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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask that you speed up a little.

228 replies

Dawndonna · 24/07/2012 23:21

I live in a rural area. I have to go about my daily business, appointments, shopping etc. So, if you're visiting and admiring the scenery, please pull over. Do not drive at 20mph on a sixty mile an hour road upon which overtaking is either bloody dangerous or impossible.
Drives me fucking mental

OP posts:
Pendeen · 27/07/2012 11:31

I would completely agree with that coment.

As an example, on the road from here to St Ives the 'safe' speed (all other things being equal) can at some points be as low as 20 or at other points be as high as 70 (yes I know it's not legal but that's another debate entirely) so a driver who sticks to a steady speed e.g. 40 is very misguided even though that is way below the limit.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 27/07/2012 11:33

Yes, exactly pendeen.

Obviously at times you will meet a hazard you couldn't predict and you have to drive being prepared for that, but if someone is driving at an unpredictably high or slow speed for a reason not related to the road conditions, that's one more unnecessary hazard to expose other road users to.

GoinCourtin · 27/07/2012 11:36

Sure I'll speed up on unfamiliar, twisting country roads if any rural drivers speed up when driving in unfamiliar cities and dont dawdle trying to work out where they should be going, don't change their minds about which lane they should be in, don't cut other drivers up trying to get into a correct lane etc.....Hmm

I'd rather get to somewhere safely than go too fast to please the maniac driver right up my tail!

Original poster
Dawndonna · 27/07/2012 11:38

All I asked what that people take note of other drivers needs and not do 20. I don't expect anyone to do anything unreasonable. However doing 20 on a 60mph road whilst very obviously admiring the scenery is dangerous, stupid and bloody rude.

OP posts:
sieglinde · 27/07/2012 11:39

And often self-righteous, too. 'See, see how SAFE I am!'

thebody · 27/07/2012 11:47

20 is the legal speed limit in our village so to go faster is illegal and very stupid.

Not sure though that anyone has said they don't slow down to meet road conditions.

Personally I don't drive faster than 60,,, except on a motorway which of course would be dangerous.

On a dual carriageway impatient twats can go past, no biggi.

Speed kills, fact, unless you have suffered due to someone else's crass impatience and stupidity, like my dd and her friends, then you will speed as you havnt learnt the lesson the hard way.

And dds driver was a qualified advance professuonal driver not just an impatient shopper.

Off to physio now with dd... Hope it makes you think just a little before you speed as life is so busy and important isn't it!!!

LRDtheFeministDragon · 27/07/2012 11:51

thebody, no-one is suggesting you break the speed limit, are they? That's a red herring you're introducing.

I think there's a typo in your earlier post, where you said you never drive faster than 50, except on the motorway, not 60. 60 is fine on as a maximum speed most non-moterway roads, but be aware the limit on dual carriageway and moterway is 70 and you should be able to do it. It's just as dangerous as on a motorway.

Jux · 27/07/2012 11:51

A lot of the country lanes round here have are national speed limit, but it's only safe to do that speed if you know the road and where the sudden bends are etc. it also depends very much on the weather too.

If you don't know the road and the limit is 50 or 60 then it probably isn't safe for you to do more than 40. Round here anyway. Too easy to swing round a bend and come face to face with a tractor, for instance.

Driving at night, you'll see the light of the headlamps which is an indication that slowing down might be a good idea. Safer at night because of that.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 27/07/2012 11:52

Btw, my gran caused a crash in the months before she died from failing to understand that driving slowly is dangerous to others, and doesn't make you safer unless it's actually appropriate for the road, so I also have reason to feel quite bothered about unsafe drivers.

BrevilleTron · 27/07/2012 12:04

I'm going to have to be harsh with my beloved grandad re driving.
He's now out of hospital but can barely walk and has failing eyesight
If he insists I shall throw him the keys and if he can catch them without warning it's a start. But bearing in mind when he started driving cars were a third of the power and at 86 he is a third of the man he was at 17 that's a ninefold increase

I shall take him out in Victor and (safely) stand on the anchors a few times to show him how quick you have to be.
I'd hate for him to run someone over.
It's not about 'just pootling about'
It's how fast can you stop if anyone steps out.

Not looking forward to it. However my instructor said to me
"whenever you get behind the wheel you are in charge of a ton+ of LETHAL WEAPON that could kill someone. Never forget that"

I never have as it frightened the living daylights out of me.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 27/07/2012 12:08

Oh, that's a tough one breville. Any chance his GP or someone in the medical profession can have a chat? It just might have more pull on him than you if he's of the generation who respect doctors more than grandchildren. We had the same with granny until the GP banned her from driving, and she actually took that fine with no questions, because it was 'official'.

Pendeen · 27/07/2012 12:21

"... unless you have suffered due to someone else's crass impatience and stupidity, like my dd and her friends, then you will speed as you havnt learnt the lesson the hard way. ..."

Completely untrue.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 27/07/2012 12:22

Yes, ridiculous to say 'you will speed' - bollocks. Most of us don't need to be in an accident to realize speeding is stupid, and you're implying you used to speed before this happened to you, aren't you?

Sirzy · 27/07/2012 12:28

To try to put accidents down to speed alone is impossible, yes speed may be a factor and it will make the outcomes worse but it's bad driving/lack of attention/no awareness of conditions which is more likely to cause accidents.

To drive at one speed shows no awareness of the road and it's conditions, you don't need to have driven on a road 100s of times to be able to be aware enough to drive sensibly

BrevilleTron · 27/07/2012 12:30

Having had a clean licence for 14 years I do take pleasure in driving at the speed limit. Hence why I have the ARD anti road rage device in my car as if someone is tailgating me and I'm doing the speed limit, my privacy screen pops up blocking their view through my back windscreen.
Keeps me calm.
I have been known to call a lorry drivers boss WHILST he was tailgating me! ( hands free and my friend looked up the company details and dialled the number)
He backed off sharpish

I'm all about the fuel economy and I'd rather be ten mins late in this world than ten mins early in the next!

BrevilleTron · 27/07/2012 12:32

LRD that is the option we are trying for at the mo.
Mine is last resort.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 27/07/2012 12:33

Good luck with it - it is not a fun situation to be in, I know.

BrevilleTron · 27/07/2012 12:35

I've told DH2b that if in years to come I am ever unsafe to drive and can't see it myself, to take my keys
Driving is a privilege
Not a right.

carycach · 27/07/2012 13:29

op- please could you direct me to the part in the highway code which says you should drive at the maximum speedlimit.

Pendeen · 27/07/2012 13:33

It isn't in there.

HTH

quoteunquote · 27/07/2012 13:52

When I am driving a tractor with a fully loaded trailer towards you on the lane it is you that is going to be backing up,

and no we won't wait until you have finished your holiday to get the crops in,

yes we do go all night, when the weather is right, so tough.

Justme23 · 27/07/2012 14:20

This morning I very nearly rear ended a car on a B road. I was driving faster than 60 I'll admit, but on a large straight fast road with no villages, I do not see that as an issue.
What is a issue is the man who pulled his scrapbox of a car out of a layby directly into my path without indicating or looking my way. I had to brake quite harshly and was fuming as he carried on driving at 25 miles per hour on this road. I overtook as soon as i could after staying at least three car lengths back and at this he gestured, swore and put his lights on full beam behind me.

So was driving in appropriately there?

I also hate those who insist on driving at 15 under the limit but then speeding up at decent overtaking points and then slowing back down when overtaking is risky. GRRRR

JollyHockeyStick · 27/07/2012 14:24

Section 169 of the Highway Code (mine is the 2007 version) says "Do not hold up s long queue of traffic, especially if you are driving a large or slow vehicle. Check your mirrors frequently, and if necessary, pull in where it is safe and let traffic pass".

Section 155 is about Single Track roads and it says "If you see a vehicle coming towards you, or the driver behind wants to overtake, pull into a passing place on your left, or wait opposite a passing place on your right. Give way to road users coming uphill whenever you can."

peaksandtroughs · 27/07/2012 14:46

I've read this whole thread. I can't see any explanation as to why it is safer to drive faster on a country road. It seems completely counterintuitive.

I live on a country road with no footpaths. There have been numerous accidents involving cars hitting pedestrians who were walking along the side of the road. Eventually somebody was killed. The speed limit was changed from national speed limit to 30 in some places and 20 in others. There hasn't been an accident since as far as I know, and I feel that my children are much safer walking to school.

People could have driven at 20-30 before, but presumably they thought, as many of you do, that it was 'safest' to drive at 60. Why is it safest to drive at 60?

thebody · 27/07/2012 14:47

Well each to their own, personally I drive carefully and if that means slowly then so be it, especially around windy unfamiliar lanes.

Can see how that would annoy locals but we are all only local to our area and everyone with sense drives to suit the road conditions.

Sorry I did do typo dragon, 60 is correct.

Like the tractor post, I wouldn't expect a tractor to pull over, why should they??

I suspect some of the anger on here is against tourists who dare to visit pretty areas and admire them on the drive!

Again can see be annoying but if they didn't visit presumably the local economy would suffer wouldn't it?

Anyway hope everyone enjoying the weather, it's lovely in Worcestershire and dd has been told she can now attempt running again in competitions as her back is so much better, just the PTSD to cope with now.

Just drive safely mumsnetters, think we would all endorse that.