To think people who overtake are idiots?

[sallyhansen32]

So this morning I was out early.
I was on a road with a 30 mph limit..there's a speed camera next to a school.
I'm new to driving so didn't want to go crazy so I dropped down to 25mph till I passed through it.
A van overtook me and stuck his fingers up.
Was I going to slow?
If I was then fair enough ..but it's not like I was going through under 20.

These threads always highlight just how many shit drivers there are on the road.

Slowing to 25mph (which is less that that because of the speedo calibration) because you're scared of getting a ticket is ridiculous and BAD DRIVING. Overtaking in itself is not bad driving, but being a twat about it is.

If you cannot keep up with the flow of traffic at a speed near the limit, conditions permitting, then you shouldn't be on the road.

I always wondered who these people were pootling up the side of Loch Lomond and braking hard every time they approached a corner or another car came towards them, now I know.

@MaisyPops what people don't realise if they do that and another vehicle appears on the other side of the road, they too are at risk of being involved in that accident.

OP if a vehicle over takes you maintain your current speed or even slow down slighly more so the over taking vehicle can get front of you as quickly as possible. Your aim is not to be involved in an accident or cause it.

I live on a road where the speed limit of 30mph. But with parking both sides only an idiot would drive at 30mph. There are a lot of idiots.

The OP only dropped by 5mph for a few seconds. This would not cause any real inconvenience, unless you were tailgating.

I personally would almost never overtake in a 30mph zone (probably less than once a year). |It is simply unnecessary, and if you are giving a gap of two seconds then you would probably hardly notice your deacceleration.

If the van driver decided to overtake and it was safe to do so, that's fair enough. But giving the finger is totally unnecessary, unacceptable and illegal - the van driver was risking a £1000 fine.

To the OP keep driving, I was very nervous when I started (and I did put on green P plates, and paid for an extra lesson on motorway driving). In time you will relax and enjoy it. Good luck for the future.

OP he was quite clearly being an idiot, MN just like a pile on.

These threads always highlight just how many shit drivers there are on the road.

I agree, but they are not the ones you think.
The problem is that everyone think they are an amazing driver. They are not. I am not, I drive too fast, but I am realistic at least and try to be safe!

If you cannot keep up with the flow of traffic at a speed near the limit, conditions permitting, then you shouldn't be on the road

Again, utter rubbish. New drivers are correct to be cautious about speed and over-confidence (which is what it would be, to drive at the limit the second you pass your test) is dangerous. It is far more sensible to take things slowly, slow down when you feel you need to (granted, slowing for a speed camera isn't necessary, but driving nervously at the limit is a worse idea than a marginal reduction in speed). The rule of thumb is, when in doubt, slow down.

My username, as I explained in another thread, is in honour of a very dear friend who shouted it at me in a dangerous situation. I name changed on the day I found out he died.

what people don't realise if they do that and another vehicle appears on the other side of the road, they too are at risk of being involved in that accident.
I think people who speed up when people are overtaking are idiots because they are making a legal move more difficult.
But then I also think drivers who are inconsistent with speed are a bloody nuisance and a hazard. They never drive with any awareness of other road users.

I'd happily wait patiently behind someone being consistently a little slower. But then many people on here have spoken of consistency and the OP still thinks they're right.

OP my teen has just passed her test. I think it's natural and right to be cautious, there's a lot of experience to get under your belt and you will get more confident with time. He was a knob to gesticulate and harass you. I think dropping to 25 at a speed camera is perfectly acceptable, there's one on a steep hill near me and I find the car is speeding up before I am out of the timed area so it's good to be a few miles under. Ignore other drivers, you go safely doing what you have been taught.
Also I'm not sure about a P plate. I had a helpful discussion with chap at insurance about this. He had recently passed and not using one. We agreed it could possibly make her a target and attract unwelcome attention eg from cash for crash types. Not using one.

The op wasn't doing 30 to start with, she was doing 27/28 mph to begin with then dropped down to 25 when she saw the speed camera.

The van driver most probably wasn't speeding himself when he "came round the bend at speed." He was probably doing 30mph and caught up with the op quickly because she was doing 27/28 mph then dropped to 25mph. The van driver then overtook, which he is ok to do (minus the finger) and it still doesn't sound like he was speeding, even when he overtook, if the camera didn't flash.

I'm more confused why the op speeded up again after the camera if she was pulling into the petrol station just ahead anyway?

I was all for supporting OP when I started reading the thread but at the end of it, looking at your responses I think you're as bad as the van driver.

You need to go back to your instructor and get him to explain what an "obstruction of traffic offense is" Going too slow is just as bad as going too fast.

Also you kept changing your story. you started at 30mph and you changed your story to say you was doing 27/28mph and somehow you where precise enough to go down 2mph to 25mph which I find hard to believe. You most likely went down to 20mph

You seem to be spending most of your time starring at the pedometer than the road. Maybe get yourself a car with cruise control.

You're a dangerous driver!

Iused2BanOptimist - That's a really good point about P plates. That would make me think again.

OP when I first learnt to drive I used to drop my speed like you near speed cameras too. If you get 6 points in a year you lose your licence so I used to be very paranoid about that.

I passed 4 years ago so remember those first few weeks driving alone after passing very well. I was probably annoying to a lot of road users because although I passed my test it takes driving alone to really pick up better driving skills. Hardly anyone passes their test as great confident drivers, you really do learn more after you pass.

I took my P plates off though because I found people were driving more aggressively around me when I had them on.

You will get more confident OP

If you're saying that you don't know how much pressure to put on the accelerator are you sure that you were at 27/28 and then dropped to 25?

You really don't need to worry about speed camera when you're already under the limit.

Did you slow down without braking too? Find a lot of people do that too and just expect others to know what they are doing. If you did that as well, may also have annoyed the van driver.

If another driver flipping you the bird has got you this upset you're gonna need to toughen up a bit to cope with driving as it'll be a regular occurrence, just part and parcel of sharing the roads with other people really

I do a motorway commute every day and middle lane hoggers give me the rage, I've definitely showed them my middle finger once or twice!

This is dangerous on certain roads. Yesterday I was driving on a country road and a car hurtled towards me from the opposite direction- it had overtaken 3 cars in one go. That's out of order but I would be really frustrated if a car in front of me suddenly dropped the speed below the limit. That's dangerous too. You are worrying way too much about going over a couple of miles over speed limit. My car has a limiter you can set at 30 or 40 so you don't go over.

Basically the van driver is an idiot. Not for overtaking, as that is legal, but for the road rage doing it. If he was so agro that he swore at you passing I would be concerned that his annoyance may have stopped him assessing the road conditions properly and it may not have been a considered overtaking.

Being a few miles under the speed limit is not a problem and do not feel you did anything wrong. It takes time to get used to driving. The speed limit is the maximum you should go at in optimal conditions not what you have to drive at so if you felt more comfortable to be couple of miles under then fine.

Part of my journey home everyday is single carriageway 60mph with a few bends in it. I have had to follow cars along it regularly at 35-40mph and once slower than that (they mostly stayed at around 25) but you cannot safely overtake on that road. That is frustrating, not 5 miles under when you are approaching a speed camera.

I would just ignore them OP.
If you drive slowly people will overtake you.
It doesn't matter.
Swearing at you is rude. He was obviously just a twat. Best ignored.

myusernameisnotmyusername

"... but I would be really frustrated if a car in front of me suddenly dropped the speed below the limit. That's dangerous too. "

Surely it would only be dangerous if you were tailgating. And it would be you making it dangerous. Remember you need to be prepared for the vehicle in front to make an emergency stop at any time.

There are aggressive idiots everywhere.... Let them be first to the graveyard!

People /everyone makes mistakes... Mostly are not consequential..... Yesterday I stalled car moving off at roundabout.... Probably first time I've stalled in 5 years. Some idiot shouted at me... I gave a cheery wave back.. .

I've been driving for best part of 30 years... Often do 30k + annually... I've had one very minor accident 15 years ago ... (slid on mud into back of slow car).
I'm an advanced driver.... I make mistakes...

Just change how you see these arses....

OP if youre not comfortable in your car you need to get out there with a friend or family member and drive for a few hours every day so you get used to the car asap. Otherwise you will annoy other drivers by being hesitant and this may start to make you nervous which wont help.

I'm shocked at this pile on at the OP. She's a new driver!! Are all these other posters such perfect drivers?

But since this thread has attracted so much traffic from the world's best drivers I am going to put in a word about tolerance on the road. There are a lot more older drivers around these days as we have an ageing population. I was amazed at a 95 year old recently who assured me he still drives. Elderly people need to drive to maintain their independence but can easily be muddled by aggressive drivers. There's no need for it.

Someone I was talking to recently told me how she passed a parking place just off the motorway recently and was flagged down by an elderly man asking for help. He didn't know where he was or where he was going. She managed to establish had been going to have lunch with his niece. Then she got his daughter's number and phoned her, who asked her to take him to the train station and put him on a train home which was obviously a ridiculous suggestion. In the end she called the police who took him home. A few days later she got a bunch of flowers and lovely letter from the daughter who explained that her father had been in denial about developing memory problems and had now decided to give up driving.

So when people are dithering do you know for sure they are not elderly? Not trying to find somewhere new? Not a new driver? Or are they all crap drivers? And you, of course are perfect.

For God's sake back off and cut people some slack. Including the OP.

A lot of MN driving threads are "Holier than thou" in tone. I find it bewildering, too.

You haven't done anything awful, OP. You are just inexperienced. If I were you (and assuming you have the time/money for the petrol), I´d go out for a drive today and get more used to driving around in traffic and get a better feel for the car. Drive as much as you can for the next while. Visit places and shops a distance away that you always wanted to visit but couldn't be bothered with the trip. You need to put in time in the car to get used to driving. If you keep doing little trips locally, then you will take longer to get past your initial nerves and driving may turn into a bigger deal that it needs to be.