To feel intimidated by expensive cars whilst driving?

[malificent7]

A bit of a generalisation here but I often find BMW, Mercedes, Audi cars etc drive much faster than me...often tailgate me and overtake when I'm on Maxim speed limit.
I feel that a certain kind of go getting person has the money to buy such cars and this is a wflwcted in their driving. This makes no sense I know! I can't help feel intimidated when a beautiful BNW or Mercedes drives behind me. I gave a bimbly Honda jazz!/

While we are at it....it's never those bloody tail gaters who get caught speeding is it?!

Or possibly you have misinterpreted what I have said all along?

Maybe?

PP What drives me nuts is people dawdling along 30mph in a 50 zone

You Why? Keep back & overtake them when you can.

Ok, I don't disagree with this advice, but...

You My Mum is 70 and drives slow as does my 18 year old newly qualified driver DD.

This ^ this is what you said. There is no other way to interpret that other than as it is.

So, for the 4374959th time

THERE IS NO EXCEPTION IN THE LAW FOR AGE

I'm a learner driver, but am pretty confident now. I will stick to the speed limit, but am always seeing twats driving way way over the speed limit. My instructor claims they'll slow down when they get into an accident - but that's too late!

I live in a 20mph zone, with schools around, a level crossing and lots of parents with young children. Drivers seem to default to 30mph, with the super twatty types going 40mph+. It really doesn't feel safe as a pedestrian.

It might be down to the engine size. I say this as I had a little Corsa for years and knew that it would take ages to accelerate and maintain speeds on motorways. I now have a car you’ve said you’re intimidated by and I dive differently. Not like a dick, but there’s much more ‘oomph’ than in my previous car which means I can make moves my old car wouldn’t have been capable of without causing an accident! For instance I know I can get into a roundabout ahead of a smaller car as my speed will equal there’s in a shorter time. I have also noticed on motorways that even when I am at 70 (I’m very mindful of speed!), that it’s the acceleration to get to the higher speeds quickly can be surprising. My old car would take forever and wasn’t able to climb an incline in anything greater than second gear - this car cruises up it in sixth gear.

Having said ALL of that, there are some twatty drivers who do it because they can. I have also found little cars now want to race me, so I just drive sensibly.

Ok, I'll take it s l o w...

You Why? Keep back & overtake them when you can.

You My Mum is 70 and drives slow as does my 18 year old newly qualified driver DD.

You There is no other way to interpret that other than as it is.

You THERE IS NO EXCEPTION IN THE LAW FOR AGE

Tha assumption that all slow drivers are a hazard and breaking some non existent 'law' is yours.

A person can either sit back or overtake if the person in front is driving slower than the speed limit.
This is the case whether the driver be young or old. Experienced or not experienced.

Nowhere did I say that allowances for any type of hazardous driving should be given due to a person's age. You are fixated on the age thing.
If I had said just my DM and DD would you be going on and on about age?

Oh dear, I think I shall leave you there

^ welcomething

Whilst I still don't think you get it, I will leave it there too!

MoonsandJunes
When I passed my test, the Highway Code had a clause about keeping up with the flow of traffic. My instructor explained to me that this meant doing 50 or thereabouts in a 50 where traffic permitted and not holding up the traffic by driving at 30 for example.

Your pensioner parent should not be driving on roads, where they cannot keep up with the flow of traffic and your child, who has recently passed their test should use plates to inform other road users they’ve recently passed their test and are learning to drive unaided. This way your child will hopefully be given more allowances and a wider berth to allow for this by other road users.

Mummy
Yes, I agree re. plates for inexperienced drivers.
I think it's wrong to assume that other drivers are incapable just because they are going slowly.
I myself drive slower than most over the top roads/lanes. People just overtake or hang back.
I also overtake if I am behind a really slow car. Believe me, there are a lot of people who drive through the lanes here (national speed limit) at 20mph - they obviously don't know the road and I'm not going to start making assumptions about anyone.
I just think we should be tolerant of others. There's no way I would tailgate or sound my horn.

they obviously don't know the road and I'm not going to start making assumptions about anyone.
Bit of a contacdiction - I meant, that if people are unfamiliar with a place, I'm not going to start saying that they are a bad driver!

But if an older person cannot keep up with the flow of traffic, they are by definition incapable of driving safely on the particular road they have chosen to take. I’m not say they shouldn’t drive at all. They should only drive on roads, where they are competent and both are and feel safe.

Say another example, I’m now on morphine for pain. I hope to come off of it after I am healed from a pending operation. I’m only competent to drive when taking this medicine if I feel safe to drive and my competency to drive is unaffected by the medication. I have therefore been increasing the dosage very slowly, first only driving when driving the next morning after a small dose then having left at least 6 hours gap between ingesting medicine and now using what I know to be a dose I have previously taken and not driven yet have remained unaffected. Thus preferring pain to medication but still balancing the two as pain also is a distraction.

Had I downed even 5ml of morphine and got straight in the car knowing that I may not cope would have been deeply irresponsible. The same goes for drivers, who fail to keep up with the flow of traffic.

I may be well enough to drive 3 weeks after my hysterectomy (not having keyhole), but I’d very likely have to drive like a snail to avoid needing to emergency stop. Would that make me safe? I don’t think so.

I forgot to say, I do agree with you that we should be considerate of other drives. Unfortunately for some awful drives, the P plate is like a red rag to a bull.

mummy you are wasting your time

Excessive speed still kills more people than slow drivers though

Mummy
Yes, I agree that people should only drive when physically able to. I agree it's dangerous for people to drive if they are taking certain medication or if they have a medical condition Which impacts their judgement or physical capabilities.
Generally speaking though, we all have faster/slower reaction times or can take road bends at different speeds, are quicker/slower at junctions etc...
There are people on the road who drive HGVs for a living or do track racing -they will be very different drivers to those who use the car for local trips.
I just think that we should be tolerant of each other - just because someone is slower on the road doesn't make them incapable or dangerous.
Everyone should adapt to the road conditions to a certain extent even if that means going 5mph slower than you normally would!

Couldn't agree more with you OP. I drive a lot on dual carriageways and even when I'm going at maximum speed i am regularly tailgated by higher end cars. I've also had this experience on a regular basis with white van drivers. Anyone else find this?

I've had utterly crazy drivers and always on the north circular. I've had drivers tailgate me and flashing lights at me to signal me to move over to the other lane. Even when I'm going at maximum speed!! Like, seriously???? Now I ignore them completely. I've had people tailgate then overtake me just so they can drive REALLY SLOWLY IN FRONT OF ME. To teach me a lesson i guess?

mummy you are wasting your time wink

Oh dear. I'm afraid ou welcomething were wasting your time.

I agree with many of Mummy's points and have said so in my reply to her.

welcomething

MoonsAndJunes

I think you are deluding yourself if you think an adult, who finds it difficult to drive any more than 30mph is safe and competent. The police are far more likely to agree with me than you if your parent is ever pulled over. I would urge you to ask a friend, who can remain impartial and you know to be a good driver to sit in the car with them to assess their ability to drive.

We all see the dear little old grandmas and grandads, whose driving is questionable and I have had to react fast on more than one occasion from their erratic driving. And before anyone accuses this of being ageist, I have also called 999 on a driver with a death wish on the motorway. No one should be above the law. I know I’m not.

And yes, I agree, we all have different reaction times. So yes, again, tolerance is necessary.

moon

You are still spouting shite.

HTH.

mummy

Oh no, not you too! Where have I said that my DM can't drive over 30mph??
Both my DD and Mum drive slower than my boy racer DB who hosts track racing lessons for a living and hasn't any tolerance for anyone who goes slower than the actual limit on the road They drive slower than me but they can drive fgs!

welcoming
I thought we'd finished our 'debate'!
Why the need for the snide remarks?

Is it because I don't agree with you?

Is it because I don't agree with you? 

No. It's because you are genuinely talking shite.

I went over and over and over trying to explain the same point to you and you continually used something I said to try and prove your point rather then keeping it within the context it was written so it actually made sense.

welcoming
Many of your replies don't reflect what I have actually said but you can keep on chipping in all day if you like.
FWIW, I also think you are talking shire!