to think I'm allowed to drive the speed limit...

[marmiters]

I've noticed that a lot of people get really frustrated and start tailgating when you're driving at the speed limit. Yesterday I was driving on a single carriageway, doing 60mph and had my cruise control set to this so I didn't speed. There are also at least 3 speed cameras on this road so obviously speeding wouldn't be wise even if I did want to! Had two cars overtake me at dangerous places and one tailgating me to the point that I couldn't see their numberplate.

I work in law enforcement and if I got caught speeding would potentially not be allowed to use my advanced driving skills at work.

Why do people think this is ok? It's so common and so dangerous. Am I really that awful for not wanting to break the speed limit?

It's usually drivers of a certain German car brand who think the speed limits (and indicators) aren't for them. I wonder why they always live up to the stereotype?

YANBU. My friend is learning to drive atm and is getting upset because drivers keep overtaking her when she’s going at the speed limit. Her instructor also always encourages her to stay just below the speed limit where possible so she’s literally just doing as she’s asked. She asked me whether it’s because she’s a learner driver and they’re being twats or not. I said probably nothing to do with that, people are just impatient twats.

It pisses me off how impatient some people on the roads are. They are by far the most dangerous drivers. There’s no way any of them are rushing off to an emergency situation, they’re just impatiently wanting to get to the supermarket quicker or whatever. It’s so stupid and selfish.

YANBU. There are stretches of country road near me where there are no speed cameras (although occasionally police will try and catch speeders) and people get incensed when I drive the speed limit. These are actually the most dangerous stretches of road and the limit's there for a reason. I usually slow down to five below the limit if they tailgate me.

As long as you are on the left lane, and not blocking potential overtakers … irrespective of the speed.

If you are in cruise control in the outside lanes then you are out of order.

@outvoid

sounds like your friend has a good instructor. If someone wants to get by me, I let them if I can. It doesn't make much difference to my own arrival time, and the overtakers won't get there much quicker either.

In a few years time ALL cars will be electronically restricted to speed limits, I reckon.

I find it's difficult to spot the GOOD drivers these days!

^ This!!

I live on a main road and my house is 3 from the end of a block before a left hand turn. People often speed and tailgate on this road. I always indicate in loads of time that I intend turning left (into my drive), but a lot of people assume that I'm turning left at the next junction. They stay right up your arse and I often get beeped because I've slowed down a bit before the junction. It never seems to occur to anyone that someone may actually live on this road.

In a few years time ALL cars will be electronically restricted to speed limits, I reckon.

Agreed, I have said the same.

I find it's difficult to spot the GOOD drivers these days!

Trouble is, we all think we're the good driver and everyone else is the problem.

But we will all have our own little ways and quirks that will be just as odd/annoying/dangerous to other road users, as they do us.

Perhaps accept that nobody's perfect, and a little less arrogance for everyone would be a good thing?

and is getting upset because drivers keep overtaking her when she’s going at the speed limit.

I'd prefer that they fuck off past me and get on with it rather than driving up my exhaust pipe.

Some twat in a white Audi beeped DP yesterday - we were on a country A road with double white lines and going over a hump back bridge approaching a blind junction being held up by two cyclists and with traffic approaching from the other side. Presumably Audi woman expected us to ram everyone else out of the way! Twat.

But we will all have our own little ways and quirks that will be just as odd/annoying/dangerous to other road users, as they do us.

Total rubbish. We're not all as dangerous as each other. Yes we're none of us perfect and we should have patients for other drivers who may take longer to manouvre than us. However dangerous overtaking and driving over the speed limit isn't acceptable. This isn't just the range of driving abilities we have to accept it's consciously making the roads more dangerous for everyone.

If I have a tailgater I pull over as soon as possible - my reasoning being if they're going to drive like a dick, I'd rather they didn't do it anywhere near me!

This happened to me on Sunday night. I was driving at the limit (not under it, I promise!) when a white van roared up behind me and continued to sit so close to me I could almost see the pores on the man's nose

I have nowhere to be that's so important I'll put myself and others at risk by speeding.

@mabelsgarden

You're very rude.

I don't need a refresher course thank you.

I've already passed an advanced driving course, plus done skid pan driving training and track training/track events (the latter is where I reserve my speed for).

You seem believe that driving within the law is by default being "good" and "safe" when that's far from always true.

Rather than continue to irrationally berate myself and @funnelfanjo for something we have specifically not endorsed (tail gating) please have some degree of self reflection about your approach to driving and the points being made (though sadly I doubt you will as you seem to get as much enjoyment baiting bad drivers as "bad" posters ie those posters with a differing viewpoint to yourself).

I had a one speed wonder in the boot the other day. Going at 30 through the villages - they were all over my back bumper. As soon as we hit a national speed limit, I accelerated up to 55-60 and they vanished. Then as soon as we came to the next village, there they were again! Most peculiar. I fantasise about being able to telepathically tell them to bugger off and use their brakes / accelerator to vary their speed as appropriate...

I slow down if someone comes too close to the back of me. I keep slowing down until they get the message and back off. Most do, some start all the ridiculous flashing and swearing, which amuses me.

The other side of this is wanting to drive at the speed limit with someone else trying to police everyone's speed by sitting in the outside lane and driving well under it, when they aren't overtaking.

On the (2 lane) motorway yesterday, I was 2 back from some woman in the outside lane who was doing a touch over 60. She made it up to 65 briefly. Everyone in the inside lane was going faster than she was but she would not pull over.

When she finally did and the limit went down to 50 she carried on travelling at the same speed. WTF is that about?

The dual carriageway near us is 50mph. Every journey we seem to get stuck behind the one doing 25-40 in the outside lane. If you aren't capable of driving near the speed limit on a road with no pedestrians, in good light and dry weather then I wonder if you ought to be on the road at all. Deliberately slowing everyone else down does not make you a safe driver.

If I had been too close I'd have hit him, but then why would you do that? I have a dash cam that shows he was being an arse and I wasn't that close. Main road, middle of day, dry, everyone else driving at 40mph, him doing 25. Then he stopped completely in the middle of the road. Nobody coming the other way so I went round him. I'm not interested in playing silly games with other drivers; I just want to get where I'm going. I might still send the dashcam footage to the police.

Sorry, lost a bit so that doesn't make sense. Had an encounter with someone who I assume thought I was too close and slammed his brakes on for no reason. I wasn't that close and stopped easily. No idea what his problem was.