Slow Motorway Driving

[allmycats]

AIBU to think that if you are driving on the motorway and you are passed by me towing our caravan - bearing in mind that whilst towing said caravan I am restricted to 60mph then you are going too slow. I am getting truly cross with the number of people driving in the slow lane at speeds of circa 50mph - whilst I appreciate that speed limits are not target speeds you need to drive in a manner that is safe and going too slow is just as bad as going too fast. me and my caravan do not like being in the middle lane, causing inconvenience for those behind me when you are simply driving like a tosser in the inside lane at 45-50mph - Rant Over !!

[Collaborate]

Can I add to the discussion drivers who fail to use the slip road when joining a motorway as an opportunity to increase your speed to match the prevailing speed of the mway? Often I've been stuck behind someone doing 45-50, assuming traffic on the mway will part for them like the Red Sea, and only after they've joined the motorway will they think to increase their speed to 70. Incredibly dangerous.

[allmycats]

Can I point out that when towing I do not have the choice of 2 other lanes to overtake in, I am not allowed into the third lane, so can only use lanes 1 and 2.

[MelonadeAgain]

I don't drive often, but when I do, I opt for economy not speed

Why use a motorway then? Motorways are designed for fast driving. What are you doing on there if you want to drive so slow?

[bigdog888]

As others have said it's driving slower than trucks that causes issues. Stick at an indicated 55-60 and you won't be causing trucks to overtake you really slowly. When there are trucks overtaking slightly slower vehicles (including other trucks) with a very small speed differential then you effectively get a 3 lane road reduced to 1 which causes congestion.

[SuddenlySqueamish]

Motorways aren't designed for fast driving, they're designed for getting lots of people across large distances efficiently.

You choose to tow a vehicle, other people choose not to drive at top speeds. Your choice affects others as much as others' affects you. It's part of living in society.

[MelonadeAgain]

Of course they're designed for fast driving!

If I wanted to drive at 50mph in a car, the last place I'd head is a motorway.

I don't tow, I drive a lorry electronically limited to 56mph and I still find myself having to pass very slow drivers on motorways. I still take a lot of care not to hold up other drivers wishing to go fast. Because its a motorway! It really drives home to you just how ridiculously slow some people drive on motorways, and I really doubt it is due to any environmental concerns, but mostly due to lack of competence, awareness and concentration.

[ivykaty44]

we had an incident at the weekend where a driving using the slip road didn't look and just came down the slip road to the end and went onto the inside lane - regardless of the traffic already in the inside and middle lane - it was awful - instead of filtering into the traffic he treated it as if everyone should get out of the way - old man in a large car. next time though it maybe a lorry that he encounters and it would possibly kill him.

his attitude was to join n the tooting

apparently though according to the papers this weekend they did a study in australia and the worst offenders are young woman in their twenties

[magpiegin]

I agree with others. I commute by motorway every day and the drivers going 50 are much more likely to cause an accident then the ones going 80/90. My opinion is that if you are too nervous/ cautious to keep up with lorries then stay on A roads.

[Bowlersarm]

Of course they're designed for fast driving

I don't think that's the case at all. They are designed to move vehicles smoothly round the country.

Can someone post a link which says you aren't allowed to drive as slowly as 50 on a motorway? I can't find one.

[AnyFucker]

I have a really fast car, and I still rarely drive over 65mph when cruising. I use my car's power to overtake quickly then get right back in the slow lane. Aggressive drivers are the most dangerous drivers on the road. Who cares if someone is slow, there is room for everyone.

I hope my newly driving 18yo doesn't get intimidated enough by people who have no empathy and no patience into making a potentially panicky and fatal mistake on the motorways.

[MelonadeAgain]

Motorways aren't designed for fast driving.

I've heard it all now!

Can I ask the slow motorway drivers what sort of speed they would drive on a twisting country road, where they are likely to meet horseriders and cyclists?

[Grennie]

I agreed to car share to a training day with a colleague. We went in her car. But I hadn't realised that all of her motorway driving would be between the speeds of 45 - 55 miles an hour. I was pretty embarassed.

[SuddenlySqueamish]

There are people driving with a lack of competence, awareness, and concentration on all roads. I'd like those people off roads and out of vehicles entirely!

My point is only that some people still want to get to places efficiently without going at 70mph and for long, cross-country distances, that way is the motorway.

However I will concede that, rather than slowness, a lack of courtesy I do find annoying. If you're able to let somebody pass when you're going slow, do so. My main method of transport is a bike (obviously not on the motorway!) and I take the lane when it's safest to do so but when an opportunity arises to tuck in and let everybody capable of going faster do so, then I take it. Also gives my legs a breather!

[Bowlersarm]

Can you post me a link about 50 mph being an illegal slow lane motorway speed, please Melonade?

[PourquoiTuGachesTaVie]

Exactly anyfucker. I passed my test in October and I'm so glad it was dh driving when those two incidents occurred as he is more experienced than I am.

I just don't understand the mentality of wanting to hurt someone because they annoyed you when driving, no matter who was in the right or wrong.

[uselessidiot]

YANBU entirely U but I've been getting really annoyed with the people I've come across driving at 30-40 in the middle lane. They even seem to look confused when someone moves across 3 lanes to pass. Wonder if they'd twig if the found their rear view mirror and saw the congestion they were causing.

[AnyFucker]

Where I live, it is motorway-bound. It is fairly impossible to get to certain places without at least using some stretch of motorway. So, using the argument "keep off them if you can't do 80mph with the Big Boys like wot I do" doesn't work for me.

[MelonadeAgain]

Can you post me a link about 50 mph being an illegal slow lane motorway speed, please Melonade?

Why? Did I say it was illegal?

Why don't you do some research into how learning safe and competent motorway driving, before you venture out onto one, is a good idea?

By the way, there is no such thing as a "slow lane". There are no "slow lanes" on any motorways. There are inside lanes (where everyone should be if not overtaking) and overtaking lanes. There is no such thing as a "lorry lane" either.

[angelos02]

It annoys me when people associate slow speeds with the lane on the left. You can do 70 in that lane if the lane is clear ahead of you.

[Raskova]

The speed limit is a target not a limit. If you fail to reach the limit, you will fail your driving test.

I had to drive approx five hours yesterday on various motorways and the terrible driving/slow/middle lane hogging is ridiculous.

YANBU.

[bigdog888]

AnyFucker there is no such think as a 'slow' lane or a 'fast' lane for that matter. There are simly lanes 1,2,3 etc - I think people using this incorrect terminology just compounds some of the issues we have on our motorways. What are you driving btw?

[AnyFucker]

My apologies. "Left lane" is what I meant (showing my age here)

[MrsCakesPremonition]

My understanding was that drivers should not inhibit the flow of the rest of the traffic (assuming that the other drivers are going at legal speeds), if you are causing other traffic to take evasive action to avoid you (which is risky) because you can't/won't match the prevailing speeds then I believe you may be prosecuted for driving without reasonable consideration.

I suspect that 50mph on a motorway would be unlikely to be slow enough for you to become a danger to other users.

[magpiegin]

When the flow of traffic is moving 60-70mph and there is one driver going 50 it is really dangerous. It causes HGVs to have to pull out into the middle lane and others to have to brake when they can't pull out. Makes me wonder if these drivers who happily drive 50mph on a motorway actually look in their mirrors to see the chaos behind them?

[MelonadeAgain]

Presumably a number of them will be terribly surprised to learn that other drivers expect traffic to be going fast magpiepin, what with it being a motorway and all!