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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

If you cant drive faster than 30mph on a rural road why visit a rural location

161 replies

JustAnotherPoster00 · 29/08/2016 18:00

I live in a rural part of Wales and I'm sick of inconsiderate drivers not pulling over when they clearly have a cue of 15 cars behind them because they're so happy daudling along. I understand if they're nervous that's ok just pull over and let us very frustrated drivers by.

Rant Over Blush

OP posts:
Oblomov16 · 30/08/2016 07:35

Driving too slowly is dangerous.
I agree with OP.

NavyandWhite · 30/08/2016 07:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Laiste · 30/08/2016 07:42

I find more and more these days i've either got someone up my arse wanting me to speed up or i'm stuck behind someone going to slow. Is it me? Is it them?

A361 Banbury to Daventry - three places you can overtake safely IF there's nothing coming the other way - looooooooong bloody drive if you're stuck behind an ''i wont go faster than 30'' driver. Arrrggghhh. (i don't tail gate though).

All the little lanes in between? Pleeeese get off my arse! I'm not going to do more than 45/50 and do the bends on 2 wheels even if you push yourself literally up my exhaust pipe!! In fact i'll go slower the nearer you get.

LunaLoveg00d · 30/08/2016 07:56

We live close to somewhere which is a very popular day trip out from Glasgow. It's beautiful and scenic, and with some lovely views north over the Trossachs and up to Loch Lomond. The road is an A road - a major route connecting towns which is used by lorries and buses. We're not talking a minor country lane.

Every weekend there are the "Sunday drivers" who tootle out of town for a wee run in the car, never getting over 25mph and braking heavily to admire the views. Yes it's incredibly frustrating for drivers who actually have somewhere they need to go. Even more frustrating is that there is a large car park at the best viewpoint to allow people to pull off the road, park and admire all they like but they don't, they keep tootling.

akkakk · 30/08/2016 08:04

alfagirl one of the few sensible responses, but glad to see a few others as well... But what a load of rubbish on here as well, of course there are plenty of roads where it s not safe to drive at the 60 limit, but equally there are roads where it is physically safe to drive way over 60.

The biggest issue on country roads is people who drive at only one speed - everywhere at 60-80 or everywhere at 30-40... Both are inappropriate, drivers need to continually adjust their speed and how one driver affects others should be a part of their decision making process... The problem with slow cars is not the driver, but other drivers who don't know how to overtake and make the queue 2/3/4 cars long... No driving instruction teaches the driver how to overtake until you get into advanced driving, it should be a part of learning to drive...

Or those who say they lack confidence / would always drive at 40 - learn to drive properly, you might not kill your self, but you could be the reason for someone else's accident

NicknameUsed · 30/08/2016 08:06

Still the sanctimonious drivers completely missing the point. There is no way I would drive round narrow winding country lanes at 60mph, but the OP ISN'T talking about this type of road.

If the road is straight and the way ahead is clear and the driving conditions are good and it is broad daylight there is no good reason why a driver should be holding up a line of traffic just because they want to drive way under the speed limit.

Obviously there could be a problem with the car, but I know policemen who would stop someone driving significantly under the speed limit because they could be ill or under the influence of drink or drugs.

IMO there should be such a thing as consideration for other road users, and that includes pulling over, if there is somewhere to do so safely, if you are holding up a line of traffic because you are driving significantly under the speed limit.

LunaLoveg00d · 30/08/2016 08:11

If I were driving way under the speed limit because there was something wrong with the car, I'd stick the hazards on - to warn other drivers of a hazard.

Pity there isn't some sort of similar indicator light for incompetent drivers!

Ifailed · 30/08/2016 08:12

To all the people demanding that 'slow' drivers should pull over and let others pass, would you do it if you were travelling at what your thought was a safe speed and someone appeared in your mirrors, lights flashing, on the horn demanding you pull over and let them pass?

Sirzy · 30/08/2016 08:14

You would be breaking the law then tnough as you can't drive with hazard lights on.

NicknameUsed · 30/08/2016 08:15

If I was driving significantly under the speed limit, yes.

LunaLoveg00d · 30/08/2016 08:18

Ifailed that's a completely different scenario! We've all come across aggressive drivers who flash lights and sound horns and they are very much in the minority. They usually don't stay behind you for long as they perform dangerous overtakes.

OP is talking about drivers who pootle along way below the speed limit completely oblivious to the fact there's even a queue building up behind them, and will not accept that their driving might be the problem rather than the 15+ people behind them.

Mrsmorton · 30/08/2016 08:18

Missed the bit with the flashing lights and the horn ifailed

I'm sure the slow driver would have managed to stop for an emergency vehicle (although would
Probably have stopped on a bend where the ambulance couldn't see anything rather than carry on to a safe place, it's what these drivers seem to manage in the rural area I come from).

LunaLoveg00d · 30/08/2016 08:21

I'm sure the slow driver would have managed to stop for an emergency vehicle

If they even saw the fire engine / ambulance behind them in their oblivious state.

OliviaStabler · 30/08/2016 08:21

Luna

I hear you. Used to live in a 'Sunday driver' area and they were a menace.

Ifailed · 30/08/2016 08:22

LunaLoveg00d
OP is referring to someone going slower than she wants to; and expecting them to pull over and let her speed up. I'm asking if the OP, and others, would do the same to a driver who wanted to go faster than her.

MumiTravels · 30/08/2016 08:33

I've recently moved to the countryside and refuse to crash my car because of a pheasant, a rabbit or a badger so yes, I stay below 40mph in the lanes despite it being national speed.

If the lanes are straight and I have decent visibility I'll pick up speed. The motorway and dual carriageways are different as you have good visibility ahead.

We live in an area with alot of dykes and you see lots of people having run their car into a dyke.

JemimaMuddledUp · 30/08/2016 08:33

This is the road referred to in the OP

notinagreatplace · 30/08/2016 08:36

If the road is straight and the way ahead is clear and the driving conditions are good and it is broad daylight there is no good reason why a driver should be holding up a line of traffic just because they want to drive way under the speed limit.

Surely if all of those things are the case, other drivers can just overtake?

LunaLoveg00d · 30/08/2016 08:37

Not if there is a steady stream of traffic coming the other way.

Lweji · 30/08/2016 08:38

Sometimes drivers don't know the area and drive slowly just to identify their exit in time.

Cloudspider · 30/08/2016 08:55

We all need to move to the Isle of Mull where there are numerous signs reading Please allow overtaking. It's fantastic.

notinagreatplace · 30/08/2016 09:35

Sometimes drivers don't know the area and drive slowly just to identify their exit in time.

Yeah, we stayed in a very rural B&B for a long weekend which was on a dirt track off a really busy A road (but not dual carriageway), the sign for it was tiny and in the dark the only way I could reliably not miss the turn-off was to drive at 30/40 on a 60 limit. Found it incredibly unhelpful for all the locals to queue up 6 inches behind me to try and intimidate me.

nellieellie · 30/08/2016 09:36

40mph drivers. Irritating as hell. 40mph on a national speed limit road, then 40mph through the 30mph zones. I drive quickly if it's legal, and safe, but I always keep to the 30 limit, and I'm so fed up with drivers up my bum trying to go faster. Also worth pointing out that sometimes people living/working in the country seem to think they're exempt from normal rules. Like driving a tractor at fair speed the wrong side of the road with a hedge cutting attachment. I came round a bend on a 60mph zone, going significantly more slowly, as it was a bend, to see it hurtling towards me.

Original poster
JustAnotherPoster00 · 30/08/2016 09:42

NavyandWhite its a NSL road and you can comfortably do 50 - 60 on most of it. (Not the Betws Y Coed to Blaenau Ffestiniog bit, bit 2 windy for 60)

Daisychain01 there wasnt a rush, my post was about the inconsiderate nature of the driver not the speed they were travelling at.

OP posts:
NicknameUsed · 30/08/2016 09:44

"We all need to move to the Isle of Mull where there are numerous signs reading Please allow overtaking. It's fantastic."

They have these signs on the A9 in Scotland as well.

Something like:
"Frustration kills, slow drivers please pull in and allow other drivers to overtake"

There are, however, plenty of lay-bys provided for this purpose.