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...

Driving isn’t just about you, it’s about awareness and consideration for other road users.

Defensive driving - good driving - is about making sure you don’t cause the problem, not trying to influence others’ driving by making them speed up or change course. It is about patience, tolerance and the big picture. Yes, you may be ten minutes late, but nobody is going to be injured if you stay back. Yes, you may miss out on that last parking spot outside your house, but you aren’t going to provoke a road rage incident.

I would much prefer to share the road with a thousand people like me than a thousand people like Know.

Do you think telling someone that if you were a police officer or would have cautioned them isn’t confrontational? Really?

Honestly it may have come across that way but I also think it's a perfectly reasonable thing to point out to someone so utterly clueless, unobservant and selfish so they might actually take it on board.

And I really have to go and do some work now so I'm not going to be commenting further.

You and I will have to disagree Monsieur Poirot

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

By your own admission you did not.

For all those saying it's a limit and not a target, while that is true, you should also drive according to the conditions. The situation OP described would earn you faults, possibly even major faults on a driving test for not making adequate progress and being a hazzard on the road.... if you were driving at 60 on a very twisty 60 road you may also be dangerous as also not driving for the conditions.
If you are too nervous to drive any faster and don't have L plates, which are there as a warning to other drivers, then perhaps you should consider whether you should be driving ...
It's all about driving in a safe and considerate manner.... winding other drivers up is neither safe nor considerate

Knowmydisrespect

Already had a name change on the thread so I'll guess

DappledThings

Is also you.

Honestly it may have come across that way but I also think it's a perfectly reasonable thing to point out to someone so utterly clueless, unobservant and selfish so they might actually take it on board.

I think when you walk up to someone thinking words like clueless, I observant and selfish, you are angry, and very likely to be confrontational.

Only really shit, overly cautious drivers say rubbish like 'it's limit not a target' . Actually, it IS a target, if the road conditions are good then you should be driving at a speed that at least approaches it, for instance, in a 40mph zone your speed should be between 35 and 40mph (40mph being 'the target').

Driving too slowly can be as dangerous as driving too fast. Obviously, you adapt your speed to the conditions, but don't be the dick that holds everyone up because you are too nervous to drive at the appropriate speed. You really shouldn't be on the road if you can't drive with confidence.

I'm really not Knowmydisprespect. You can check my long posting history if you like.

Someone agreeing doesn't automatically mean sock puppet.

And yes I said I was going now.

I really am this time!"

Only really shit, overly cautious drivers say rubbish like 'it's limit not a target' hmm. Actually, it IS a target, if the road conditions are good then you should be driving at a speed that at least approaches it, for instance, in a 40mph zone your speed should be between 35 and 40mph (40mph being 'the target').

It still isn’t a target. You should be driving well, and at an appropriate speed, not trying to achieve a certain speed.

@herculepoirot2

I have repeatedly said that I soon stopped trying to get their attention. I used my horn twice and flashed my lights maybe 4 times at most, if that.

I was behind them for 24 miles. Twenty four miles.

This wasn’t a delay of a few minutes. They held me up by hours.

Knowmydisrespect If you had flashed your lights/sounded your horn at me I would have deliberately driven slower (either out of spite or because I would assume you are flashing to alert me of a danger/problem).

You sound like a dick driver tbh and yes, getting out of a car and saying things like getting a caution is confrontational.

I am not DappledThings, although I do like the user name.

I agree. You should travel at the speed limit. I have to travel between Stratford upon Avon to Birmingham regularly, it's a leisure drive to some and it gives me the rage. Pull over. Let us pass, that's what I'd do if I wasn't sure where I was going. But no, this is a day trip to many - you should STILL pull over once you've checked the mirror to see a huge tail back of traffic trying to get back to Brum after a long day at work.

The speed limit on this road is 30, 40 and 50 - there are speed cameras and I'd never speed in a 30 zone, through Henley in Arden, for example. There are times, when we know an exit is coming up, that we might slow down, but not for 15 miles worth of the road. It does my head in. PULL OVER!!

Well, this has been interesting.

An insight into the minds of those who stop on public roads so they can take photos or drive at 5mph to take in the view, and to hell with everyone else!

You can fail your driving test for failing to make proper progress. I did once fail a test for that reason. It was 30 odd years ago and I’m not sure if it is still the case. But failing to make proper progress does not mean failing to drive at the speed limit.

Just out of interest, how do those driving monitors you can use for car insurance treat people who drive below the speed limit?

My guess is they don't believe this nonsense about how only poor drivers drive cautiously, I'm betting their data shows they have far fewer accidents.

Knowmydisrespect

If they stopped that often, why didn't you confront them in the road? Or wind your window down to bellow at them?

I'm in two minds about this one. I often don't drive the speed limit and I'm usually in the 'its a limit not a target' camp especially as a lot of the roads I drive have a limit of 60 but have places that aren't safe about 30 even if you're not towing a caravan and dodging wildlife.
I also consider 30 in a 40 zone about right anyway

But I never overtake and I agree being stuck behind someone doing 5 miles below what you want to be doing is irritating.

I used my horn twice and flashed my lights maybe 4 times at most, if that.

At most, you needed to use your horn once. At most.

To all the utter twats who drive too slowly, obstruct the road, and say they brake randomly if tailgated - I condemn the lot of you.
Especially the ones I got stuck behind when I was an on call doctor, driving to emergencies at the two hospitals I covered.
You delayed me getting to critically injured or ill patients. Or you would have, if I hadn’t risked my own safety to undertake you when you hogged the outside lane.
Braking when tailgated is particularly damn stupid - did you want my car bonnet through your back windscreen?
Ffs, people, please consider for one moment that the driver stuck behind you has a serious reason for needing to get past you!

@SerenDippitty I'd say you are much much more likely to fail for flashing your lights/sounding your horn at other cars and tailgating..

@Babdoc Tailgating is also damn stupid.

Braking when tailgated is particularly damn stupid - did you want my car bonnet through your back windscreen?

The thing is, if this did happen, it would be your fault, wouldn’t it, for driving too close?

@MonkeyToesOfDoom

Shouting at them would definitely have felt confrontational to me, and that is not in my character. At one point, one of my passengers opened their door to go and speak to them, and they drove off.

As I keep saying, I was aware that they would think I was harassing them and once it was clear that they didn’t know how to drive on that kind of road, I resigned myself to being stuck behind them.

The delay was annoying but didn’t really matter.

If, for example, I had been driving to a funeral or a hospital appointment, then I may have had to try shouting or getting out and approaching them on foot.

Braking when tailgated is particularly damn stupid - did you want my car bonnet through your back windscreen?

If this was a serious risk, you were too close, on call Dr or not. Breaking distances are a thing and as a Dr you should know how devastating RTC injuries can be.