To find it funny when someone overtakes you?

[SydneyJones]

Going at a ridiculous speed and then you end up at the traffic lights together?

Also sometimes won't go in the slow lane because I know if I do I won't be able to get out again (if there us a space in slow lane between two lorries for example). I consider that if I'm doing the speed limit then I'm not slowing anyone down legally. I try to avoid it though.

I always glance over and wink at them if I can aget beside them at the traffic lights.

Clearly some people either get free petrol or have other ways of paying for it than cash, because driving like a dick really wastes it.

Oh well. Stuff the next generation.

@specialsubject Clearly some people have too much time on their hands, because driving like a learner really wastes it.

A friend of mine was killed last year in a head on collision with someone just trying to get that last car overtaken before a dual carriageway merged. So I don't think impatient overtaking is particularly worth anyone applauding themselves.

mipmop thAts another common misconception, there is NO slow lane on the motorway, all the lanes have the same speed limits.
People sitting in the middle lane when the left lane is empty just because their might be a lorry or car joining on at a slip road, they are effectively turning a 3 lane motorway into a 2 lane motorway.

Well I was doing 60 on a 60 road. Should I break the speed limit? It's a semi country road with bends etc ... but maybe I should fly round the bends. Who cares if I go into the other lane and cause an accident?

If you want to be an idiot and over take doing at least 80 then do it.

If I ever killed someone because of my dangerous actions I could never live with myself. I know far too many people killed and families ripped apart.

I also think SAFELY overtaking someone is fine. My post wasn't to say you should never overtake.

And no it doesn't happen all the time. .... there genuinely are dick drivers on the road. Shock.

I'm still not finding your scenario funny, OP.

Also just because someone else is driving like an arsehole, don't then drive like an arsehole yourself.some of the comments i.e. Deliberately slowing down, blocking someone in etc , two wrongs don't make a right.

Nope. Don't find that funny. Don't really notice it tbh

Bimbo I was using slow lane as it's a common reference that everyone understands. I can never remember which is the outside lane!

And what I was talking about was when yes, there is space to go in, but 20 seconds later you will have caught up to the next vehicle and will want to go out again. It's frequently the case that you will have to slow down and be stuck behind that vehicle because traffic is flowing too steadily to get out again. Lane hopping like that is more dangerous and slowing and increasing speed is bad for the environment.

If I can't see a vehicle in front then I of course go to the left. But there are times when it really isn't practical.

And to be honest if I'm doing the speed limit (and not driving stupidly) I don't think anyone except emergency vehicles who wants to go faster has any right to moan as they can't overtake without breaking the law.

On the undertaking tangent, there's a piece of dual carriageway near me with a few roundabouts. There's a particular stretch where I've been in lane 2 passing vehicles that have been accelerating more gently from a roundabout. The number of times that I've passed the last vehicle and am checking my mirrors to ensure that it's safe to pull in to lane 1 having given enough stopping distance to the car I've passed, and there's someone impatient who's dodged into the gap in lane 1 with no consideration to the rules of the road or the stopping distances required by the vehicle they passed.
Just because it's physically possible to undertake, it doesn't mean the car in lane 1 is driving poorly and shouldn't be there.

(Can I also give a slow hand clap to the alternative, where the impatient driver tailgates giving the impression that they really, really want to use the superior acceleration skills of their fancy black BMW/ Audi/ Merc, so I conclude that there's enough time for me to pull my lowly, slightly underpowered, bog standard car over to lane 1 and continue at 70, and pull back out before catching up with the person doing 60 ahead. Except after I pull in, they inch up the outside at 72 instead of accelerating off as anticipated and end up blocking me in so I then end up catching up with the slow vehicle and having to brake and wait for them to finish inching past before I can pull back out and get back up to 70 again. Nobbers)

Maybe we can all agree that if everywhere you go, you think 90% of drivers are too slow, always exceed the speed limit at all times and places, and people regularly shout to slow down in built up areas, you shouldn't be on the road.

On the other hand, if you are driving a car so slowly you regularly find large vehicles tailgating you on country lanes, get overtaken by buses and hgvs, people always seem frustrated by your speed, and you always drive round all built up areas and turn corners at car park speed, you too shouldn't be on the road.

Very well said Lurked.

I was on a 60mph road today and the car in front was doing 28mph...28!!!! I was totally thinking about this thread! It wasn't a straight road so no one could overtake and a huge queue was building up behind. This is when people get frustrated and take chances. meanwhile the driver is completely oblivious and doesn't pull in to any of the many lay-bys to let the traffic past...
Rant over

@Barbaro doesn't your car have about 88bhp? Not exactly the speed demon you make it out to be lol.

Well he was driving up my arse. Something I would never do. You shouldn't intimidate someone to either break the speed limit or potentially be in an accident.

Or if they are just driving ridiculously slow then you still don't ram yourself up their back end.

He was easily 20mph over the speed limit. Someone I know died on that road.

When I pulled up to the traffic lights, I was turning right so ended up next to him, he looked sheepish and quickly turned his head.

It's like calling someone out on their dick behaviour.

I don't mind people over taking me. I always do the speed limit but that's as I'm a relatively new driver and I don't think I have the reaction times or experience yet, but also as it's the law and now that I have a licence I'd quite like to keep it

Upthread someone said you shouldn't slow down if someone tailgates you. I was told, and I think I its in the Highway Code, that you should, as in the event they cause a crash, your slower speeds will reduce the likelihood of serious harm. So that's what I do - am I wrong? (Serious Q).

Also: if I know I'm annoying someone by driving at the limit, if I can I will pull over. I'd love it if they overtook in that situation - it's so horrible to be tailgated when you're driving at the legal limit, in the right lane etc. I won't break the limit and I've got nowheRe to go.. I just don't know what the person behind expects me to do. Vapourise?

Tbh, when someone overtakes you, Its not usually because they're trying to race you, they just don't want to be driving at your speed, or they don't want to be stuck behind you. I'm not a fast driver in general, but if I've overtaken someone, Its because they're driving slow and it feels just as uncomfortable as walking behind a slow walker.
Whether I get there any faster is not in my control, and I wouldn't give you a second thought at a traffic light.

I'm alright when people overtake; sometimes there's a need for me to overtake, too. When they do so aggressively I let them get on with it; the farther they are away from me the happier I am.

DH when we met used to think he was some sort of Justice League Defender of the road and if people drove like dicks around him he'd chase them and overtake them as though he was teaching them some kind of driving lesson. He's stopped that shit now, though, because I refused to let him drive me around unless he learned to ignore it. I'm sure he still does when I'm not in the car though, because he's a secret asshat.

I have been known to overtake people who probably wonder why as in their mind I'll have gained nothing. The reason is, if I feel "stuck" behind someone who is perhaps a bit slow off the mark, dithers, who takes an age to get to the speed limit, who brakes at every bend when just easing off the excellerator would do, who brakes if a car is coming the other way, or who drives at under the speed limit when road conditions allow them to be faster, I will take an available opportunity to get past, even if that means I have to slow down afterwards.

Many roads I travel have limited overtaking spots so I make the most of them. I'm not at all bothered if they catch me up because all I wanted was to be in front so I'm not getting irritated by them. For me it's not about trying to shave a couple of minutes off my journey, or being in a hurry, it's all about getting a break from the frustration of being behind slow or overly cautious drivers. But I never, ever take risks and only overtake when I'm very sure it's as safe as possible. Plus I'm very patient with learner drivers or P platers, and cut them tons of slack.

I passed my advanced driving test many years ago and "not making progress" such as driving below the speed limit when road conditions are suitable, or not putting your bloody foot down, would be a fail. Yet there are plenty of drivers who think 40 in a 60 is plenty fast enough. Overtaking doesn't automatically mean "driving like a dick" either!

@Borntorunfast the theory is that if someone is tailgating you, you create a bigger space between your car and the person in front of you (by slowing down), so that if they need to emergency break, you will be able to break more gently, and hopefully the person behind you won't go into the back of you as a result.

Yes, indeed. My dear late husband used to say, "if they're going to drive like that we're safer behind them."

Surely they realise what they've done and how silly and pointless their behaviour is? They've shaved off, what, about three seconds off their journey and if they're very unlucky, several years off their lives.

I have a good laugh every time. I had a numpty undertake me on a roundabout. I was turning right, going from a dual carriageway to a single carriageway, said numpty cut around me. We ended up at the same red light.

The number of dithering cautious drivers now seems to be on the increase. The lights go green but they just sit there looking at them. They won't move right up to the line at a junction so they can see properly. They brake hard if someone comes the other way.

As others have said, while you're laughing that I'm only one car in front, I'm laughing because I'm in front of you, and stand some chance of actually getting somewhere.

I got stuck behind Mrs cautious the other day. We crept along, a good 10mph below the speed limit. We approached the green lights, with her slowing and slowing and slowing. Then she put on a little spurt and skipped through the amber light, leaving me stuck at red. Presumably she thought she was being clever. I would sooner be in front of her, thanks very much. I caught her up round the corner where she was still creeping along, and fortunately I was turning off so I lost her.

I came home on Saturday along an A road with a 40mph speed limit. It is the only road between town A where my DD has an activity and town B where we live. The queue started just as I left town A. We crept along no faster than 25mph and came to a complete halt at least 3 times. When we got to the top, some 7.5 miles later, there at the front of the queue was a learner school car.

I don't blame the learner, but what sort of asshole instructor takes a driver who won't/can't exceed 25mph on a busy main road on a Saturday afternoon and allows a queue of 7.5 miles to build up?