Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

'sunday drivers' 40mph everywhere

246 replies

angelos02 · 18/10/2015 23:04

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.

OP posts:
CuppaSarah · 19/10/2015 13:27

People who drive 40 everywhere are my absolute pet peave. 40 on 40s, 50s, and 60s go for it. Perfectly reasonable, but 40 on a 30 or 20 and I loose all patience. It's just so bloody stupid.

BrandNewAndImproved · 19/10/2015 13:38

20 is rubbish. My city has had a 20mph limit for almost all of the city now and not just built up areas.

Nobody sticks to it everyone does 30/35 and the poor sods trying to stick to it get beeped at and harassed. It doesnt work.

Indantherene · 19/10/2015 14:07

We met a lot of Sunday drivers on the motorway yesterday trying to get home. The thing I can't understand is when you get to the inevitable roadworks and the 50mph speed limit, and everybody slows down, there is always one who flashes past doing about 60mph. Once the roadworks have finished we will then overtake that same vehicle further on, still doing 60mph. WHY?!

They clearly aren't in a hurry because they don't speed up again, so why would you go through the roadworks at 60mph and probably get a ticket? Surely that is driving without due care and attention?

and yes the number of halfwits doing 50mph in the middle lane (outside of roadworks), with nobody in the inside lane for miles ahead, causing others to have to go across all 3 lanes and back again to get round them. Thought that was going be stopped by the new legislation last year? Sadly it does seem to be women in the main that pull that one.

specialsubject · 19/10/2015 14:21

to the person who nearly had the junction crash - top tip - do not assume a person is going to turn until their wheels turn. Do not assume they are going past the junction until they actually do.

That is regardless of indicators. Assume the other driver is drunk/asleep/distracted/on the phone and defend yourself.

I would love to know where some people on here get their free petrol, given that they waste so much with speeding up/slowing down/absolutely must drive at the limit regardless of the conditions. And no, that doesn't mean driving at 30 everywhere.

MrsLupo · 19/10/2015 14:24

The point is that someone doing 40 on a clear, straight NSL stretch with good visibility is usually doing it for a bad reason - either they're not confident in themself or their vehicle, or they're not reading the road properly. In any of those scenarios, they're potentially a hazard to other vehicles on the road. Slower isn't necessarily better when the slowness is inappropriate to the conditions. Fair enough to the pp who was transporting vulnerable passengers, but if you have to drive inappropriately slowly then that is what your hazard lights are for.

So YANBU, OP.

BirkinsMerkin · 19/10/2015 14:27

I am a new driver and I find comments like this very worrying. I am still at the stage where I am trying to gain confidence and I am cautious. I will judge a road by how easy it is to navigate, rather than the NSL sign. Loads of the NSL roads where I live are bendy, narrow and in this weather there are often small branches blown onto the road. I have my kids in the car and I refuse to be bullied into driving at a speed I am not comfortable with. I'm willing to bet that aggressive, impatient drivers cause more accidents than cautious ones.

whippetwoman · 19/10/2015 14:27

What happens a lot around where I live is driving behind people who join the motorways/dual carriageways very slowly. For some reason I find this terrifying. I was behind a couple who merged on to the A46 at below 40mph causing me to have to merge on behind them at that speed when the oncoming traffic is usually moving at around 70mph. Why would you do that? I have to use the A46 for pre-school and school runs most days and I come across it quite a lot.

Also, I have always wondered about the people who zoom through the average speed camera area of roadworks when everyone else is doing the 40mph speed limit. Surely they will be caught out by the cameras or do they know something I don't??

PassiveAgressiveQueen · 19/10/2015 14:38

I want to shout "it isn't an average but a max" when they carry on doing 40 through a village.

It takes me an extra 15 mins to get home on a sunny lunchtime than rush hour, because of bloody lunchers.

Alisvolatpropiis · 19/10/2015 14:43

Birkin

If you're not confident on the road you shouldn't be on it.

I suggest you do the Pass Plus course.

ReallyTired · 19/10/2015 14:44

No one should feel that have to do the national speed limit on a national speed road.

BirkinsMerkin you sound a sensible driver.

It is up to everyone to take responsiblity for their own driving. A driver doing 40 mph in a 60 mph zone does not cause an accident by just driving slowly. It might annoy the pants off you, but the onus on other drivers is to over take safely. If bad overtaking results in an accident then its not the slow driver's fault.

Getting to a destination safely is more important than getting to destination quickly.

BrandNewAndImproved · 19/10/2015 14:46

birkins I agree with the above poster you need to do a pass plus or advanced driver course.

I only passed in April and apart from the first time driving home by myself I haven't felt what you feel.

BrandNewAndImproved · 19/10/2015 14:47

Above poster meaning alisvol

BrandNewAndImproved · 19/10/2015 14:48

It's not even about doing the maximum nsl on a nsl road. It's about doing 30/40 on a straight Road when you could be doing 50.

Slow down and get into 3rd for the bends and then speed back up again.

ElderlyKoreanLady · 19/10/2015 14:57

Completely agree with the point RE speeding...those people definitely shouldn't be on the roads. And it's very annoying when you're stuck behind someone doing 30 in a 50 zone for no reason.

Depends on the road though I think. There's a network of very bendy country lanes next to the village I live in. It's national speed limit but in parts is so narrow that cars approaching from opposite directions can only just pass each other. Locals stick to about 30 in these areas and tuck themselves in as close to the left as possible. Non-locals put themselves in the position where they come round a bend and have to slam their breaks on and usually have to adjust their positioning in the road too. When they don't manage it, there are accidents.

The speed limit is definitely an upper limit but people should be using their judgement when on the roads. Going a snail's pace for no reason is poor driving, but going 60 just because that's the speed limit is downright dangerous.

ReallyTired · 19/10/2015 15:03

I am sure that birkins will build confidence. Once you are behind the wheel on your own you develop confidene with driving. The first year of being a new driver is a little terrifying and many people do have an accident. I am not sure that more driving lessons makes a difference. You need to drive independently to learn. I think it helps to have a little bit more driving experience before doing an advanced drivers course.

I think that Birkins has to believe that she has reached a certain standard to be allowed loose by herself on the road.

"I only passed in April and apart from the first time driving home by myself I haven't felt what you feel."

False level of confidence doesn't necessarily make someone a safer driver. It doesn't worry me that Birkins is a little nervous if she has just passed her test. I am less scared of her being on the road than a cocky seventeen year old who believe that he is god's gift to roads/ women. A slight sense of fear shows understanding that a car is a dangerous object.

I have twenty years of driving experience and there are times that I do not feel confident to drive at 60 mph on a nsl road. If there is driving rain or snow and poor visablity then I do not feel guilty about doing 40. I believe that I am far better driver than when I was younger. The insurance company certainly thinks I am reasonable driver as I have five years no claims.

A lot of learning to drive is about judgment. Its knowing when to drive slower than the speed limit and being confident in your judgement even when there are idiots behind you who want to do 70 on a nsl road.

Rebecca2014 · 19/10/2015 15:38

There are some country roads where it is dangerous to go the NSL. I tend to go slower and if people don't like it, meh go round me!!

I hate it though where it is a clear straight road and they are going slow.

MrsLupo · 19/10/2015 15:49

A driver doing 40 mph in a 60 mph zone does not cause an accident by just driving slowly.

You're missing the point. Assuming non-problematic conditions, a driver who isn't driving at a normal speed is likely to do other dangerous things. These are the same drivers who tend to pull out without looking, turn off without indicating, change lanes without warning, or any one of myriad dangerous road habits. Of course the inappropriate slowness isn't dangerous in itself but it's indicative of a lack of awareness of the driving environment.

PassiveAgressiveQueen · 19/10/2015 16:21

why are so many people jumping on the "too slow" bit but all missing the "too fast" bit.
it is the combination that makes them dangerous, as they weren't going slow because they judged driving conditions, but because that is the speed they do EVERYWHERE.

MaidOfStars · 19/10/2015 16:22

Agree with ^^

A driver doing 40 in a 60 in good conditions is a 'red flag'.

MaidOfStars · 19/10/2015 16:23

Birkins Do you display a green P plate?

ineedabodytransplant · 19/10/2015 16:27

A national speed limit is the max the road should be driven at. It all depends on the conditions and the driver of course. Half the people driving don't know what NSL means anyway. Some drivers seem unable to appreciate that you can drive at 50mph one day when it's dry and sunny, but not the next when it's raining,etc.

The city I live in was one of the first to bring in the 20mph limit. It isn't policed so all it means that drivers who were previously driving at 10 miles over the speed limit previously are now 20mph over. The worst offenders are the local private hire cab drivers. Supposedly they are professional drivers, but it's almost like it offends them to have to drive at 20.
And don't get me started with drivers who cut corners when turning right Angry

I am not an aggressive driver, but I do like to be able to move at a spped athat's suitable for the road and conditions. I did a drive to survie course many years ago, have a clean license(have had for over 25 years) although don't, and can't, claim to be perfect as I've been stupid before, but some drivers make me cringe with amazement sometimes.

Dawndonnaagain · 19/10/2015 16:28

Having spent 40 minutes on the A17 yesterday behind a car doing 30, yep, this pisses me off. However, the police have got back to me and have had words with the couple driving and have informed them that if the speed limit is 60 they should be doing the speed limit. They have informed them that the 'it's not a target' myth is just that, a myth and that they should drive at the upper limit for conditions on the road at the time. He will be taking some sort of course apparently.

ineedabodytransplant · 19/10/2015 16:28

Excuse the fat fingers, please.
A speed that's suitable.....
A Drive to Survive.........

Stormtreader · 19/10/2015 16:30

You should drive at the speed limit for the road if there is no reason not to.
Heavy rain, fog, pregnant woman, windy road, car making weird noise, behind or around horses, etc? Those are all reasons why not doing 60 is a good idea.

Lovely clear day, road in good condition, car working fine, no reason to not be driving at the speed limit? You should probably be aiming for the speed limit to keep the traffic flowing.

specialsubject · 19/10/2015 16:32

'it's not a target' myth is just that, a myth and that they should drive at the upper limit for conditions on the road at the time..

Correct. This does NOT mean that you always drive at 60 just because there is a 60 limit, which is what those on here who should be driving are saying.

could really have done with some handy trees today - two drivers coming at me on the wrong side of the road due to impatience with other traffic doing about 50 in a 60. It is a twisty road. Hopefully it will be only themselves that they kill, but hopefully quite soon.