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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think people who overtake are idiots?

677 replies

sallyhansen32 · 15/07/2018 08:36

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.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
Iused2BanOptimist · 15/07/2018 11:45

llljkk Shock Never realised a simple driving question would attract so much ire. Obviously to be avoided in future. Confused

JacquesHammer · 15/07/2018 11:50

Ignore the odiots supporting on here

Unfortunate Wink

victopai · 15/07/2018 11:51

30 is the limit not the target. 25 is fine, where I live the limit is 20 in the entire borough.

Nikephorus · 15/07/2018 11:51

Yes, the rear view mirror is for making sure your own manoeuvre is completed safely, too. It isn't for making sure you are going fast enough for the car behind you.
My point was though that you need to be aware of what drivers in front AND behind are doing, and not just focusing on the ones in front, and that involves using your mirrors for something other than just reversing (or applying make-up, checking you've no lettuce in your teeth, mouthing off at the driver behind you etc!). And if the car behind you IS tailgating then you need to know, not so that you can speed up, but so that you're aware that if you brake suddenly (with good reason) you'll have a twat up your backside. In theory it should be that you focus on your own driving and no-one else's, but these days you need to be equally aware of the idiots around you, whether it's white van man doing 90mph or an OAP doing 10mph and barely able to see over the steering wheel.

safariboot · 15/07/2018 11:51

OP, have you not heard the reputation of "white van man" on the roads? Aggressive idiots, basically).

There's all sorts of reasons for drivers to slow down on urban roads. I'd be no more than mildly irritated at someone overbraking for a speed camera.

SunnySkiesSleepsintheMorning · 15/07/2018 11:54

I initially didn’t think you were BU but you’re being a bit of a know it all and refusing to hear some people. It’s ok to mess up when driving....we all do it. The important thing is to learn from it and move on. Also, you can learn to predict what other drivers may do, trust me on this one! Many other road users are wankers but it’s always useful to reflect on what led up to the situation in case you could do something differently next time. Don’t sweat it, seriously. Just move on and keep practicing.

AirForce0ne · 15/07/2018 11:54

Unless you are an idiot, everyone drops their speed in the vicinity of a camera.

ahem...no. Drivers who respect the speed limit don't need to drop their speed, what are you talking about. If you believe your car shows a lower speed than what it really does, go to a garage now!

If anyone was wondering who these people are who slow down for no reason, here's one of them Grin

SoupDragon · 15/07/2018 11:57

if I make make a suggestion; there are plates you can buy for your car after you pass your test. Like an 'L' plate, but I think they show a green 'P'. If I were you I'd invest in a set for your first few weeks, until your confidence is up. It shows impatient arseholes like me and the van driver exactly where you are in your driving career, and 99 per cent of people will cut you more slack.

She did have them!

ShotsFired · 15/07/2018 11:57

@JurgenKloppsCat Unless you are an idiot, everyone drops their speed in the vicinity of a camera. You have no idea how accurate your car speedo is

A car speedo may over-read (e.g. show 35 when you are only doing 30), but it will never under-read (i.e. show 30 when you are doing 35).

(Random link for more info: www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/culture/commuting/why-you-may-not-be-driving-as-fast-as-you-think/article11487709/)

So no, not "everyone" drops their speed at the sight of a camera. Its completely unnecessary if you are doing an appropriate speed to start with; and can cause a potential risk as per this thread (but more when people slam on their brakes at the last minute, not so much OP, who was just being a bit erratic)

ivykaty44 · 15/07/2018 11:57

Op drive slowly if you wish and ignore the calls for you to not slow down from 30mph to 25 as it’s to slow
It’s a load of bollocks, anyone driving behind you should be far enough away to respond to your slowing by just a few mph and those that say it annoys them are driving to close to the vehicle in front

If a child ran into the road you would need to stop and anyone travelling to close would be likely to go in the back of you / shunting you forward.

Pengggwn · 15/07/2018 12:03

Nikephorus

I wasn't suggesting you don't need to be aware of people driving poorly behind you. What I do if someone is tailgating me, is I drop back. That gives them, if they wish, more ease in overtaking, and it ensures, if they do hit me, that I won't rear-end the car in front.

ShotsFired · 15/07/2018 12:10

@SunnySkiesSleepsintheMorning It’s ok to mess up when driving....we all do it.

This and the other pp who said we get taught to pass our test but its only when we drive do we really learn how to do so....

(I have been driving for about 25 years now. I drive down the same road to the same T junction every day. Yet not that long ago I managed to almost drive it into a ditch as I turned left. I think I must have stopped at the T a bit differently and turned the wheel a bit more than usual or something. But I'm not getting hoity and defensive about it, just one of those things! Live and learn.)

Lockheart · 15/07/2018 12:10

Overtaking is fine as long as it’s safe and legal to do so.

Van driver was not in the wrong for overtaking, but was needlessly rude and aggressive RE gesturing.

Yes it can take a little while to get used to a new car, but if it’s taking more than a few days I’d start taking it out after rush hour in the evenings or to a quiet car park, or have a lesson with your instructor in it.

Every driver makes mistakes, especially new drivers.

Bluelady · 15/07/2018 12:14

OP, drive in the way that makes you feel safe. Anyone intolerant enough not to cope with 5mph under the limit (note limit, not target) shouldn't be on the road. Overtaking you was fine, making obscene gestures is not.

JurgenKloppsCat · 15/07/2018 12:15

Well, that's bollocks. I wish I was one of those people who drove under the speed limit. I've just had a ticket and been on a speed awareness course, so safe to say I don't dawdle. And if I did, it would be nothing to be ashamed of. As we were taught on the course, the designated speed limit is an absolute maximum, not a minimum. Still, the British people have had enough of experts, eh?

As for the accuracy of a speedometer, there are multiple factors. One is type pressure and the rotating circumference of the wheels. If the tyre pressure is wrong, your readout will be wrong. And you need to measure the recommended type pressure when the tyres are cold. If you drive to the local garage and pump up hot tyres, or if you neglect pressure monitoring, then your speedo won't give a true reflection of road speed. So there's that. And if your electronic speedo develops a fault, as mine did recently (it's been an bad month), then you can also have an inaccurate reading.

jacks11 · 15/07/2018 12:16

The speed limit is the maximum you should go- whilst I agree crawling about at 20mph in a 30mph zone is likely to cause issues- it does not mean you must travel at exactly 30mph at all times. 25mph is not THAT far under 30mph to be causing a huge issue to anyone.

People who overtake unsafely as they can't stand waiting just a little bit longer are every bit as bad as drivers who drive too slowly.

I had a driver over take me on a blind bend whilst driving on a country road yesterday, whilst I was towing a trailer. I was not going fast- quite windy road. I am sure it was a little frustrating. I was, however, going at a sensible speed for the road, road conditions and given the vehicle I was driving.

As it was a blind bend he couldn't see that another car was coming in the opposite direction and he had to slam on the breaks, swerve in front of me. Luckily I was travelling very slowly by this time and managed to stop- however, horse in the back slipped and fell in the trailer. Luckily no harm done to horse, other than a fright which I am now going to have to try and overcome. Could have been so much worse though.

Driver on the other hand almost ended up in the ditch. Not that he stopped, of course. Other driver did. I have dash cam and have reported to police. I understand from them that given the evidence they are looking into pressing charges.

duckfuckduck · 15/07/2018 12:23

The AA was originally founded to help motorists avoid speed traps and the reason for the badge was because of an aa patrolman saw the badge he would salute to warn of a speed trap. After a case in 1910 or thereabouts that changed to not saluting to warn of the speed trap.

Your speedo always reads low to avoid you being able to sue your car manufacturer as defence of my speedo says 30

SoupDragon · 15/07/2018 12:33

When my speedo shows me going 30mph, roadside speed displays and my satnav show me as going 28. When going past a camera I still make sure the needle on the display is a hair’s breadth below 30.

Gottagetmoving · 15/07/2018 12:38

You don't sound confident enough to have passed your test OP.

How ridiculous! OP passed her test because she demonstrated she was safe to drive and had control of her vehicle.
What she lacks is experience, like every driver who has just passed their test.
Driving over the speed limit is against the law, driving under it isn't but it is generally the rule that if you drive a certain amount under the limit, generally 15-20 mph, you must make use of your hazard lights.
OP has explained that she didn't abruptly slow down or cause a problem.
Take no notice of the over critical 'experts' on here OP. Like many drivers they think they know more than they do and sadly, that seems to be too many.

cuppaandcake · 15/07/2018 12:42

If you were already doing under 30 why did you need to slow down further ?

Mummyoflittledragon · 15/07/2018 12:43

Pengggwyn
Yes. Nervous as in can’t relax and predict with any degree of certainty what they may do. Thus I hate being behind hesitant and unpredictable drivers. I want to be in front of them and in control of the situation rather like I want to be behind tailgaters on the motorway. I know I’m not going to cause an accident. It’s always in the back of my mind hesitant drivers will emergency stop for no reason. It’s happened to me several times. Obviously I didn’t hit them because I respect stopping distances. I have held a driving licence for almost 30 years, driven in a number of countries so I have a lot of experience.

Gottagetmoving · 15/07/2018 12:44

Personally being behind a car doing 26/7 then dropping down to 25 with no warning in a 30 zone in good weather conditions with little traffic around risks making the driver behind nervous or angry

No,...getting angry about that makes you a prize Nob!
Angry nobs should stay off the road.

JellyBears · 15/07/2018 12:44

Why slow down? Let them go, idiots are safer in front then behind.

Original poster
sallyhansen32 · 15/07/2018 12:45

The reason I think it's taking me a few days to get to grips with this car is it's a mmt so it takes a bit of getting used too.
I was told when you feel the car wanting to change gear,come off accelerator a tiny bit to allow it to do so smoothly.
Then get back on to gas.

OP posts:
Gottagetmoving · 15/07/2018 12:50

@sallyhansen32

Probably best not to post any more of that you were told to do or not do because everyone will be telling you how wrong you are.
Follow advice from qualified people and be confident you will gain experience as time goes on. Never ask non qualified people for advice on driving.

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