To think you can't just trundle along at any old speed you fancy...

[TallulahTwinkletoes]

I fully expect to get flamed for this because I know I'm a tad over the top about this but it's my pet hate so here goes.

If say be gentle but I know this is the wrong place for that

I drive a lot. Every day I drive on a road that's technically a country road as there are fields either side but it's more than wide enough and not too windy. This road is followed by two straight roads. These are all national speed limit roads.

This is comfortably attainable with a few corners on the country road where 50 is a better speed. Obviously various weathers call for different speeds. I was behind a double decker bus doing 50 down there today.

The last few days I have been stuck behind people doing 35-40. Today the lady flashed at me when I finally get chance to overtake.

They way I see it is if you are driving so slow on the roads either
A) you are unaware of the speed limit/unable to follow basic road signs and therefore shouldn't be driving
B) do not feel comfortable driving at an appropriate limit for the road and therefore shouldn't be driving.

I know it's a limit not a target but you fail your driving test if you 'fail to progress' so they shouldn't be driving like this.

It's the principle that they don't care about anyone's time frame or how they affect other people. They just trundle along deciding what speed they want to go at and not giving a fuck.

We all have bad days where we mess up roundabouts and misjudge but Jesus Christ, if you can't drive at 60 in a straight line...

Funky, no one. The government did that when they set the limits...

Yeah, Limit. Like, you know - the maximum. Not a maximum and minimum.

I just want to understand the cars that drive slowly then speed up at any opportunity to overtake. Since I never tailgate, blare my horn or drive belligerently this phenomenon really makes me curious. Why pootle then refuse to let me or in some cases, a flow of traffic pass you? Why then slow down again when overtaking isn't possible? These are the only types of drivers (other than the obvious such as flat out dangerous psychos) that piss me off.

Funky yes again, it's a maximum BUT you are expected to go as close to that as you can otherwise you fail your driving test for failing to progress. The driving test being based on, like, you know, the accepted standards of driving!

I see it to the opposite effect. Cars are big metal killing machines and therefore everyone should be able to drive them competently. They can be so dangerous in the wrong hands and slow isn't necessarily safe.

I was me who started the other thread, it was removed because apparently it "wasn't in the spirit of the site". This was despite the fact that in about five pages the vast majority of posters agreed with me, but as is often the case in this day and age the vocal minority who get overly offended at the slightest thing won the day.

So obviously I agree with you OP, and I notice "get out of bed/leave earlier comment which was also posted on my original thread has appeared on here as well (maybe from the same poster?). I already leave an hour earlier than I need to be at work, even though it only takes 40 mins to be there, just to accommodate any hold ups such as road works or accidents. Why should I leave any earlier again just to accommodate shit drivers?

Twiggy, I'm not saying all nsl roads should be driven at 60. I'm talking about these three specific roads. Well any that this theory also covers but mainly, these three roads.

I grew up in rural Derbyshire and understand some roads are NSL by default (and some are simply not safe to drive on anywhere near 60) but in the same vein, 60 is appropriate for some.

Jelly, you can't say that waking up earlier to get around them isn't also affecting you. Just in a very different way.

My work is very flexible and it's not about making me late, it's the principle.

Thursdays and Fridays are worse in my area, as they are traditional pension payment days. The other week, I followed someone doing 25mph in a 30, which is fair enough. However they then proceeded to carry on doing 25mph in a 60, and they didn't speed up until they reached the next section, which displays a 40 sign. They must have missed seeing the NSL sign completely. I have also been behind a pensioner, who just stopped in the middle of the road and got out to speak to someone. I did take their registration and ring the police.

Funky yes again, it's a maximum BUT you are expected to go as close to that as you can otherwise you fail your driving test for failing to progress. The driving test being based on, like, you know, the accepted standards of driving!

Yes I did the driving test too. I have also done advanced driving. However the thing you are not understanding is that the other driver is going 'as close as they can'. For whatever reason. If they sped up, it is likely that they would be much more dangerous to you, behind them, than they are at the speed they are going. So give them space and overtake when you can.

Also, bear in mind that the roads had that speed limit awarded to them at a particular point in time. After that, the road degrades and someone might have a car that is not as perfect as yours, and might be driving in pain where they can feel every little bump and driving slower means the difference between working and not working. I know when I was recovering from a horrendous accident and was signed back, I took all roads a little less robustly because of the pain. And I was in a fab company car. And on painkillers.

There are all sorts of reasons, how about having a little humility and thinking that not everyone is exactly the same as you?

It's people like you who make my area miserable to live in. I need to cross a NSL country road to get onto a footpath and I feel as though I am risking mine and my children's lives every time. The road does not just belong to cars: it equally belongs to pedestrians, horse-riders, cyclists, tractors... If only it could be pleasant for all of us to use, and not just those caning it from A to B.
The dominance of the car is unfortunately a viscious cycle: roads are unpleasant to walk on or cycle, so everybody drives. The roads become more congested and we end up with an obesity problem. This will remain the status quo forever because politicians are afraid of motorists, who are addicted to convenience.

I do give them space and overtake when I can. Don't for a second think I'm there tailgating, beeping, flashing, general twattery. To the outside world, I'm calm and collected but in my head it's just 'you're a cunt, you're a cunt.' On repeat. (I'm not the slightest bit offended by that word. If you are replace it with a softer word to display the appropriate amount of annoyance)

They may not be safe driving in a straight line at sixty. But if not, you have to look into why and see if a refresher course is appropriate.

I personally think everyone should do refresher courses as a legal requirement. Cars are too dangerous to not be fully secure in what you're doing.

'you're a cunt, you're a cunt.' On repeat

I think that might be oozing out more than you realise. Hence the flashing. Perhaps a refresher course would work well here.

Also as pp have said, you need to be able to stop if there is an unexpected obstacle in the road. There have been numerous fatalities on my road and the other day a tree came down. If you'd been doing 60 in the dark and you hit that tree, you'd be dead.

tbh if you're fully secure there's a problem. the roads and other drivers are utterly unpredictable.

It's people like you who make my area miserable to live in.

I agree. I have been flashed before for waiting until it was safe before overtaking a cyclist. FFS. On a windy country lane near our house. In rural Derbyshire. And as I have cycled these roads before I know that it is painful to cycle right next to the path due to the state of the roads, so I give them space and get a right flashing for it.

What I dislike worse than this is drivers won't don't indicate.

I was driving behind two bikes the other day. Car behind me was beeping, but I couldn't overtake them owing to traffic on the other side or corners. As soon as there was the tiniest space, they overtook me, had to pull in sharpish and damn near ran the bikes off the road. It was dark, they probably couldn't see the bikes, but I could. They were driving dangerously.

Some of you seem to be saying about my anger management but you're getting annoyed at someone on an anonymous Internet forum. I could say you have a bad attitude.

Again, I'm not intimidating anyone on the road. There's no point. They either won't speed up or they'll be a cunt for the sake of it and slow down more or brake. No one wins and two people are angry rather than one. But then you seem to be reading what you want out of what I'm saying.

I always give every other road user lots of space. The other bug bear on this road is people overtaking cyclists on corners. I can't see why they do this. Are they not giving the cyclist an adequate amount of room? Do they not think there could be an oncoming car? I'm not sure. My dad's a cyclist and was hit by a lorry. I know the risks of what not paying attention/unsafe driving can bring.