Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

If you see it as your job to control the speed of traffic and you're not in a police car...

236 replies

BumpowderSneezeonAndSnot · 09/04/2018 17:23

...why do you do it? Why do you sit 300 car lengths behind the one in front in heavy traffic? Why do you go 10mph under the speed limit in the overtaking lane on a clear road? Why so you sit at 40mph regardless of the speed limit? Why do you pootle down the slip road towards an A or M road at 30mph?

Why do you see it as your job to control traffic?

OP posts:
Pluckedpencil · 09/04/2018 20:28

I do think a lot of drivers think the speed limit means 'drive at the legal maximum on every road, regardless of external conditions' though. I bet a lot of the people who have the road rage here aggressively get behind the bumper of the other car. You wouldn't do that if someone was in a supermarket in your way, or on a street, why do you think it makes it ok in the armoury of your car? It is still aggressive and actually a lot more dangerous. Not excusing the bad driving but some people need to calm the fuck down on motorways. It's not a war.

Original poster
BumpowderSneezeonAndSnot · 09/04/2018 20:29

Have a Google of the Solomon Curve

the Solomon curve shows that the greater the difference between a driver’s speed and the average speed of traffic—both above and below that average speed—the greater the likelihood of involvement in a crash.

OP posts:
Original poster
BumpowderSneezeonAndSnot · 09/04/2018 20:30

I despise tailgaiters. I've been rear ended at high speed before and it fucking hurts because someone wanted a look in the contents of my boot.

Don't presume people who hate inconsiderate driving are dangerous drivers themselves

OP posts:
jasjas1973 · 09/04/2018 20:31

People should focus on how they drive & not look at how others drive.

Its a complete an utter waste of time unless you ve some means of communicating with them.

lljkk · 09/04/2018 20:31

"sit at 40mph regardless of the speed limit"

This is one of my top peeves. 40 in the 60 zone, 40 in the 30 zone (where they overtake me for going 30 Confused ), 40 in the 50 zone...

categed · 09/04/2018 20:32

I don't really understand why people speed so much. I figure, especially those who speed through 20mph zones that they genuinely feel that they are more important than other people,otherwise why do it. Do these people regularly break the law on other occasions?

Having been hit coming out of our farm entrance, as a kid on my pony, on the verge of a hilly country road with his ability of around 20-40 feet, by teenagers out for a fun,speedy drive in the country. They couldn't stay on the road and put my pony and me in a ditch. Now I watch drivers do anything between 20-60 mph through our village daily.

Speeding kills, you may miss the accident but sometimes people who have had to take action to avoid the speeders end up in an accident.to me simple, use your common sense, drive to the road and conditions and don't speed.

Original poster
BumpowderSneezeonAndSnot · 09/04/2018 20:33

No one here is advocating speeding

OP posts:
NotUmbongoUnchained · 09/04/2018 20:33

There’s always a twat on my commute to work who will pull out into the over taking lane about 3 Miles before it merges back into one lane to stop people over taking. He’s a fucking wanker and enjoy gesturing that to him as I undertake him.

Wherearemymarbles · 09/04/2018 20:35

I have a private pilots licence. At some point every 2 years I have to have an hours flight with an instructor to check I still know what I am doing.

I think all drivers should have to do this every 5 years. There ate so many appaling drivers out there.
Oh and the CAA have teeth and can impose eye watering fines if they want to. The DVLA just give you a slapped wrist!

PattiStanger · 09/04/2018 20:36

Thank you Bumpowder, I hadn't heard of the Solomon curve, I see that it originates in the 1950s and wikipedia (may not be accurate) says that more recent research contradicts the original, not surprising I'd say and that -

"In July 2001, Kloeden CN, Ponte G and McLean AJ of the Road Accident Research Unit, Adelaide University quantified the relationship, "... between free travelling speed and the risk of involvement in a casualty crash in 80 km/h or greater speed limit zones in rural South Australia" using a case control study design. They found, "..the risk of involvement in a casualty crash increased more than exponentially with increasing free travelling speed above the mean traffic speed and that travelling speeds below the mean traffic speed were associated with a lower risk of being involved in a casualty crash." Outlining past research in this area, they suggest that, in the Solomon research, "Both the numerator (number of crashes in a particular speed band) and the denominator (number of vehicle-miles travelled in that same speed band) may have been quite inaccurate for relatively low speeds." [15]"

Obviously this isn't UK research but I don't think we can rely on studies from over 60 years ago

Original poster
BumpowderSneezeonAndSnot · 09/04/2018 20:37

Now click the practical implications tab... (or continue to be obtuse...)

OP posts:
bimbobaggins · 09/04/2018 20:37

mallorie your post represents a lot of what is wrong with today’s driving. Keep left unless overtaking, not because your passenger doesn’t like the left hand lane. There really is every excuse going Not because you think it’s the normal lane, not because you don’t know how to read the overhead gantry signs and can’t tell if the lane is ending.

NannyOggsKnickers · 09/04/2018 20:38

People who think that roads are race tracks are the twats. It is a speed LIMIT. No faster. Just because you think you’re invincible doesn’t give you the right to risk the lives of others.

My blood boils when I see the tiny dicked wankers driving 100 in the fast lane as if it makes them some sort of superman. It’s sad. Get a life.

NannyOggsKnickers · 09/04/2018 20:41

Also, country lanes. Over the past ten years the speed limit on most country roads has been decreased to 50 or even 40 in places, especially on those lovely sightseeing driving roads.

Because people who thought they were indestructible and infallible would drive at 70 round blind bends and over take tractors with gay abandon. I’ve had to ditch my car in a hedge twice to get out if they way some some racing twat who would have killed me it he’d hit me head on. They are never sorry.

footballmum · 09/04/2018 20:42

Not quite a speed issue but I get the rage at the people who try and control filter lanes Angry I have to drive up three of them on my commute to work. All of them are the usual set up-two lanes filtering into one. Naturally the drivers in the outside lane are going faster than those in the left and quite often the traffic slows into a line of traffic. There is always one fucking twat who is incensed at the idea that one or two cars might get past him and in front of him, so decides to sit in the right hand lane and deliberately slow down so no one can get in front of him! Not always the same twat I’ll add-there are multiple ones, some male and some female!

It’s the same at two lanes at traffic lights that go into one lane. Why does it have to turn into some sort of race? If everyone was sensible and considerate we’d all get to where we need to be a lot quicker, safer and less stressed!

Original poster
BumpowderSneezeonAndSnot · 09/04/2018 20:44

Australian research

American Research

U.K. news woman arrested for going too slow

OP posts:
peacheachpearplum · 09/04/2018 20:58

He's doing 75 so he should be in the middle or far lane. Are you training him to stick to the speed limit?

UrgentScurryfunge · 09/04/2018 21:01

There's a lovely modern, well cambered slightly bendy NSL road near me that is a joy to drive at 50-60 mph, the usual speed range at which it is driven at.

It is vexing at mid-morning on Tuesdays when the Sunday drivers are still dawdling along the road at 29 mph... until they get to the 40 mph stretch at the end and speed up to 45 mph leaving a baffled queue in their wake Confused

PattiStanger · 09/04/2018 21:01

I'm not being obtuse but I apologise if I've wrongly assumed you are in the UK. I just can't find any hard UK evidence that driving too slowly is as great a hazard as driving too fast, for this to be accepted as true there would need to be statistics showing accident causes, I'm not a statistician nor an expert in how to find such statistics but a general google doesn't throw up anything that shows slow driving as a specific cause.

Shenanagins · 09/04/2018 21:02

Worse than the middle lane hoggers are those on a relatively clear motorway doing 60 on the outside lane totally oblivious to those on the inside/middle lanes forced to undertake.

I do also wonder about those who are overtaken by trucks with a 55mph regulator and wonder whether they realise that they’re going to slow!

DevaDiva · 09/04/2018 21:05

The average speed limit squad do my head in too; 40mph regardless of the speed limit Angry

If anyone on here does this please can you explain why?

specialsubject · 09/04/2018 21:07

My route has varying speed limits. 60, 40, 100m of 60 then 40 down to 30.

For that 100m of 60 I don't speed up again because it wastes fuel and fuel isn't free. That section is also fairly narrow, get overtaken by some dickhead who then is immediately on the brakes again as she hits the 40, and then we roll together into the 30.

And if it is raining hard I may not be doing 60 in the 60 sections because they have twisting blind bends and no one will buy me a new car if I crash mine.

PattiStanger · 09/04/2018 21:08

A newspaper report about 1 person being arrested for driving to slowly but not causing an accident is hardly supporting your statement. I'm not disputing that driving slowly in some cases could be an arrestable offence. Your original post said "believe it or not" - I don't believe that in the UK your statement is true as so far I haven't seen any reliable evidence to support it.

WaxOnFeckOff · 09/04/2018 21:18

We've had at least two arrests for people driving too slow in my area. One was also Chinese and the other was elderly and wasn't used to driving in the dark.

We had another case in the papers recently which was down to the driver having a puncture but instead of changing the wheel (no spare) or removing it and taking it to be repaired, the driver knowingly set out on a fairly long drive with a flat tyre at 20mph with his wife following behind...the mind boggles.

Swipe left for the next trending thread