To wonder why this driver beeped his horn at me?

[HangingBasketCase]

Driving home from work I decided to overtake a van in front of me that was going really slowly. It's a 60mph road but the van must have only been doing 40 at the very most, I was almost bumper to bumper with it and I was doing 40! So I waited for a long straight stretch of road that's known locally as the straight mile, indicated and overtook him. It was perfectly safe to do so, nothing was coming in the opposite direction, no double lines in the middle of the road, perfect driving conditions but for some reason the git started beeping his horn at me as I passed him! Then once I'd passed him I could see him shaking his head in my rear mirror!

Now I'm really questioning myself. I use this I road daily, I've been overtaken by other drivers on it myself, no problems. I was always under the impression that overtaking is perfectly legal as long as it safe to do so. Which from where I was sitting it was? What did I do wrong? I felt a bit intimidated if I'm honest, which probably sounds stupid. But there you go.

Was it a NSL road? As in you can do up to 60 if its safe but you don't have to?

Right, so when the person in front of you is going at 40, why is it impossible for you to also travel at 40, a safe distance behind?

Oh and I ALWAYS slow right down if I have a tailgater.

If I don't' feel comfortable about speeding up - which can often be the way on winding 60 roads - I would rather they crashed into me at 30, rather than me trying to speed up to accommodate their need for speed. Because, frankly, they are going to tailgate you anyway, no matter what speed you are going, so it's better to slow down.

Well Lenny, in a 30mph zone everyone is doing 30, or should be anyway.

Umm, no they shouldn't . It is a limit not a target. The limit on a crowded high street will probably be 30, but it is normally not safe to travel at that speed due to traffic lights, side roads, parked cars, pedestrians etc.

I really hope you live no where near me and suggest that you get yourself a copy of the highway code and give it a read.

There is never any excuse to drive up the arse of anyone! Jesus!

Did it make him go any faster? No.

Did it make him go slower? Probably. When tossers drive up close to me i drop about 10 miles an hour. For safety and to piss them off.

Are you the sort that drives so far up the arse of slow moving lorries that they cant even see you? And then wonder why you cant see round them to overtake?

OP you've got to be joking. The speed limit is not a necessary speed. He may have for whatever reason felt like 40 was the safest bet and you pushing him to put his foot down by giving him not much choice is dangerous driving, and it's people like you that cause accidents. Selfish and impatient.

Not a target no, but driving 20mph below the speed limit is taking the piss surely? Driving too slowly is as dangerous as driving too fast.

I still don't understand how you felt intimidated but you don't think he did with your reckless behaviour.

So he made you tailgate him?

There is a dreadful windy road near me with a 40 limit. Only a fool would actually attempt 40mph as it is a mess of blind corners and zigzags. I get tailgaters almost every time I travel that way.

A cyclist was killed there on Monday.

I wish driving tests were yearly and compulsory.

Driving too slowly being dangerous may well apply if you are on a dual carriageway or motorway. Not on a country road.

Fuck me, how do you cope with tractors or cyclists?

You don't know what he had in the back of the van to be fair.

And i'd put tailgating above driving too fast/slowly in the 'danger' category if i'm honest.

The driving conditions were perfect. Clear skies, a slight wind but nothing to strong, no rain, no roadworks. And besides, I was under the impression that using your horn to sound off at other drivers was against the law anyway?

You were tailgating. You were, by your own admission, right up his bumper.

He might have been driving at 40 because you were tailgating him. I had an ex who would deliberately drive slower when someone was driving up his arse.

Sorry OP, but I think you need to have some lessons and re-take your test. You really do sound like an aggressive, bullying, intimidating know-it-all.

It's really not op. You drive whatevers bloody safe. If it's snowing or really icy I certainly won't be doing 30 in a 30. Or if some C you next Tuesday is driving bumper to bumper to me I'd slow down to be safe. There are a million reasons. What about hazard perception too? If it's a 30 and there are kids running around coming out of school? There are just as many not as obvious reasons sometimes you need to go a little slower. To You shouldn't be on the road.

"Driving too slowly is as dangerous as driving too fast." Is something idiot drivers often spout but it really really isn't.

Get yourself on an advanced driving course, they'll explain to you why the van driver was exactly right to slow down and why you shouldn't be allowed on the road.

So going 30 is applicable at all times in a 30 zone? What about going through a busy shopping area? what about when it's around 3.30?

As someone else said, rightly, speed limits are maximums. You have to drive using your knowledge of the road and what obstacles their might be.

So many country lanes have fools driving at 60 (the limit) and don't even think about the cyclists, horses pedestrians that might be coming the other way.

Frankly, you sound dangerous as you don't seem to realise that.

Driving too close to the vehicle in front is dangerous.

It is your responsibility to adapt your driving to the conditions and to other road users.

You need a serious rethink of your approach to driving - you are in control of a potentially lethal weapon and you sound dangerous and aggressive.

So what were you trying to achieve by tailgating him?

Your determined to be right aren't you OP? You were in the wrong people have already explained that 40 on a road like that is fine if theres reasons you don't know about. You were the dangerous fool not him.

OP, the issues isn't the speed. It is fine to overtake if it is safe. The issue is the tailgating.

Of course you can drive 40mph behind him while maintaining a safe distance, if you are watching the road you will know what speed he is doing long before you are just behind his bumper so so adjust your speed accordingly before you get to him so there is a safe distance. Then you have a better view of the road ahead to overtake.

I probably would have overtaken him but I wouldn't have been up his arse as that is hugely dangerous.

Tailgating still trumps 'unnecessary sounding of the horn' in the dickish driving scale anyhoo.