirrors when towing, and try to let queues past when there is the chance!

[trixymalixy]

Another point which no one has mentioned is are you sure of the speed limit on the road? The route to DS's school is a long straight wide road and it's national speed limit, but without fail every morning I get stuck behind someone who clearly has not noticed the change in speed limit and thinks it's still 30.

[Avuncular]

LoL you've made my year montage

[Disappearing]

Recently I had a few days of driving a much bigger, faster car than usual, it was all kitted out with go-faster bodywork, and is the sort of thing that would be stolen-to-order for ram raiding. It was amazing the difference in other drivers behaviour towards me, almost avoidant/deferential (well not everyone, obviously, but enough so that I really noticed a change). My usual car does have an image problem, and its type is usually driven by very sensible older people. Of course the improved car performance did help occasionally with overtaking, e.g. if accelerating up a steep slip road with 2 lanes, I could take the outer one with ease. My usual car performs perfectly well (has 100hp I think) but this is all relative.

I think certain stereotypes hold true to a large extent when it comes to driving and car types, e.g. black BMW with lowered suspension and extra body-kit is much more likely to be driven aggressively and up-yer-rear-end than, say, a small Toyota.