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...

Tabitha005

You should have reported him to 101. Get his number plate down on a report. Any speeding, harassing and dangerous driving should be reported.

Tailgating.

I had this problem a lot, it took 3 people going into my bumper for it to stop.

After the third bump, I didn't bother repairing . The paint is peeling off the bumper do much it looks like the automotive version of leprosy. It looks a mess but on the upside, no one goes near the back of my car. No tailgating since.

I've seen two cars now with signs on the back:

Black box fitted: will not exceed speed limit

I wonder what the morons that speed make of that ?

@Knowmydisrespect

You were perfectly correct in what you did. You made it clear you needed to get past and the idiots in front of you were completely clueless.

What kind of selfish twats stop on the road to take photographs, blocking it so that no-one can get past? Nasty, thoughtless people who deserved to know what problems they caused with their behaviour.

I have also noted a lot of drivers driving too slowly as they are on their mobile phones.

I could pick out the pp here who probably think they’re being nice and stop on main roads to let cars out side roads; oblivious to the cars behind them 🙄

I let cars out of side roads. You do so when the conditions are right to do so.

The person in front of Knowmydisrespect was an absolute twat. He/she was lucky they weren’t behind some meathead numpty that day or they could have been a lot worse of than someone having a word with them.

I could pick out the pp here who probably think they’re being nice and stop on main roads to let cars out side roads; oblivious to the cars behind them

That's a tricky one ... if there is a stream of traffic behind you (only drivers who use their mirrors would know, of course) then you know that a car waiting to join the road might have to wait a long while ... which might justify slowing. On the other hand, if the road behind is clear there's no point in slowing down - the car can join afterwards.

That said, it's a lot easier to slow a tad and allow a car to join when you are keeping at the correct stopping distance - if not a bit more. However you then have the problem where the driver of the waiting car is daydreaming and doesn't see you slowing for them ....

If the traffic is slowing down or stopping I let one car out/in if not I don’t.

I don't speed and my daily experience is usually that I get stuck behind someone who never gets anywhere near the limit on my journey into work - it's largely country roads and often they brake when something comes the other way, but there is plenty of room, they seem oblivious about changing gear so will have no power when going uphill, etc. On the way home, the last mile and a half is an A road where the limit drops to 30 after a stretch of dual carriageway. I am frequently tailgated and often get overtaken by other drivers doing 50+ if there is nothing coming the other way. It's a residential area and there are vehicle operated warning signs, but it makes no difference.

There are traffic lights on lots of main roads near me. When you can see cars are actually stopped a bit in front of you, it makes sense to let cars out of side roads. It makes no difference to how fast cars behind will get somewhere. The only problem is if drivers are not paying attention.

@DGRossetti
There’s nothing tricky about it, only do it if sitting in a non moving line. These twats that slam the brakes on to wave somebody out are dangerous, there’s no need at all, they can wait until a break in traffic.

There’s nothing tricky about it, only do it if sitting in a non moving line. These twats that slam the brakes on to wave somebody out are dangerous, there’s no need at all, they can wait until a break in traffic.

I agree twats. Which isn't what I was describing. There are plenty of times with a long clear stretch of road, and me keeping at at least the minimum stopping distance; where it's possible to dip the gas slightly, to slow down for a car to exit a side road.

There's also plenty of times where it's not possible.

I know one thing though. No matter how hard you try, it's impossible to overtake a car doing 30mph in a 30 mph without breaking the speed limit. No matter how long you take over it. Which is admittedly a slightly different scenario/gripe ....

running in new(ish) car because you have to get used to it?

I was having a moan about this yesterday. Nobody, but nobody seems to drive to the speed limit where I live, except the odd boy racer going everywhere at 85mph and negotiating roundabouts on two wheels.

To the person in front of me turning into the road to get to the railway station car park yesterday, you really didn't have to drop your speed to 10/15mph the whole way down a 30mph road.

And as for people slamming their brakes on to let people in, I even had someone in front of me do that on a roundabout the other day.

Been driving for nearly 12 years, I've yet to understand this. I assume they are the same people who scream at shop assistants and can't understand simple instructions. In other words, idiots.

@bookworm4 No it does not have to be in a non moving line, you are wrong.

Some people are oblivious to the fact there is a world outside their bubble.

I used to live rurally and there were lots of twisty roads. National speed limit but nobody would do that because it's silly. 40-50mph was totally safe. I'd regularly get stuck behind people slamming their brakes on at 30mph because there's a corner and then to make matters worse on the occasional stretch where it is safe to overtake they would speed up to 50 and prevent anyone overtaking. They just want to pootle along in their own little world.

It's the same group of people who stop at a red light when there is a filter lane, the people who drive up to an empty roundabout and stop, parrot smugly that the limit is a limit not a target (as they drive at 33mph in a 40 zone that's perfectly clear and safe to be driven at 40).

I'm sure they pride themselves on being oh so careful, but what they actually do is form a hazard and/or source of irritation for everyone else.

I know this has probably been said by a million other posters, but for sure, there are country roads near me where it's bloody dangerous to go up to 60mph (though that is the limit there). Merging into single tracks in some areas you can get into a head-on collision. Even going 40 is a bit dangerous on those sections. Not all country roads are the same...

There are some which are fine to go at 60mph at. Clear visibility, two clear sides to the road, unlikely to have animals (or people) crossing, and wide enough for lorries/farm vehicles plus a car. No hair pin bends. No massive high hedges or trees blocking the view around the corners.

Some of the others have all of the above. And if it's raining or autumn/winter, it's often foggy in those parts. When it's foggy on the ground, and you can barely see 2 metres, you can bet I'll be going under 30mph on those dodgy bends.

Just because someone hasn't come out and put a signpost for you, if you are competent enough to observe your surroundings and react appropriately, you would bloody slow down in these circumstances!

@pigsDOfly There's a difference between 'having a moan' and sounding your horn, flashing your lights, tailgating and getting out to confront someone.

Yes there are roads near me that I wouldn't drive to the speed limit because of the rural conditions, but on a duel carriageway people driving at 40 is annoying a unnecessary.

LifeofClimb
I think most people are capable of reading the road in front of them.

I've not seen anyone on here saying you must drive at 60 regardless of conditions.

The vast majority of people who are irritatingly slow are irritating to most people because most people read the road sensibly and can tell when someone is being ridiculous.

To the person in front of me turning into the road to get to the railway station car park yesterday, you really didn't have to drop your speed to 10/15mph the whole way down a 30mph road.

Unless you could see exactly what they saw, you can't really grumble. Maybe someone was crossing. Maybe someone had dropped something and bent down to pick it up where you couldn't see them. If you were in that much of a hurry, you should have put your blue lights and siren on.

And as for people slamming their brakes on to let people in, I even had someone in front of me do that on a roundabout the other day.

Unless you are following closer than the appropriate stopping distance, I can't see how the car in front stopping is really a problem for you ? Again, you may not see what they did.

@Nesssie. No I wouldn't do any of those things. That sort of behaviour is never acceptable.

I tend to assume people driving slowly just don't know where they're going and let them get on with their annoying driving.

And then I just had a moan to my DD when I picked her up from the station.