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AIBU?

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Original poster

To be annoyed at driving 91 mph on a 70 mph road.

322 replies

Jupitertomars · 09/04/2017 12:56

On a 70mph road with myself in the back as 7 month of DD was crying so 5 year old is in the front.

I was furious. OH rolls eyes when I shout "wow!! Slow down! Your going 91 mph!!"

Then give him death stare.

He replies "stop looking at me like that. I'm not going to crash."

It makes me so frustrated as he just doesn't take it serious.

I know it's common to go slightly over the speed limit but this was too far for me. It's really annoyed me but I don't want it to ruin our day out.

OP posts:
JacquesHammer · 09/04/2017 19:42

Yes, my newborn baby was crying and I missed that the speed limit of the road I was on

So not such an awesome driver then if a baby crying can distract you....

borntobequiet · 09/04/2017 19:53

I attended a speed awareness course. The idiots arguing the toss "it's not speed per se that causes accidents" wasted all our time and royally pissed off the people delivering the course.
Of course an accident at a higher speed is going to be worse than one at a lower speed. If you don't like the speed limit in this country, drive elsewhere. Otherwise, abide by the law and keep to the limit.

TittyGolightly · 09/04/2017 19:54

Funny how biology can dull the senses. Hmm

Car insurance is more expensive for people with kids because of the distraction factor. But it's only speeding that's dangerous, right?

TittyGolightly · 09/04/2017 19:55

quiet by that rationale all roads should have a 20mph limit at all times.

The SAC is flawed in that it doesn't consider the much more significant reasons accidents happen - as piaster by another on this thread.

JacquesHammer · 09/04/2017 20:00

Funny how biology can dull the senses
I wouldn't know. It's never happened to me whilst driving or otherwise. And I am not a Highly Trained Driver

borntobequiet · 09/04/2017 20:05

Non sequitur. The OP was talking about a 70 mph road. 70 mph is considered safe for that road; 20 mph would be silly. But 90 mph is considered dangerous for good reasons. Grow up.

TittyGolightly · 09/04/2017 20:09

Yawn.

akkakk · 09/04/2017 20:13

no, that isn't the only logic behind speed limits, there are lots of political considerations which go into choosing speed limits and safety is only one of them...

sure, if you feel that it is important to observe the legality of limits, then that is a valid approach... and choice...

however don't make the mistake of assuming that legality and safety are the same things, as explained above that logic doesn't work

coconuttella · 09/04/2017 20:14

a) 91 mph or b) 70mph On a busy motorway....

On a busy motorway.... the safest speed is the ambient speed of the traffic - that's not necessarily 70 mph. Also, the OP didn't say it was a busy motorway.

coconuttella · 09/04/2017 20:18

however don't make the mistake of assuming that legality and safety

This is my issue... Some people assume the law does their risk assessments for them and seem to think 70 mph is safe because the law says so. It's a rather childish position. The danger is that by relying on the law that person may insist on travelling at 70mph on a quiet motorway, but also travel at 70 mph on a wet, dark and busy motorway, because it's legal, and therefore 'safe'.

araiwa · 09/04/2017 20:19

but 70mph is the speed limit in all circumstances. safety levels are very different between clear visibility and youre the only vehicle and heavy traffic in snow, fog,dark etc but speed limit is still 70

HappCatt · 09/04/2017 20:29

All the discussion is all well and good but if you drive over a 100mph even on the quietest road you will hopefully you will get caught and banned if you do then all your pontificating as to whether you were safe or not won't matter a jot. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I'm pretty sure posters on this thread are just arguing for the sake of it.

akkakk · 09/04/2017 20:29

I quite like the French system where speed limits are reduced on the motorway in rain... it would I think be logical for example to have a speed limit on a sunny dry day of 80mph, but in light rain make it 70, in heavy rain make it 60 and in fog maybe 40 or less...

the government is spending a fortune on building intelligent motorways with variable speed limits, yet one of the most critical factors in safety (weather) doesn't influence those speed limits - crazy!

Fog is one of the most dangerous conditions on a motorway and two obvious and easy things are not tackled...

  • lower the speed limit
  • legislate against cars with DRLs with dashboards lighting up and front lights coming on, but leaving rear lights off - a lethal combination increasingly seen on our motorways - yes, the driver's responsibility but in today's climate of legislation, an obvious one...
TittyGolightly · 09/04/2017 20:31

the government is spending a fortune on building intelligent motorways with variable speed limits

Ah yes. The M4 has a long stretch which is variable. I'm yet to see it set above 50mph even in the middle of the night. It's a money making exercise.

TittyGolightly · 09/04/2017 20:32

akkakk - yes yes! Bloody lights drive me insane.

P1nkP0ppy · 09/04/2017 20:38

Starting to sound like you shouldn't even be allowed on the road, expert driver or not.
😳

ZilphasHatpin · 09/04/2017 20:51

Funny how biology can dull the senses

By that logic perhaps post partum women shouldn't be allowed to drive. Hmm

I've had two screaming newborns and managed not to break the speed limit.

TBH the more you post the less and less you sound like a competent, let alone, expert driver.

Papafran · 09/04/2017 20:53

Funny how biology can dull the senses

Should you be driving if that is the case? If you're too distracted to see the road signs, then doing 90mph with your 6 yo in the front seat probably isn't great- airbag or no airbag. But why do you look out for road-signs anyway, when you confess to ignoring speed limits?

TittyGolightly · 09/04/2017 20:57

I was referring to when the now 6 year old was a newborn. I had no choice but to drive, and drove down a road I'd driven down hundreds (or thousands) of times before that had always been 40mph. It had been changed to 30mph a few days before. I was driving below what I thought the limit was to get to somewhere that I could pull over and feed my baby safely.

I defy any new mother to not be distracted by a brand new baby crying.

TittyGolightly · 09/04/2017 20:57

The 6 year old is no longer a distraction - she's my co-pilot.

NotYoda · 09/04/2017 20:59

akaka

Again, interesting. But irrelevat

No one, except you and Twatty, are aguing that speed alone kills

You've set up a Straw Man argument

NotYoda · 09/04/2017 20:59

irrelevant

ZilphasHatpin · 09/04/2017 21:03

I defy any new mother to not be distracted by a brand new baby crying.

Like I said, I've had two screaming newborns and didn't break any speed limits.

JacquesHammer · 09/04/2017 21:12

I defy any new mother to not be distracted by a brand new baby crying

I managed to avoid breaking any rules of the road whilst transporting my newborn

ZilphasHatpin · 09/04/2017 21:18

There's always people who are never to blame. The parked car jumped into their path Wink they'll always find a reason why their speeding wasn't their fault or wasn't wrong. Most kids grow out of it by the time they are parents themselves but unfortunately there are always those who never quite get it.