'sunday drivers' 40mph everywhere

[angelos02]

Just had a weekend away in the countryside and at least half a dozen times got stuck behind people that shouldn't be allowed to drive. Doing 40mph in national speed limit zones & the same in built up 20 mph areas. Note to you Numpties...if there is big line of traffic behind you, you are probably driving dangerously.

Sidge I live very near to you! Or at least the A4 in Wiltshire. But surely we're not talking about A Roads like that here?

I'd hope not! But I have been stuck behind people driving along it at about 35-40 which is madness. Back lanes I'm much more cautious but most of the A4 is pretty fast.

Where are you?

Institute for Advanced Motorists is for people who already drive well, in order to equip them with advanced road skills. It is not intended really for nervous drivers who haven't got the hang of the basics yet. The advanced test requires a significantly higher level of skills than the standard learner test and by the way, you can fail for going too slowly, they want to see appropriate speed for the road conditions within the legal limit and making progress within the traffic.

Sigh, I wish we could go back to 'Sunday driving' . These days, there is no such thing as a Sunday - roads are probably the busiest of the week what with everyone rushing to the shops.
Too many people out driving full stop. You just have to keep the aggression in check, you'll get there in the end, what's ten minutes out a lifetime?

The most frustrating drivers on country roads aren't 40mph man (at least he's predictable, even if you can no longer spot him from a distance by his Rover) but those who are scared of bends, but put their foot down on every single bit of straight, no matter how short, so they whizz along, then slam their brakes on and creep round the bend. On every single bend. Really bloody dangerous and must knacker their cars.

magrat

That's not true. The advanced driving test is for advanced drivers, but the IAM also offers 'driving support' modules which are precisely designed to help drivers with areas they feel less confident in.

ouryve- I noticed that today. Was out riding on a NSL road. There's no way you could do the limit on it, it's a windy road with blind bends. Today was obviously "please pass wide and slow" translated to "40mph and 6 inches"
The number of people that came hurtling around the bends then slammed on and skidded on seeing me was ridiculous. I was decked in full high viz as usual but it was also misty, wet weather

magrat - lifted from the IAM website that I linked to:

Driving shouldn't be a cause for concern.
There are people on the road who are lucky enough to enjoy every minute they're behind the wheel, but unfortunately there are also people who find driving to be a source of tension or, even worse, actual panic.
The causes are varied and can often stem from a specific issue such as:
driving on motorways or parallel parking on a busy street emotional factors such as the introduction of a new born child snuggled up in a baby seat a negative experience such as a road incident, regardless of whether or not you were driving or if you were witness to another driver's accident the pressure you feel that you're under from other drivers and many other possibilities.
There's not a single answer to overcoming any driving issues that you face. The solution can vary depending on the cause, so we've created an adaptive programme of modules that targets the specific areas of driving development; skills, experience and emotions.

I did (and passed) the IAM advanced motorbike test recently (because I want to ride for the Blood Bikes). The focus of the advanced test, which lasts between 60-90 minutes is distinctly beyond the basics and you are assessed by a Class 1 police biker.

Surely the Pass Plus scheme is more suitable to sort out the basics before throwing other approaches and techniques into the mix with proper advanced training?

I don't get why people on this thread are countering the OP's assertion that driving too slowly is dangerous with aggressive retorts about how driving too fast is more dangerous.

Me either, especially as the OP is talking about someone doing 40mph all the way so going slower on speeds above 40mph and speeding on roads that drop to below it.

People that don't vary their speed like that are unobservant and dangerous drivers- they are the kind that go slower on a clear, 50mph road and then almost run over the kids in the 20mph road.

Poor observation and worse judgement.

Sadly, my grandmother is one of these drivers and so she is no longer allowed to drive.

magrat The IAM website must be lying then, as what I C&P'd above seems far from an advanced course.

Collaborate I didn't say that did I?

I said that MY experience with IAM is to have completed the advanced motorbike test, which focuses on advanced skills and use of the police-based riding system (and hence it is a requirement that all riders for the Blood Bikes hold an advanced riding test pass - either IAM of RoSPA - because riders have to be able to cope with going out in all conditions and must be able to make progress in all kinds of traffic).

I live in a village and always do no more than the speed limit through villages. I was doing 30 exiting a village but still a few hundred metres away from the 50 sign and I was overtaken by an idiot who decided the 50 limit started there. I hate people who do 40 in a 60 as much as I hate those who do 40 in a 30. YANBU.

you can fail for going too slowly, they want to see appropriate speed for the road conditions within the legal limit

In fact, more than this, they just want to see appropriate speed, irrespective of the legal limit. My father was a driving examiner and was specifically told in his training, 'You are not a police officer. It is not your job to penalise a driver for breaking the speed limit if the conditions dictate that that is appropriate.' He was firmly of the opinion that there should be no speed limits and that in their absence drivers would drive more responsively to road conditions, not less. Mind you, there were fewer cars on the road in his day and far fewer performance cars - I'm not sure he would say the same today. Bit of a digression, sorry.

No, Mrs Lupo for the advanced test, not the learner test, going above the legal limit is a fail. You are tested by a current or recently retired class 1 police rider, not by a standard driving examiner. Having completed and passed the test, personally and having undertaken all the training required to get there, they are very adamant that they do not condone illegality in your riding. To get a very high mark (IAM F1RST, or in the RoSPA test, a gold), you must be within 1mph of the legal limit where conditions allow (but no more, unless completing a manoevre such as an overtake).

Oh sorry, Magrat, thought you were talking with reference to the OP. Don't know anything about the advanced test. You're undoubtedly right. Good for you doing the Blood Bikes thing btw.

Surely the Pass Plus scheme is more suitable to sort out the basics before throwing other approaches and techniques into the mix with proper advanced training?

I actually think the driving support modules (especially motorway driving, etc) offered by the IAM look better than Pass Plus and offer a fairly similar rubric. Obviously the advanced driving test and the course leading up to that is not a sensible alternative to Pass Plus, but recommending that a new or unconfident driver look into the many things that the IAM offer outside of the advanced test is a pretty good idea, IMO.

I nearly ran into the back of somebody this morning on the motorway- they were doing 45mph (at a push) with no lights on. It was 6am and bloody dark. I didn't see them until I was right on top of them (unlit stretch).

People should drive to the road conditions- just as there's no excuse for doing 70 on a lane, there's no excuse for doing 40 on a motorway so long as the conditions aren't terrible.

Provisionally, I'd agree. It was my misunderstanding, because I thought the suggestion from Collaborate was to undertake advanced training , leading to the advanced test. Obviously she was not suggesting that, but that is what I'd understood by the initial suggestion.

On the subject of country roads, though some people might find this clip from the Think! campaign particularly useful:
think.direct.gov.uk/video-country-roads.html

somebody has just summed it up - do an APPROPRIATE speed. As long as it isn't more than the legal limit.

if you can't judge appropriate, learn or get the bus.

clues to appropriate: can you stop in time not to hit the car in front if it stops suddenly? Can you get round the bend coming up without flipping your vehicle? (unlike the chap in the Highway maintenance truck here the other day...) If there is an obstruction you can't see beyond that bend, can you stop in time? Is the road wet or dry? Is it raining? Finally, what is the speed limit on this piece of road?