JUST BECAUSE THERE IS A SPEED CAMERA ON 50MPH ROAD

[NotYoMomma]

Does NOT mean you should drop your speed to 35MPH!!!!

Ianbu!

HATE this, seriously why do 50, traffic moving nicely and then bang on the break just as you go past?!

Note I didn't nearly crash but we had to slow right down and of course it was muggins here who got stuck at the next set.of traffic lights of doom

GRrrr twitch

that is true - i failed my first driving test for "failure to progress" ie not getting up to the speed limit on roads when conditions are such that it's safe to do so.

50 is the upper limit not a target that has to be reached.

50 is the upper limit not a target that has to be reached.

50 is the upper limit not a target that has to be reached.

50 is the upper limit not a target that has to be reached.

^^This 100 times over. The number of crashes we've had round our way because people think 50mph is just as good on an icy night as a summers day curdles the blood.

It's different if you are just driving slowly because the ready is windy and horrible. That's sensible. But slowing down to 35 for a speed camera when you were otherwise going at 65 (and then speeding back up) is infuriating.

Having done both annoying windy a road with speed cameras and motorway driving today, however, this was not the most irritating thing is saw. Fuckers on the motorway who refuse to use the right hand lane, even though they want to go faster than the car in front of them, are.

Honestly, I do not understand why these idiots think it is better to dangerously tailgate cars using the middle lane for what it's meant for overtaking lorries in the left-hand lane than to briefly switch to the completely empty right-hand lane to overtake the traffic that's moving slower than they would like.

One particular fuckwit, kept pulling in and out the left-hand lane trying to seize an opportunity to accelerate madly and undertake the car he's been tailgating. Of course, when he found whatever minimal opportunity, the car had to brake suddenly when he pulled out in front of it with no warning. That was clearly a much better idea than overtaking using the empty right-hand lane. Arsehole. At least the motorway was quiet, otherwise he almost certainly would have caused an accident.

(It was definitely a he. I'm not just assuming).

Barbarianmum. You can say it a million times and won't be right. It depends on the conditions. If the conditions are good then you should aim fir 50. If they are not, you drive to the conditions.

Simples

The road not the ready, being windy and horrible. My irritation at bad motorway driving is causing me to become incapable of coherent English.

I don't mind too much if somone feels 30 is the appropriate speed when the limit is 50 (I mind a bit if that someone feels that is the case because they are scared of going faster, rather than scared of going faster for some reason - because just being scared suggests they're not a very competent driver).

I do mind people who slam their brakes on for speed cameras. People do it a lot round here and it's fucking stupid.

I'd like to see anyone drive the speed limit on some of the twisty, windy roads in rural Scotland. Even on a dry clear day. You'd wind up in a field.

Ds2 failed his driving test in March for failing to reach the speed limit where conditions allowed.
The speed limit is a target, where conditions allow. It has been known for drivers to be stopped, and in some cases prosecuted, for driving to slowly. It's a known that it pisses off other road users to such an extent that they are inclined to do stupid things. I have reported the idiot that does 29 on the school run, every fucking morning. Okay, I understand that he wants his newspaper, but to do nine miles at 29, on a 60 road during rush hour is just not the best idea in the world.

Xkittyx. As has been said before. The limit is if it is safe to do so.

True. There's a woman in my mum's village who's finally given up driving. Everyone is immensely thankful, because for the past ten years, you had to take into account the fact that, when you spend up to (say) 40 on the slip road to join the dual carriageway, you didn't just have to watch for cars coming up behind you, you had to watch for her doing 20 in front of you. On a 70-limit road.

yanbu

and, having had to brake a few times to avoid numpties doing this, no, it does not mean you are driving too close to them, it means that on a clear road with no hazard, it is somewhat surprising when the car in front halves their speed for no apparent reason.

thanks btw to the person who explained why they do this. i always wondered what moron thought you got bonus points for being 20miles below the speed limit. they dont actually know the speed limit, do they? hence the need to get to 30. morons

just read another thread, i gather that one of my insult terms is no longer acceptable, sorry

The daftest thing is when they do that in the average speed cameras on the Motorway, having nipped through well in excess of the posted limit. What do they understand by average speed? No it doesn't mean you can do 60/70 then just brake hard at the camera.

They then come out of the roadworks and continue along at 60 mph so clearly not in a hurry. Why chance a fine?

My personal favourite are people who do 40mph in a 50 mph. Then stay at 40 mph when they enter a 30...

WineNot this is a rage-inducing bugbear of mine too; on another thread earlier (yes I'm cursing stupid drivers today!) I wrote this...

I know I'm unreasonable and horribly intolerant, but other people's driving sends me insane with rage - the hesitancy, the inability to think ahead, driving at 40mph in a 60mph limit, then not slowing down when they enter a 30mph limit, stopping at a roundabout when it's perfectly clear that there is no other vehicle anywhere in the vicinity, dithering, not knowing the width of their vehicle...I could go on and on.

And breathe...

I was behind someone today who drove at 35mph for miles in a 60mph limit, then speeded up to 40 in a 30 limit village!

Crabbybigbottom. Are you my female doppelgänger ? Lol

My father was an advanced police driving instructor, and I was taught to drive by one of his colleagues at Hendon. He taught me that when conditions allow, you drive as close to the indicated speed limit as possible. He also taught me that it is just as dangerous to drive too slowly as too fast, often because you cause other drivers to become frustrated and try to get past you, taking unnecessary risks.

Ilove

I'm so glad it's not just me who has this!

There's a 30mph speed camera that I go through at least once a day, usually twice. It's on a fairly busy road and the traffic is nearly always going fairly substantially under 30mph when I pass it. Without fail, someone in front will slow down to about 15mph to go through the speed camera. I think some people must be under the impression they get some sort of bonus points on their licence, the further under the speedlimit they are when they pass a camera!

I also nearly always finish up following someone on my route to work, doing the 40mph No Matter What the Speed Limit Happens to Be thing. So trundling along without a care in the world, apparently oblivious to the five million cars trailing along behind on a 60mph stretch, sitting not too far under the limit on a 50mph limit, hurtling through villages with mixed 30mph and 20mph limits and back to a spot of trundling on the next 60mph bit.

I was always taught to get up to the speedlimit, where safe and appropriate to do so, and to try not to cause anyone else to have to take any sort of evasive action. I failed my first test on among other things not making due progress.

The buggers still do it when they post a sign clarifying the speed limit next to the bloody camera. Yes, some stupid people don't know what speed national speed limit is, but there's no way that they don't know what 40 means. Doesn't stop everyone slowing down to 25 though (and then instantly speeding back up).

YY to death to twats who do 40 whether the limit is 50 or 30.

Also idiots who slow down because it says slow on the road. It was painted before the wankers at the council wasted lord knows how much money putting up the 100s of unnecessary 50 signs.

lf you were doing 65, slow would be good, if you are doing 45 hitting your breaks wastes your fule and mine and that's all it does.

When I was learning to drive ( a few years ago) I was told that the speed limit was the limit. Although I should be aiming to be driving near to it, if the conditions were favourable. On unfamiliar roads, when it was wet, icy or foggy, then driving slower, with a greater gap between me and the car in front was recommended.

I generally drive within 5mph of the limit (under, not over), but if I can see I am holding people up, increase to drive at the limit if it is safe to do so.

I can't stand people driving really closely, as if they want to be in my boot. Someone did this a few weeks ago on a three-mile stretch of road with a variable limit (30 up to 40, then it goes down again). I know where the signs are so adjust my speed accordingly, so that as I pass them, I am at the correct speed. The guy behind me just seemed to want to stick to 44 all through. If there had been room, I'd have let him pass.

I'd rather be five minute late than permanently late, if you see what I mean.

Many moons ago, when I was pg with DS (who is now 8) I was driving home from a work night out. It was snowing. Proper snow that was settling an a greasy road.

I was on a dual carriageway. However, poor visibility and bad road conditions meant I was going significantly slower than the speed limit. A black car hurtled past me going waaaay too fast for the conditions. As it went past something made me worry and I started engine braking, slowing down carefully so i dropped back from him. Sure enough he lost control just ahead of me, spun, hit the crash barrier, spun back across my lane and came to a halt.

I stopped and got out to check he was alive etc. As I approached the car he got out, he was very young and very shaken. His first words to me were: 'I don't know how that happened, I wasn't going over the speed limit'.....

I did point out that the speed limit was actually too fast for the conditions but he was a bit shocked bless him and just kept telling anyone who would listen that he hadn't been speeding.

So, I am in the 'Limit not a target' camp.

Target, according to the conditions. It's not difficult.

Yes but we aren't talking about driving in poor conditions, Never, we're talking about people who drive like that in optimal conditions. Of course you should drive more slowly in bad weather.

But in fact it is still a target if conditions allow which is what most, supporting that theory have said. Obviously in snow, conditions don't allow.