to think there should be a law against...

[DiamondIntRuff]

Tractors, cyclists, learner drivers, old doddery drivers, trailers, farm traffic, and generally slow ass people driving half the speed limit from being on the roads during rush hour?

This morning on my way to an important meeting miles away (that I don't have the option of leaving any earlier for due to childcare) a tractor stays in front of me and 30 odd other cars for over 20 miles, going 28mph and not pulling in.

Driving home there is a lane closed on the dual carriageway and I'm stuck behind a car going 30mph for several miles creating a huge tailback.

Then on the school run where I only have fifteen minutes to drive five miles due to work, I am behind a learner again making me late.

Don't even get me started on those who think the national speed limit is 40. Which appears to be 75% of drivers. Or people who drive REALLLLLLY slowly when the traffic lights turn green and I then have to wait again as they've turned red.

This is my life on a daily basis, it's driving me insane. I am late for everything all of the time and I don't have the option to leave earlier with the school run/work.

I don't get the tractor but other than that, YABtotallyU.

To the PP asking if I can move... no sadly, as I had to buy a house at auction in the country due to limited finances. We are so rural the nearest school is 5/6 miles away. There is a bus but they generally don't take year 2s (especially not those with behavioural issues) though may be different in a few years. I also have another child in the nursery next door to my DS school, 8-4. But even though he starts at 8, my other child can't start breakfast club till 8:15, then I usually have arrangements to meet clients at 9am 15-20 miles away in rush hour traffic.

To the PP who said about tractors not going over 25mph - I bloody did get knocked by a tractor going at a higher than normal speed! Down a very narrow country lane, it was obvious he thought the road was clear, then approached me, neither of us could move quickly enough as it was so narrow and he bumped into me and I went into a hedge, I remember thinking I didn't realise tractors were capable of going so fast!

"Priority Lane for mothers on all roads" hilarious! But I think some people would take you seriously and genuinely think it's a good idea!

Overtaking on roundabouts, didn't know that was allowed

The road is a bypass and was originally meant to be 2 lanes in each direction but due to cost saving they reduced it to 1 lane each way, and as a compromise made the roundabouts dual lane to allow overtaking (fairly rural area so lots of tractors/lorries etc). Totally defeats the point when someone decides to do 30-40mph on a 60mph - the original road they're avoiding is 30mph and would suit them much better!

He wasn't going 60 tho was he? Absolute max for a tractor (not a fastrac or going downhill impossible even then without fucking the diff ) would be 31mph. Sorry to burst your bubble... equally sorry that you were involve in an accident, I'm sure that shook you up. As a side note, it's illegal for tractors to hold people up for very long, and it's rare for tractor drivers to simply not pullover. As frustrating as it might be for you, we have a job to do, mouths to feed yours and there's a balance between being considerate and being efficient. I hope you realise we aren't simply on the road to piss you off.

Sorry I got ranty but it's something close to my heart and something which does frustrate me somewhat!

Does anybody actually want a meeting at 9am? I hate them, even if I started at 9:00 (instead of 9:30) I'd want some time to get my head straight before Iaunching into a meeting.

You'd hate it where I live in London - speed limit is 20mph!!

What annoys me is people who bunch up at 45mph on a long, straight NSL road with good visibility and no restrictions on overtaking. They are a) too close to the car in front to stop safely and b) oblivious or obstructive to anyone overtaking.

There's a stretch of road I use reasonably regularly where this happens all the time and it's infuriating. I have actually had people deliberately close a gap or speed up to prevent me pulling in on a perfectly safe and legal overtake. I'm not at all an aggressive or impatient driver, but I fail to see why overtaking someone doing 40mph on an NSL road with no other traffic around or hazards warrants flashing lights, shouting, vulgar hand gestures and attempts to force me off the road, just for going past them.

I think it's partly that some people have a queue mentality and think everyone should proceed in order, and a general decline in driving ability/lack of understanding of road rules.

A tractor is only allowed to drive at 40kmph/ 25mph, so cannot go any bloody faster.

That really isnt correct

And of course the 'I live on an unlit, corkscrew road, that has hidden wind traps, floating badgers, and 105 degree corners, its a limit OP not a target' posters will show up,

UDBU but yes I agree OP

Lairy drivers are why I had to give up learning to drive - I was actually good at most of it but the aggressive feckers that I encountered made me feel like I was a huge inconvenience, so I gave up

The tractors should pull in when there's a build up of cars, but other than that, you need to revisit your logistics, if you are constantly late for work then you are not leaving enough time in the routine. Either change your hours, or get some wrap around care.

It's extremely stressful to be rushing and late all the time, I feel for you, but you need to adapt the routine somehow, this is not sustainable and making you angry. Good luck

I suspect that you're a very dangerous driver with this attitude. Sadly, you may well take someone else out with you when you die.

I recently had a tractor drive into me on a quiet country lane. He was easily doing 60

I guess you're lucky to be alive. Or lying, of course. I'm surprised the tractor didn't go straight over the top of the car at 60mph.

To be fair JustAnotherPoster, its true of an awful lot of tractors on the road, 40k is pretty standard. They cannot go faster if they are such s model. A 50k is a fast tractor, and an expensive one, so while they are about, they're much less common. Even so. 31mph is hardly boy racer territory.

Quite, Mars

Anyway. I've done my white knighting for my fellow tractor drivers so I'll try to stop myself now 😭

I do get annoyed by motorbikes too - the noise goes right through me,

The noise from a motorbike is a good way of alerting car drivers to their presence, as so many drivers don't seem to see them when they look in their mirrors. "Loud pipes save lives", as they say.

We have 3 motorbikes, 2 of which have non-standard exhaust pipes fitted. I really notice the difference when we go out on the quiet one, people deciding to change lanes right in front of us, without indicating or (apparently) checking their mirrors, seems to be a commonplace. Even had a cyclist do it once.

I need to know what this important meeting was about before I can judge whether help feeding the nation is less essential.

Several times a week I have to do a 5-mile drive on a narrow, rural road. It only has 2 short, straight sections, so overtaking opportunities are very limited.

It's also popular with cycling clubs, and you get groups of up to cyclists riding along it. They spread out into groups of about 4 or 5, but never leave a big enough gap between each bunch to overtake them safely. They make what is normally a 10-minute journey a 20 minute journey and irritate the hell out of everyone who uses that road regularly.

A riverside cycle track was built at considerable expense that is an alternative for 80% of the route. Why on earth would any cyclist want to dice with cars and lorries on a pot-holed C-road when they can ride along a smooth surface with lovely views? Beats me.

Tractors (and the council's stupidly slow, electric recycling lorry) regularly pull in to let cars pass, so I suppose I have to look on the bright side.

It is absolutely true that most of the drivers doing 40 on a 60 road in good conditions where 60 would be appropriate do indeed continue to do 40 through 30 limited villages.

As ivykatie says i have heard people of my grandparents generation explain that this is because if fuel economy - they don't want to slow down in the 30 zone any more than speed up when that would be legal and safe. However all my grandparents would be between 90 and 110 if they were still alive, so I assumed that attitude had largely disappeared!

My FIL won't travel at more than 56mph on motorways and takes about 2 miles to accelerate gently to that speed. All for fuel economy.

He's in his 60s.

I hate the school run with a passion! I live near a school and the amount of awful driving you see is unbelievable. Maybe there should be a Mike exclusion zone for none residents at school time. I'd like that.

The JCB Fastrac (www.jcb.com/en-gb/products/agricultural-tractors) will def. do above 25mph - most models will do c. 40mph, the top model will do c. 50mph - but that is maximum flat out speed - not many tractors will do 60mph

ref. to being held up - it sounds as though the OP needs to get some lessons on overtaking - we have a big issue in our society that no one learns to overtake properly so queues build up - I am regularly in situations where I can overtake (safely) 2 / 3 / 4+ cars - yet the front cars with only one vehicle to overtake don't... and I am not talking about driving a sportscar to do that - there is a skill to it and there are coaches out there who will teach you to maximise your use of the road... by overtaking a) you are not held up yourself, and b) you reduce the queue by one making it easier for others...

I am unable to drive for medical reasons, my office has no parking and the public transport is terrible here.

So I have to cycle. Piss off OP.