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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to have been infuriated by this driver?

234 replies

Gentleness · 01/10/2012 01:22

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?

OP posts:
Tobagostreet · 01/10/2012 23:38

YANVVU!

Dark, rainy, country roads, front driver perhaps unfamiliar with the road PLUS an aggressive driver (you sounding horn when overtakingAngry) can all too often end up in an accident being caused!!

Tobagostreet · 01/10/2012 23:43

Obviously that was meant to say YABVVUBlush

kekouan · 01/10/2012 23:53

To the person who said they never drive over 40mph unless on a motorway. I seriously hope you're fucking joking?

LeucanTheMopsis · 02/10/2012 08:49

I'm not sure it's that easy to just pull in, on a dark, windy, hilly, rainy road if the laybys aren't signposted well in advance. Spotting one when you're only twenty yards from it, doing 40 in the wet, with a queue of cars behind you is not a good time to slam on the brakes and veer into it. Especially if the dark means you can't see if it's only a short one or has potholes in it.

MummysHappyPills · 02/10/2012 09:55

I think the "dangers" of slow cautious drivers are being overemphasised here, I am pretty sure that the vast majority of accidents are caused by fast aggressive drivers whose confidence in their "superior" driving skills is often misplaced.

The "slow drivers are just as dangerous as fast drivers" line is just used to justify their arrogance, agression and impatience imo.

mynameis · 02/10/2012 11:00

Couldn't agree more MummysHappyPills

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 02/10/2012 15:02

Kekouan - I would agree that it is bad driving to never drive over 40mph except on the motorway. There are plenty of roads, and road conditions in which it is safe to drive at up to the national speed limit (where this applies, or a speed limit above 40mph, where that applies).

TheLazyGirlBlog · 02/10/2012 15:15

Do you know, driving under the speed limit now will get you an instant fail on a driving test. It happened to my DH because he went 3mph under the speed on the road he was travelling on. He was not a happy bunny, but they see it as a safety issue.

It is annoying, but then I'd much rather have a slow and steady driver than some of the utter twats we have where I live, the amount of times we've been in near misses due to inconsiderate over the speed limit drivers is ridiculous. Perhaps she was driving at that speed due to the weather conditions, and the road being windy? Using common sense? I doubt beeping at her helped the woman!
It is annoying OP but it does sound as if YWBU as you were miffed at the road closures. Sorry!

bureni · 02/10/2012 15:15

Kekouan what if the driver was an R driver? then it is illegal to drive at more than 45 mph even on a motorway.

SammyTheSwedishSquirrel · 02/10/2012 15:17

What's an R driver? Confused

TheLazyGirlBlog · 02/10/2012 15:26

Is that the new driver sign?

bureni · 02/10/2012 15:28

An R driver is a driver who has just passed their driving test and is restricted to 45 mph for a year.

kekouan · 02/10/2012 15:34

Yes, but I'm not in Northern Ireland.

Startailoforangeandgold · 02/10/2012 15:34

mummyhappypills You are of course right, but in an area with miles of pointless 50 limits on good roads and lots of agricultural traffic that clearly has to go slowly, crawling cars for no apparent reason are the last straw.

Especially as the tractors are generally very polite and pull over when they can.

SammyTheSwedishSquirrel · 02/10/2012 15:39

An R driver is a driver who has just passed their driving test and is restricted to 45 mph for a year.

Where's this then? Is it a new thing? They didn't do that when I passed my test. You had to drive according to the speed limit and road condtions just like everyone else.

bureni · 02/10/2012 15:39

kekuan, maybe thats where this incident occurred which is why I asked the OP 3 times was the driver an R driver and where the incident occurred, I never got a reply. If the driver was indeed an R driver it would explain a lot.

bureni · 02/10/2012 15:41

Sammy, its the law in N.I(U.K) and I.O.M. Both learner drivers and newly passed drivers are restricted to 45 mph on all roads unless the posted speed is lower.

SammyTheSwedishSquirrel · 02/10/2012 15:43

Oh right. I learnt something new today. I shall use this as evidence to my husband that my time spent on this forum is not wasted :o

kekouan · 02/10/2012 15:44

I missed it too bureni, and to be fair I'd never heard of an R driver until I read your last post - had to google it.

I stand by it though (assuming the poster wasn't in NI).

ErrorError · 02/10/2012 15:45

fair point bureni, I didn't know what an R driver was either. That would explain a lot, but wouldn't the car also have to have an 'R' plate or something? Which may or may not have been visible in the conditions described.

Tiredmumno1 · 02/10/2012 15:47

The R plates don't apply in the UK

bureni · 02/10/2012 15:51

The highway code is the same in N.I but the driving test restrictions /mot testing are different, the "R" plates are due to be replaced in January with "N" plates but must be displayed for a full 2 years after passing the test instead of 1. Further restrictions include the passenger age limit for younger drivers, anyone under 24 years of age cannot carry a passenger under 21 years old for a year after passing the test unless immediate family. We also have to display an MOT disc in the car window and the MOT test is carried out at a government test centre not the local garage, it is very strict.

JustinBoobie · 02/10/2012 15:52

Under the conditions you describe - YABU.

FWIW - I'll tell you what pisses me off. Drivers who tear arse round the place, trying to make up minutes becuase they have to reach the speed limit with no thought to the person in front! And then BEEEEEEPING on the way past??? GRRRRRRR.

bureni · 02/10/2012 15:52

Tiredmum, they do since N.I is U.K.

lionheart · 02/10/2012 15:59

Windy and rain, winding unfamiliar road ... don't really see the problem with someone driving at 40.