Speed limits - please explain

[wherestheaircon]

You're driving through the country roads. You're in a 30mph zone going through a school - fair dos - best not to risk any kids running into the road so let's stick to the limit. HOWEVER. You drive another mile or so and pass a clearly labelled "40"mph but you carry on doing 30 - sometimes you even dip down to 25, and break randomly with no reasoning (to add, I'm keeping a very reasonable and safe distance between our vehicles). The roads aren't that busy - couple of cars here and there but it's definitely safe to go up to 40mph otherwise they wouldn't put that restriction on.

So why in the world are you STILL doing 30 when you've entered a 40 zone??!!! You even drive through a 60mph zone and creep up to 40mph but no further than that. I am being so genuine when I ask that, if this sounds like you, why? I'm sure if there's a reasonable explanation I will be ok...

PS. The bad driver in my case was male and young (late 20s/early 30s).

www.scotlandinfo.eu/driving-single-track-roads-in-scotland/

Knowmydisrespect

But if the other person doesn’t, you still don’t honk and flash them.

I feel your anger! I have a hour commute along roads that, in the main, are 50mph but with only one safe passing point. I regularly (i.e 3 times a week) get stuck behind someone doing 30mph. As I work flexi time I can't technically be late but it makes me irate, however it causes others to take dangerous risks to get past. I've lost count of the number of times I have seen near misses. No idea what the solution is though...

to give them advice about how to drive on single track roads was neither here nor there, tbh.

And who precisely are you to give them that advice? A police officer? An official DVLA roaming driver advisor?
Doubtful...
What would have happened if you'd gone into that car park, confronted them, only to be met with a baseball bat or gold club? Let's face it, you'd flayed and honked and harassed them for miles, they'd have been justified to take precautions after being followed by someone doing that and then that person following them into a hotel as well.

If you're so happy to give drivers advice, does that mean you drive perfectly? Because it doesn't sound like you do at all and if you don't you're in no position to advise others.

@ herculepoirot2 and others who don’t get it.

The Highway Code permits the use of lights and horn to alert other drivers to your presence. That was what I was doing and I stopped when it became clear that they weren’t going to let me past.

I only used my horn twice and I was pointing at the passing places to try and let them know what they should do.

“Rule 110
Flashing headlights. Only flash your headlights to let other road users know that you are there.

Rule 112
The horn. Use only while your vehicle is moving and you need to warn other road users of your presence.

At first I flashed my lights in case they hadn’t noticed me. I flashed my lights when I knew a passing place was coming up

At first you flashed to show you were there. Then you flashed to tell them what to do.

I only used my horn twice and I was pointing at the passing places to try and let them know what they should do.

That isn’t what your horn is for, is it?

Don’t get me wrong, I have beeped people when they cut me up. I’m not a driving saint. But I don’t drive along beeping and flashing people.

Everyone is so aggressive when driving now, everyone can use the road at what ever speed they are comfortable with. Tailgating would make me brake randomly.

I'd have done the same Knowmydisrespect. You can only hope that after talking to them the message that need to be considerate of other road users might have sunk in a little.

I often hope that some of the dawdlers I follow might end up in the same place so I can politely ask them if they actually know what the speed limit is, what they were doing and why those numbers are so unaligned.

Again , for those who don’t get it and aren’t reading what I’ve written. I quickly stopped trying to get their attention precisely because I realised they were clueless and to persist would only make them feel intimidated and not get them to drive as they should, which is to use passing placing to allow overtaking!

I wasn’t confrontational. I explained that I was aware that I made them feel at best uncomfortable but that if they were driving on those roads then they should be aware that they should let people past them. They would have a better more enjoyable holiday if they let people past. I also pointed out that I wasn’t a police office but if I had been then I could have cautioned or charged them.

People driving very badly on rural roads is a major problem, especially in remote areas where there are no alternative routes. The Police can and do charge people for drink like those people.

Not for drink - for driving.

I wasn’t confrontational. I explained that I was aware that I made them feel at best uncomfortable but that if they were driving on those roads then they should be aware that they should let people past them. They would have a better more enjoyable holiday if they let people past. I also pointed out that I wasn’t a police office but if I had been then I could have cautioned or charged them.

Of course you were confrontational.

@herculepoirot2

I flashed when passing places were coming in up so that they could respond appropriately when I made them aware of my presence behind them. I was trying to help them out by giving them a clue.

And yes, that is what my horn is for. See my earlier quotes from the Highway Code.

I rarely use my horn, to the point that I once, when trying to warn someone who reversing towards me, couldn’t find it on a car I’d had for a few years. Fortunately they noticed themselves before they hit me.

Of course you were confrontational

Only if you think any conversation with a stranger is inherently confrontational. It would be perfectly possible to have that conversation politely and unaggressively.

@herculepoirot2

Please don’t ever drive on rural roads as you clearly don’t know how to, or care about those who do drive on them.

DappledThings

Naturally I don’t think, “Hello - hope you're having a good holiday. Bye!” is confrontational. I think approaching someone for the purposes of confronting them about their driving is the definition of confrontational.

Knowmydisrespect

I am a very confident and safe driver. Thanks, though.

Chucking in my tuppenceworth here - I have come to conclusion that there are people who get in their car and simply aim for where they’re going with no conscious thought of speed, road conditions or other road users while on the journey.

@DappledThings

Yes. Thank you.

I think approaching someone for the purposes of confronting them about their driving is the definition of confrontational

I think approaching someone for the purposes of informing them about how their driving is causing issues for other road users has the potential to be confrontational but is not necessarily so depending on tone and manner.

I flashed when passing places were coming in up so that they could respond appropriately when I made them aware of my presence behind them. I was trying to help them out by giving them a clue.

You are not supposed to use your lights or horn to direct other drivers. Full stop. Once you had made the other driver aware that you were there - and they have a rear-view mirror so there was no reason to think they didn’t know - you had done what the HC allows you to do. The rest was confrontational.

DappledThings

And I think it is otherwise known as confronting them. But yes, it can be done in different tones. What do you think about this poster’s tone? Do you think telling someone that if you were a police officer or would have cautioned them isn’t confrontational? Really?

The comments here are riddled with stupidity and selfishness, no wonder there’s so many accidents!
Speed is personal choice as long as within the limit - could be they are relaxing and enjoying the drive - one gem 🙄
Driving isn’t just about you, it’s about awareness and consideration for other road users.

I followed the Highway Code in my use of lights and horn to alert them to my presence.

It was not unreasonable of me to expect that they, having been so alerted, would also follow the Highway Code and use the next passing place to allow me to overtake them.

I was complying with the Highway Code.

They were not.