Seven people overtook me in the space of 20 minutes

[Tankersome]

AIBU to be so bloody annoyed by how easily some people find it to speed?

I live rurally with lots of windy, pot-holed single track roads. I commute into the town every day. The rural roads are all NSL but I drive them around 35mph max - and always pull over on the rare times a car is behind me to let them pass if they like.

When i finally get onto the main road that takes me into town, i get myself up to 60mph and switch on cruise control. It's a lovely straight single-carriageway with no pot-holes so I feel comfortable doing this.

But despite going the speed limit, I'm always overtaken. This morning it was a new record with seven people overtaking me in the space of the 20 minutes I'm on that particular road (it was five last night on the drive home).

They don't just speed to overtake either - they continue along at 70-80mph until they're out of my sight. It's not a busy or congested road whatsoever, and there aren't any pavements. So they probably feel safe going at that speed but it's illegal. I've never once seen a speed camera van parked at the roadside either so there is no incentive for these people to drive within the speed limit.

It just really annoys me. Yes, we all have places to be. But why do some people feel so at ease with speeding like that? And the annoying thing is, it makes me feel like I'm the one in the wrong because it's as though I'm holding people up despite going the fastest speed allowed on the road.

People are really impatient. I was riding around a bend, and could see over the top of the hedge. Car behind me was revving and trying to overtake me, I popped my hand up to say stop/hang on/don't overtake and he ignored me and sped off around the corner. Only to have to brake hard and reverse because there was a big lorry coming around the bend. I did try to warn him...

I think what’s telling is that OP has to pull over doing her self imposed 35mph, to let others pass, so regularly that it has become part of her “how to drive” rules

I don't understand where people are getting this from at all.

When did i say it happens regularly?

I think i've used the word 'rare' on this thread more times than I've ever actually opted to pull over and let a car go by me on the rural route.

Can you tell me what speed you'd drive that type of road at?

It's like this for approx 25 minutes from my home until the main road, with a few stretches of straight road or more visible bends.

"if something unexpected happens they're less likely to react in time and more likely to have an accident. If they collide with a driver in the opposite direction the accident will be worse and more likely to kill the occupants of the other car."

But by that logic the speed limit everywhere ought to be extremely low?

And the annoying thing is, it makes me feel like I'm the one in the wrong because it's as though I'm holding people up despite going the fastest speed allowed on the road.

Oh my goodness. They won’t have given you a second thought and there you are ruminating over a basic overtaking procedure. Two options: speed up or accept being overtaken.

I do think yabu and a bit whiny.

Oh and i have seen the results of idiots who think its ok to fly round blind corners or overtake drivers who know the road and know its not safe to do 60 on that road, debris in the ditch, holes in hedges or bunches of flowers left by grieving relatives.
A metal box doesn't mean you are more intelligent than everyone else and know better than them how to drive on that road nor make you the worlds best driver nor make you invincible. It actually seems to have the opposite effect on some people.

It depends on the roads. Some rural roads round here can easily be driven at 60, but others need to be driven at 30ish - the bendy, windy type - especially the narrower ones.

I know exactly what you mean about pulling over to let people pass on these roads.

Normally, everyone tries to give a long clear gap between them on the next car on my parents’ road (I always set off 5m after my dad to leave gaps, as many of the passing places are for one car only, so if two pairs of cars in opposite directions come together there’s long reverses for two).

I prefer to be the rear driver, so if I see someone behind who is always just dipping in and out of vision, I prefer to let them pass, even if we’re doing roughly the same speed. I pulled in last time I went up, and it turned out it was my brother in law behind me - and he was annoyed because he preferred to be behind too!

Honestly, ignore the people who clearly have zero experience of this kind of road but think they are superior enough in general to give you advice. The locals are all on the same wavelength - it’s funny, I call my dad before I visit so he can update me on the current potholes to avoid!

Op did not say she has cruise cintrol on while on country roads, only on the main road.

Correct ;) and still dangerous - a motorway is just about acceptable for cruise control as it is a controlled environment - a rural road, almost never suitable... there are just too many variables to consider which may mean that the driver is not focused on their speed / slow to react...

it is difficult to tell from the OP's photo, but yes there are rural roads where it is safer to go slower - however there aren't huge numbers where you have to drive at sub 30mph (max of 35mph is realistically sub 30mph)

one of the issues is that most drivers have very poor observation - they look through the lower part of the windscreen, and see just in front of themselves, and therefore react to what they see... instead, lift your vision tot he higher part of the windscreen and look much further forward - you can then plan what you need to do - on rural roads, there are 10s if not 100s of clues to pick up - you can see trees and hedges into the distance showing which way the road is going - you can spot cars way ahead of you and plan when you will meet them - you can see side roads and slow in case there is traffic joining - you can see roundabouts from the lights / farms which might mean farm traffic / farm machinery in fields which might mean mud on the roads - etc. etc.

using good observation will lift your possible speed considerably - and then vary your speed - where it is clear, accelerate and use the space, slow for the parts where it is difficult to see - if there are parts where you are only comfortable at 30 and so you drive that road at 30 you are probably slowing people down - driving to each part of the road may bring your average up to 40 - a considerable difference... In Advanced Driving terms, the advanced driver drives faster than most people AND slower than most people - i.e. they adapt their speed to the situation - cruise control prevents you from doing that and means that you drive at one speed which is likely to be the wrong speed 90% of the time - too slow and too fast at different times...

----

for those who criticise someone overtaking into oncoming traffic - depends on the circumstances, but assuming enough room that the oncoming traffic doesn't need to slow down and there is plenty of time for the overtaking car to return to their side of the road, then it can be safer than an open road...

• oncoming traffic - you can see exactly how much space you have and known that you can get back in because you can read the speed of the oncoming vehicle(s)
• open road - could have a motorbike coming around the corner doing 90mph - you have less actual knowledge of what is / may happen - so you need to be more cautious

those who don't understand this may panic - actually it can be the sign of a very good driver clearly overtaking into oncoming traffic where there is not enough room would be very stupid! deciding to not overtake is never a wrong decision... but equally there are many many opportunities to overtake where it is very safe, but drivers generally have never learned to overtake, and are nervous - that doesn't mean that the same applies to the person overtaking...

@HundredsAndThousandsOfThem

I've never had a ticket. I've been pulled over by the police once when my plates were cloned. I was on my way with an apology and smile 20 minutes later.

"(I don't care if you're going a few mph over but if you're driving excessively fast down the motorway you deserve your speeding ticket)."

Thanks for making me laugh. A few mph and you don't care despite saying in your previous sentence that it is not up to anyone to decide what a safe maximum speed is other than the authorities.

"The speed limit was put in place for a reason."

Yes. Based on an old car's stopping distance. Your 0.5% is actually way over the mark (see akkakk 's post).

What's the purpose of the 60 limit on a road near my house? My car (4.4L V8, 0-60

I'd be doing a max of 35 too in a road like that photo, unless I could see much further into the distance - you have to bear in mind that there could be a numpty like half the posters in this thread heading on a collision course for you at 60mph just around the corner. No way i'd be doing 60!

And yes, it also annoys me when people speed on single carriageway country roads. I have a decent single carriageway road near me, a bit twisty and turny, but it's easy to do 60 for the majority of it. But it feels like I'm the only person doing 65 60. The rest are either doing 40-something or 70-something. I think it's the big difference between the two that makes the roads dangerous. If everyone was travelling at a similar speed it would be much safer.

There is something about owning a car the gives people a massive sense of entitlement. i.e. "Yes, I know the speed limit, but I know better", "yes, i know this is a private car park, and the owners have deemed this to be a disabled space/parent & child space/not actually even a space, but fuck them, I'll park where i like", "yes, I know cyclists have every right to be on the road, but why are they in my way?". It's not pleasant.

I was on a speed awareness course last year (I know! I was doing 54 across the Dartford River Crossing - a five lane road with motorway at either end. But anyway that's just an excuse!) and there were lots of men there who claimed that it was safe for them to speed because they are "excellent drivers". They certainly knew far more than the instructors

Aside from the unmarked or unamed type of roads that OP is talking about, I also have a proper 60 road near me, not completely straight, but leads from a little town up to a motorway/A road so it's decent, has white lines, only one side road coming off it, but you need to be careful as it is still used by cyclists etc. However, the main hazard are deer most especially in the early morning and twighlight but they can belt across it at any time. There was one running about in the town the other day that clearly come from the woods and got disorientated. Good drivers think of the conditions and hazards and drive accordingly.

OP one of the things I learned on that course is that country roads are by far the most dangerous (much more than urban or motorways etc) so YANBU.

On that picture you posted I think 35 mph is pushing it!

There is no speed limit on large sections of Germany's autobahn. People regularly drive at over 100 mph there. I have, myself. Yet road deaths in Germany have fallen to an all time low. Are you suggesting that Germans can safely drive fast but Brits can't? I don't see that our own 70mph limit is necessary - it is more sensible to simply judge the road and weather conditions and drive appropriately. On an empty straight motorway on a clear dry day, it may well be okay to do 110mph. In thick fog, with v poor visibility and a wet road, even 30mph may be risky.

I think people who live in urban areas don't really understand the type of roads we are talking about here. I live rurally too and there are many roads where NSL applies but you would have a death wish to drive even close to 60 mph. 35/40 is fast enough if you want to drive safely and avoid any collisions with cars/tractors/horses/random sheep etc or knackering your car by hitting a pothole at speed. You sound like a safe driver to me OP.

OP, bit drip drip that photo.

And I can’t believe 7 people overtook you on a road like that.....

I live on a single track lane and for the half a mile it takes to get to a wider road I will never get out of third gear, even though the official speed limit is 60mph. This is because of the winding nature of this lane, it is impossible to see very far ahead. I was taught to drive at a speed where I can stop safely within the distance I can see, this dictates the speed I drive on our lane.
There could be anything round the next bend - a neighbour out on their horse, other neighbours walking their dogs, a child playing - there aren't any pavements so no refuge for anyone caught on the lane by a car going too fast to stop in time.
There have been a few crashes, all have been drivers who habitually drove too fast to stop when they met something coming the other way.

Usernumbers in the original post the OP states that the overtakers were on the dual carriageway, not on the single track road.

I was coming into Bristol this morning from Cardiff on the M4 and there was a car in the middle lane doing 60mph and totally oblivious to the potential danger they were causing.

Some people aren't fit to be allowed to drive on a motorway.

You're being unreasonable doing 35 in a 60 unless you are going round a bend.

Seven people ovetook me this morning on a road like the first picture. I WAS TRAVELLING 60MPH ON A SINGLE CARRIAGEWAY.

Nobody has ever attempted to overtake me on my road like the second picture. I TRAVEL MAX. 35MPH ON THIS ROUTE.

Sorry for shouting, but I think many people responding to my OP are conflating both roads.

I personally am grateful to you, OP. People do drive too fast, and just don't seem to understand that everyone is fallible, and that their car is a tin box and not a personal shield, and however good a driver they are (or believe themselves to be, which is a bit different), there are all sorts of conditions, including other drivers, which means a crash, sooner or later, is more than likely.

Whether they kill themselves, or someone else, in that crash depends very much on how fast they are going, as well as other factors.

Anyway, thank you. I hate this obsession with speeding on roads. Don't let anyone bully you into driving faster if you don't want to.

7 people overtook OP in the space of 20 minutes.
7?
All of them must be idiots/law-breakers/less safe drivers than the slow overly cautious = thus dangerous OP.

Me thinks not.

I have to say I completely agree with the OP about the rural road. I live in a remarkably similar area and drive a very powerful sports car (and have taken my advanced driving test, had track instruction, driven on skid pans, etc. I really like cars!). I rarely get above 35-40 on rural potholed roads. My car is more than capable of higher speeds, as am I, but it would be hugely dangerous. This morning (like most mornings) I was overtaken by a 20 year old Renault sports car. He booted it past 3 cars and went round a blind bend on the wrong side of the road. He regularly does the same thing and is going to kill himself and probably some other poor bastard. When I see him, I generally slow down and drop back as I know he is going to do something crazy.

I drive faster than OP on the open road, so I am no paragon, but lack of road awareness in rural areas is an horrendous cause of serious accidents.

GhostedDad I wonder if you've actually read the thread and looked at the picture of the road the OP does 35mph on before giving us the benefit of your wisdom?