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.

You're not getting it.

You're allowed to drive under the speed limit (17%) under

Other people are allowed to be irritated and lots are telling you why it would be annoying.
Especially as the road you posted is fairly straight and busy hardly a winding country lane

Bloody hell, give her a break! She's a new driver in a new car who was out early on a Sunday morning. She wasn't holding up rush hour traffic. I've been driving 30 years this year and have been known to favour the higher end of the speed limit but even I know when to cut someone some slack.

you irritated posters by calling "over-takers" idiots, which is ridiculous.

Let's be honest, in the real world, most cars DO slow down at speed cameras and drop their already legal speed. If you drive regularly, you cannot have failed to noticed it! Many drivers even slow down if they see a police car just minding their own business. You can't pretend it doesn't happen. Drivers don't need to, and really shouldn't, but they do.

I got told off on my motorbike road lesson for not "keeping up with the road speed". 30mph feels a lot faster on 2 wheels!

ThursdayLastWeek
Or we know what it's like to be a new driver and so know that it's not unreasonable for other drivers to overtake.

My driving instructor always said that speed should be appropriate for the conditions, consistent and not cause other legal drivers to abruptly change their course.

Driving at 27/28 mph in a 30 = totally reasonable, also fine for someone to over take if it can be done safely

Driving at 30, seeing a speed camera and then whacking the brakes on down to 25ish = not consistent driving, causes othera to put their brakes on and in the absence of a hazard sends a message to the driver behind that the person they are driving behind is probably quite twitchy abd inconsistent.

If I get behind someone who brakes for no reason, is inconsistent with speed etc then I want to be in front of them and not behind them. I'll give them space and overtake as soon as it's safe.

What's perhaps irritated some on this thread is that someone new to driving, who is clearly not a confident driver has taken it upon themselves to decide that anyone overtaking is an idiot, despite it being an entitely legal thing to do.

My instructor taught me to be more cautious than to rush into everything.

Ok, just lifting off the accelerator when there is someone behind you is not cool. You will be the one behind one day, and one minute you're happily maintaining a safe distance and the next - argh! On with the anchors, they've lifted off and slowed down without warning and you're right up their bum! It's annoying as fuck when it happens to you - brake gently so the lights come on and the vehicle behind knows what you're doing.

Second, that looks like a good wise road, and traffic and weather conditions permitting, one that it would be perfectly appropriate to drive at 30mph along.

I do think a pass plus course in your own car might serve you, op. You will gain confidence and road sense over time but a boost wouldn't be a bad idea.

People who over take safely aren’t idiots.

The van driver’s agression was unnecessary.

You need to ensure you feel comfortable driving in all conditions before you do more trips on the road.

If you read my updates you will see I worded it wrong and meant he was a idiot for over taking and swearing
Like I said I don't mean everyone overtaking is a idiot.
I was annoyed at driver and wrote title without engaging my brain

No, I doubt any of us are perfect, but an awareness that being hesitant around a speed camera for no good reason is annoying to other road users is ab important fact for you to grasp if you are going to become a competent and safe driver.

If you were out early on a Sunday morning you and the van were probably the only vehicles on the road. I can see why the van driver would have been frustrated behind you.

He shouldn't have been rude to you but I can't say I'm surprised he overtook if you were going at 25 on the road you've shown.

You will build up your confidence but do need to be aware of what's going on around you and how your driving can impact on others.

Dd failed her driving test the first time because she was in a 40mph and thought it was a 30, the road was clear and she drove at 30.

If you’re this nervous you shouldn’t be driving on your own -you should have people with you burial you are more confident.

Until

Phone ffs.

He wasn't right behind me when I came off accelerator ..I always check my mirrors.
He came quicker and decided to overtake me rather than drive behind me.
The roads were quiet this morning.

OP there is being cautious because you are a new driver and can't calculate the risks and there is being cautious because you are a bad driver. With the former put P plates on so people will give you slack.

Safe and legal overtaking is not idiotic

Giving a stranger the finger is idiotic

Going 15-20% under the speed limit and suddenly taking your foot off the accelerator so you randomly and unexpectedly slow down in perfect driving conditions with no hazards and the person behind you doesn't get any warning because your brake lights don't come on if you slow down without using your brakes is idiotic. The speed limit may not be a 'target' but you are disingenuous if you think most people don't prefer to drive at the limit in good conditions. and they are allowed to, even if you want to bunny hop between 22 and 25. You don't get to set the limit for everyone else by being in the way. If the road needed a 25 limit then it would be set at 25.

I was nervous about getting 3 points ..
I wasn't nervous about driving,I am new to the car and still learning how to drive it like my instructors car.
I don't think I'm a bad driver tbh at all
Too cautious maybe at times but not cautious enough to cause any accidents

It's like driving rurally. National speed limit roads that are quite windy, people crawl at 25mph and brake every 5 seconds and then on a straight bit where the huge queue could overtake, they speed up, making everyone else pissed off because as soon as there's a tiny bend they're back at 25mph.

I drive along a road like that most days, except they reduced the speed limit to 50 a few years ago. In 6 miles there are just 3 stretches where you can overtake. None of them are long enough for every driver stuck behind the slow one to overtake, so when you're at the end of the queue of 6 or 7, you know you're stuck for the whole length of it.

There's one short stretch of 30 limit, where it goes through a village, with a side road that's on a blind bend. I never cease to be amazed at the number of people who are scared to go above 40 in a 50 who are perfectly happy to continue at 40 through the most dangerous section of the whole 6 miles.

My instructor always taught me a speed limit is a guide not a target.

It's neither, it's a limit. It shouldn't be exceeded but you should aim to get as close to it as the current conditions allow. Otherwise, you are impeding other road users, causing frustration and those behind you have to overtake if they want to drive up to the limit, as is their legal right.

Your instructor's job is to get complete novices up to the minimum standard required to drive unsupervised. He is not the font of all knowledge nor the definitive reference for you as you develop your driving through ongoing experience.

You should get some advanced driving lessons, you do not sound confident enough although you have technically passed. There is a lot to concentrate on while driving without having issues with basics. You can get these lessons in your own car to build up your confidence.

I drove for a couple of miles behind a learner driver the other day who went just under 20mph the whole time, in a 30 zone, so I had to drive in second gear (this car doesn't tolerate changing up gears as soon as my other one!)

But really, 20mph? I get they are learning to drive and so have to be cautious but that just doesn't mimic real life. Not to mention getting all other drivers' backs up. I kept back and didn't overtake (didn't have the chance) but God, I was seething by the time they turned off!

OP you will learn that some roads while they may be 30mph lots of people will drive faster on them. This may be due to the fact in the last 10 years the speed limit on the road was reduced but the design of the road wasn't altered. Road design gives experienced drivers clues about the speed limit on the road.

AirForce you've quoted me very slightly out of context - I was talking about my rationale for overtaking in that situation. In my opinion, it certainly is crap driving to be slowing down for no reason, and I don't want to be stuck behind someone who is going to be hesitant, unpredictable and slow. The reason for the crap driving (ie being a beginner) is irrelevant at the time - in the car stuck behind such a person, I've no way of knowing why they're driving like that - I'll just be looking for the first safe opportunity to get past them and on with my journey.

Op there’s a difference between overtaking safely and legally
And zooming past at a high speed
( which can be very dangerous)

The man was rude to gesture but you’ll find there’s a lot of sexism out there from men who think all women drivers are awful and shouldn’t be on the road
Sad but true

Well if I wasn't nervous before I certainly am now