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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:
BrandNewAndImproved · 19/10/2015 16:35

If you are unable to assess a road and drive suitably for that road and conditions you shouldn't be driving alone imo. If you are not confident in your ability to drive then take further action with that.

Not for the people behind you sake but for your own safety. You need to learn how to maneuver your car out of dangerous situations and assess the road in front and behind to avoid accidents. Also please wear a p plate.

dawn I may start to note down the drivers reg if the police will actually do something about it.

BirkinsMerkin · 19/10/2015 16:50

Maidofstars - yes I have a P plate.

To the people who say I shouldn't be on the road - did you all take to the road with 100% confidence after your tests? Honestly? I have been told that it takes at least 200 hours of independent driving to become properly comfortable on the roads. Also, to accompany a learner driver, you need to have held a full license for at least 3 years - which I think, says it all. You accumulate confidence and skills.

I am aware of other drivers, I do not pull out unexpectedly and do not exceed the speed limit in a 30 mile/40 mile zone. If the road is wide and clear then I will increase my speed.

I have been a passenger in a car with my mil driving at around 40 mph on a motorway, at night. It was possibly one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. I can see that with dual carriageways and motorways, lack of speed can be extremely dangerous. However, I think in other cases, personal judgement of the conditions around you is the most important thing.

AnyoneButAndre · 19/10/2015 16:58

I'm guessing that a lot of the offenders simply don't know what a black diagonal on a white circle actually means. If 1% of motorists don't know (and most surveys suggest it's considerably higher than that) then that's quite enough to ruin everyone else's day.

helenahandbag · 19/10/2015 16:59

BirkinsMerkin

Don't worry, you sound perfectly normal. I passed my test and got my first car a few weeks ago and I'm still anxious on roads I'm not familiar with (which is most of them, because I only moved to the area a couple of years ago and have only ever taken the train). I'm still learning as I go.

BirkinsMerkin · 19/10/2015 17:03

Thanks Helenahandbag Smile, hope it all goes well for you.

Drew64 · 19/10/2015 17:22

Ohh great, a knock the 'Sunday drivers' thread!

Only it's not just on a Sunday.
When I'm in a car, driving, I'm on my way somewhere. I'd like to get there in good time and safely.
Over the last few years lot's of journeys in the car become quite frustrating for this very reason, slow drivers.

Now I get that the indicated speed limit it just that, a limit! It's not a target but some people do just dawdle around, without a care in the world, in no rush to get anywhere. I'm actually surprised that they actually get to their destination.

Osmiornica · 19/10/2015 17:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tiggytape · 19/10/2015 17:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cranberryx · 19/10/2015 18:01

To the people adamant that it's fine to drive slowly and at least it's better than driving too fast - you can and WILL fail a driving test for failing to acknowledge a speed limit change, for example not changing speed when going moving from a 30 to a national speed limit zone.

I agree that reckless drivers who try and overtake on blind corners etc to get around these people have no one to blame but themselves for the accidents THEY cause but it should be acknowledged that going too slow on occasion is just as dangerous.

Especially on national speed limit roads and motorways/dual carriageways. At least acknowledge the speed limit - if I slow down as a local drive as I am approaching an accident black spot, far enough as there are signs to let other drives know about these upcoming situations but to drive in the centre of two lanes, at 35 in a national speed limit zone is dangerous. Regardless of if the person in the car thinks they are going the 'speed THEY are comfortable at'

AnyoneButAndre · 19/10/2015 18:09

Absolutely tiggy, you should know that it means "National Speed Limit applies" and exactly what that actually means. But some people know neither.

coffeeisnectar · 19/10/2015 18:09

andrewoffogg it's beside the point how much time it added onto the journey. The road in question was built as a bypass so it's a straight road with no side roads and even the cycle path is completely separate. If someone is so unconfident in their driving abilities that anything above 30mph is out of the question then they shouldn't be driving (their very shiny car that was only about two years old). Ditto anyone surprised by lights changing back to green and faffing about putting car in gear, checking mirrors, releasing handbrake...being the only car to get through the lights as they took so long.

I wasn't worked up but I was annoyed. I was tired, I was in pain and I wanted to get home to get my dd sorted out for bed and take some pain killers.

specialsubject · 19/10/2015 18:10

no-one is saying that.

and are you telling me that I will get done for not speeding up to 60 for the 200 yards of that limit before it goes back to 40, which is EXACTLY the situation on a road I drive most days? I don't think so.

BrandNewAndImproved · 19/10/2015 18:17

On my driving test there was a couple of nsl roads and if you didn't get to 45 on the straight bits you would of failed.

GingerDoesntHelp · 19/10/2015 18:35

It's not about people doing 40 on NSL roads, it's about these same people carrying on at 40 when they come to a 30 zone through a village. They clearly weren't doing 40 on the NSL road for safety reasons otherwise they would have slowed to 30 in the village. They have no interest in driving safely in a residential area. So why were they doing 40 in the 60 zone. I just don't get it. These are the drivers who are annoying.

MrsLupo · 19/10/2015 18:40

"Assuming non-problematic conditions, a driver who isn't driving at a normal speed is likely to do other dangerous things. "

That's a huge assumption.

It's not an assumption, huge or otherwise. It's an observation based on decades of driving experience.

IKnowIAmButWhatAreYou · 19/10/2015 18:41

MN does like to have a strop about anyone that dares to want to reach the limit on country roads.

Just because you lot shit your pants the minute the streetlights end it doesn't meant we all do.

Some (most) people have the reactions, wherewithal and skill to drive appropriately at reasonable speeds on these roads.

And yes, 10 minutes difference is important, if you had to recompense me for them at my hourly rate you'd soon put your bloody foot down...... Grin

Osmiornica · 19/10/2015 20:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

celtictoast · 19/10/2015 20:24

drivers who have no patience and can't wait the do at least the speed limit are far more dangerous.

I see it that way too.

SeekEveryEveryKnownHidingPlace · 19/10/2015 20:26

Hmm I have noticed a correlation between the pastel coloured Honda civics cars which pull out in front causing you to slam the brakes on but then stay at 40 no matter the speed limit, actually. Like, you're in such a hurry you've pulled out when it's not safe, but not in such a hurry you can bear it push it to 45? Really?

hmcReborn · 19/10/2015 20:34

"if there is big line of traffic behind you, you are probably driving dangerously"

Doesn't always follow...

Sometimes there is a line of traffic behind me - because I am driving AT the speed limit not under or over it. I have 9 points on my licence for speeding - I've learnt my lesson and now set my cruise control to a maximum of no more than the speed limit.

Scremersford · 19/10/2015 20:43

Os I still fail to understand how driving slower than the speed limit is dangerous (dual carriageways aside). eg on a 30mph road or a 40mph.

Do you fail to understand that your driving may impact upon other people's journeys?

Do you fail to understand that the 40mph limit for that road will have been chosen for a reason? And not a 30mph limit? And that reason is likely to be to contribute to the traffic flow in the area by allowing a slightly higher speed where it is safe to do so?

If you really can't understand the two above things, then you have a dangerous lack of observational skills and are likely to be a poor driver because you only think about yourself on the road, not what other drivers do or how your driving may impact upon them. One very dangerous thing is that some drivers might get so frustrated because of your slow driving that they overtake and cause an accident. You will no doubt blame that on the overtaking driver, but the better reaction would be to understand that you might cause tailbacks and frustration in the first place, and to adjust your driving accordingly.

RaspberryOverload · 19/10/2015 20:55

MrsLupo
if you have to drive inappropriately slowly then that is what your hazard lights are for.

I saw this earlier but couldn't post then.

This is wrong. You should never use them while driving along.

The Highway Code has this to say about hazard lights:

Hazard warning lights may be used when your vehicle is stationary, to warn that it is temporarily obstructing traffic. Never use them as an excuse for dangerous or illegal parking.

You MUST NOT use hazard warning lights while driving or being towed unless you are on a motorway or unrestricted dual carriageway and you need to warn drivers behind you of a hazard or obstruction ahead. Only use them for long enough to ensure that your warning has been observed.

Rule 116

MrsLupo · 19/10/2015 20:58

Hardly evidence though. I've been driving a fair while too and have noticed the opposite - drivers who have no patience and can't wait the do at least the speed limit are far more dangerous. Doesn't make either statement true - just what you perceive.

Look, no one is saying there aren't multiple ways to drive dangerously. Of course impatient drivers who carve people up or tailgate or whatever are also driving dangerously. But it's not a competition to see who can be the most dangerous, and slow drivers who can't respond sensibly to road conditions aren't somehow praiseworthy just because they aren't tearing up the asphalt.

The fact is that if you have a long line of traffic forming a frustrated queue behind you, then you either don't know how to use your mirrors or you haven't got the common sense to pull over and let others overtake safely. In either scenario you're a liability. That's not my perception, it's a fact.

MrsLupo · 19/10/2015 21:05

You MUST NOT use hazard warning lights while driving

I stand corrected. Smile I like the bit about: "Never use them as an excuse for dangerous or illegal parking." It would definitely be good if no one ever did that.

Tartyflette · 19/10/2015 21:23

I live in a rural area where the limit changes A LOT , from NSL stretches, down to 40, then 30 and then all the way back up again. The number of people who do a steady 40 through all those differing limits always amazes me. They neither speed up nor slow down, they've found their preferred speed and they stick to it. Their lack of awareness is really frightening.