to have been infuriated by this driver?

[Gentleness]

Part of the route we were taking tonight was closed for roadworks and there was a long diversion. In the end it added 30 miles to the journey on winding single carriageway roads, almost all clearly marked as national speed limit. We soon ended up 3 cars behind a little car being driven at a steady 40 despite all the signs. 1 car managed to overtake quite early on on a rare straight stretch but it was rainy, dark, hilly and winding so much that there just weren't other opportunities. 20 miles we were stuck behind this fool who either didn't notice the long stretch of diverted cars stuck behind her, didn't notice the many places she could have pulled in, didn't know what the national speed limit sign meant or was too anxious to take it all in and respond appropriately to the situation. Or just didn't care. Who knows?

Eventually I managed to overtake ( which is how I know she was female) but I was so cross at her incompetence that I honked the horn at her as I did. Ok, I know that bit was unreasonable, but dh thinks it was unreasonable to be cross with her at all. I don't - pointless maybe, but justified given that however nervous, she could have pulled over rather than hold everyone up for so long. So, your opinions please - worthwhile anger or not, do you think her driving was enough to anger?

[quoteunquote]

YABVU,

I agree with all said by,HecateHarshPants

and if the driver behind her was closer than the space required to have a safe stopping distance, she would be doing the right thing to slow down,

I did a police driving course for advanced driving thing, and the officers advised that if someone is tailgating to slow to a speed that the gap becomes safe,

dark windy unfamiliar road, it would of been hard to pull over, especially being dazzled from behind,

Every year in this popular south west holiday destination, we have hundreds of accidents by visitors, who don't understand that 60mph on rural road is a limit not a target, there are very few places where it would be safe to drive at that speed.

[WithoutCaution]

almost all clearly marked as national speed limit. We soon ended up 3 cars behind a little car being driven at a steady 40 despite all the signs. 1 car managed to overtake quite early on on a rare straight stretch but it was rainy, dark, hilly and winding so much that there just weren't other opportunities. 20 miles we were stuck behind this fool who either didn't notice the long stretch of diverted cars stuck behind her, didn't notice the many places she could have pulled in, didn't know what the national speed limit sign meant or was too anxious to take it all in and respond appropriately to the situation. Or just didn't care. Who knows?

So the driver of the small car (size of the car is irrelevant as is the sex of the driver) was driving at the right speed for the conditions/ type of road causing you to honk your horn at her?!

It's hardly her fault you were diverted. Did you know what would be around each bend in the road? No you didn't

If you want to drive faster than appropriate for the conditions then so be it but do not get upity when other drivers take a more sensible approach. I never do more than 40mph on one of the 60mph country roads near me as I know that I'm likely to meet a tractor/horse rider/ pedestrian/ cyclist on the road, people who don't know the road do slightly over the limit and end up doing an emergency stop to try avoiding hitting something/someone.

[WithoutCaution]

Well that was a complete fail at underlining

[Pendeen]

" Pendeen - further training to do what exactly? "

I would have thought that was obvious. How does a queue form?

Or is it your contention that she decided that her speed was correct and everyone else was wrong?

[Empusa]

I wonder if that was my MIL, she refuses to do over 40 unless it is a motorway (regardless of conditions) and on a motorway she only makes it up to 55mph.

She freaks out if DH or I drive any faster with her in the car.

[VinegarTits]

have we had the bit were the op comes back to say 'it wasnt that dark/windy/rainy..' because she cant admit she was BU? even thought the majority vote is SWBU

[Zalen]

it was rainy, dark, hilly and winding

Given the above I think YWBVU to expect to travel at anywhere near the National Speed Limit, cliche but remember, it's a MAXIMUM not a MINIMUM.

[Gigondas]

Yes vinegartits (great name )- it wasn't raining, bendy etc all the time so she should have speeded up, drivers like her shouldn't be on the road.

[DappyHays]

YABU.

You should only honk your horn in an emergency. You were the one in the wrong. If you get that infuriated by other drivers, maybe you shouldn't drive or take some anger management sessions?

[ErrorError]

Yes VinegarTits - "As I said, she was at a steady 40 ALL the time - wide bends, tight bends, rain stopped, rain pelting it down, uphill or down."

I never honk at anyone because you never know if they are a knobhead or if they have made a genuine mistake, and if it's the latter, making them panic could be worse for everyone's safety. I agree with the poster who said she was probably doing you all a favour by keeping you all behind at a reasonable speed.

Whoever said this:
"Also 10 minutes can make a big difference to someone going home from work if they have children. They might not see them before they are asleep for the night."

Surely you'd rather get home alive and safe to a sleeping child than not at all because of some reckless idiots!? This was a diversion and was hardly going to be a permanent issue, so for the sake of a 10 minute delay, I say deal with it.

[VinegarTits]

haha i thought so, always happens on these freds

[Zalen]

I am shocked at people trying to defend this driver by saying maybe she was tired.

Me too! I can see absolutely no reason why she needs any defending, she was driving at a safe speed for the circumstances. Trying to justify it by saying she was probably tired sounds very condescending to me.

[ErrorError]

Deliberate condescension was not meant, especially not by me. It wasn't a justification of the way she was driving, because as you say, and I agree, she was driving suitably for the conditions anyway. We were just pointing out to the OP that there could have been a number of factors contributing to the way she was driving that the OP could not possibly have been aware of. OP was implying that the woman was just incompetent, which most of the rest of us have interpreted as 'sensible'.

[VinegarTits]

does anyone else have catatonia's 'road rage' song in their head while readint this thread? (well you do now )

[SoleSource]

Yabvu
agree with Hecate

[MrsBethel]

To all these people saying "well, I drive at 40 on some roads near me" - that is almost certainly a different road to the one the OP was on.

There are some windy roads near me that I wouldn't go above 30 on. There are some other's where you could corner safely at 60 in the rain in a Citroen 2CV.

It all rather depends on the road.

On your road 40 may be appropriate. Here's a clue: if a massive queue of cars is backing up behind you, chances are you're going too slowly. If it's just a single Audi behind you with it's lights on full beam, chances are you're going at a sensible pace.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

I agree with Hecate - Gentleness - you were very unreasonable, and it sounds as if you were driving aggressively, which is NOT safe, whereas the other driver was driving sensibly given the conditions.

Pendeen - I also am failing to understand what you would want further training for the other driver to achieve. The drivers behind her, who wanted her to get out of their way so they could blast along a dark, windy, hilly road, in the wet, at 60mph are the ones who need retraining, because that would be dangerous, given the conditions.

I work on this principle - I would rather be 10 minutes late in this life than 1 minute early in the next.

[HmmThinkingAboutIt]

What if its a queue of Audis and BMWs...

[ErrorError]

But as this was a diversion, it wasn't the regular route, therefore would no doubt be busier with backed-up traffic. In normal circumstances, this particular road may not be as frequently used, but the people who do would already know what speed is safe. Chances are most of the drivers using this diversion will not be regular users of this road, so not familiar with it, hence possibly in the case of lady driver in question.

[ErrorError]

My post was for MrsBethel suggesting that a line of cars behind you means the car in front is too slow. Not necessarily - car in front may be a reasonable speed, others behind are just being impatient clearly. If I am going at a speed I believe is safe and other cars get up my jacksy, I let them pass but I don't compromise my own driving or pander to suit angry drivers.

[bureni]

Perhaps the 40 mph driver was not familiar with this road as it was a diversion, imo she was driving at a perfectly safe speed considering the weather conditions and the terrain. Was the driver an R driver by any chance?

[OTheHugeManatee]

I think I'm with MrsBethel. If you're just being tailgated by a single Audi, then that single Audi is being a twat behaving like an Audi and your pace is probably perfectly sensible. But if you've got a huge long queue of cars behind you, you're driving significantly more slowly than the average and should pull in.

It sounds as though the OP was stuck behind one of those car drivers who do 40mph everywhere, whether it's a 30mph through a village or a straight 60mph stretch of open road. IMO such drivers are a menace, as far from being cautious in the interests of safety they show absolutely no awareness of changing road conditions whatsoever. This driver quite possibly didn't check the rear view mirror at all and was completely unaware of the umpteen frustrated cars queueing behind.

That said, as the OP has already acknowledged, beeping the car as you overtake is a bit Audi-ish not really on.

[spoonsspoonsspoons]

I think you were doing quite well if she stayed at 40mph all the time. IME some of these 40 mph drivers like to brake as soon as anyone comes in the opposite direction (two lane roads!)