To drive at the speed limit

[Mamboitaliano]

OK I know in theory I'm not being unreasonable not to break the law - but why do I feel like I'm the only one then?

I drive to work along a dual carriageway. It's a clearly signposted 60mph road. The traffic in the left lane drives at 60. The traffic in the right lane drives at 70+ There's a roundabout where I have to turn off this road, taking the third exit (right), so I move into the right lane and drive at 60. Because it's the speed limit. But almost always, someone charges right up behind me and then drives intimidatingly close to the back of my car. I really really hate it. I feel like I'm being bullied each time, and I also feel very uncomfortable with having drivers so close to the back of my car. If I had to brake they'd go right into the back of me.

Am I just boring and nobody actually drives at the speed limit? Am I being unreasonable driving at the speed limit and annoying all the other drivers on their way to work?

YABU = You don't need to drive at 60.
YANBU = You should drive at the speed limit

Have a think for a minute about new/young drivers with driving monitors who don't want to go over the limit. Is it okay to put these inexperienced people under pressure by riding up their arses when they are likely to be the people least able to cope with an accident? What if it was your child driving

You see, this is the reason I thought P plates were a good idea because I thought they meant people would give you a bit of space and patience.

But most people I speak to say they're a bad idea because people decide to bully you.

There must be something wrong about the way we teach people to drive and road safety generally if people think bullying on the roads is fine, especially when they have a bigger or more expensive car.

It's a bit of a thread drift, sorry.

Singletomingle I took your advice. It appears that I was incorrect a dual carriageway has a central reservation. Regardless of whether it has a barrier or just a grass central reservation it is a dual carriageway.

From the highway code:

cologne I've seen people bullying learner drivers never mind P plates. On that basis my two only used them a couple of times for when they were travelling on a steep gradient single track road. It was so people might give them the benefit of allowing them to continue up rather than expecting them to reverse back to a passing place. In his usual style, DS2 managed to lose one of them on the journey and that was that for P plates.

Why did you bother to post if you “know” YANBU?

Lane hogs are fucking dire.

I guess I was waiting for someone to give me a good reason why people a) break the speed limit and b) intentionally intimidate people driving correctly because you want to break the speed limit. I'm still waiting.

I hadn't thought that about young/inexperienced drivers @WaxOnFeckOff - you're absolutely right. They could try to cut back into the left in an inappropriate gap, or they could speed up and get points (or actually, don't they lose their licence if they get points and are a new driver?) or they could be so focused on the person behind trying to intimidate them that they don't concentrate properly on what's up ahead.

Funny, I’ve just commented that I was 5he slowest car on the motorway tonight. I was doing 70 in the inside lane and was being overtaken by every kind of car.
(Oh, and I am an Audi TT driver, so could easily be doing 120 down the outside if I chose to )

Yanbu, i have a 50 mile commute to work on a 60mph road, i try to stick to this speed as it can be a dangerous road but I get dickheads up my arse all the time, so I just drive slower. I detest tailgaters. But it also bugs me when you get folk driving at 35/40mph for no apparent reason.

I guess I was waiting for someone to give me a good reason why people a) break the speed limit and b) intentionally intimidate people driving correctly because you want to break the speed limit. I'm still waiting.

a) Didn’t a poster right at the start say they were trying to get to a medical emergency and so needed to break the speed limit? I think that is as good a reason as any.

b) I think you’re on a really bad stretch of road as I may have someone intimidate me once every few months, but the way you’re throwing this around it’s every day. Think about it, if it’s all of the time, have you actually considered the possibility your driving could be contributing to them doing this?

I have some questions of my own.

1. How far before the roundabout do you move into the right lane?
2. Is the roundabout clearly signposted in ample time?
3. Is the traffic in the left lane always going at 60mph before you indicate?

I think that if you’re moving over into the right lane, aware that traffic is moving at 70mph around half a mile before the junction, I can picture how it goes. The traffic is flowing, you’re in the inside lane doing 50/55, you indicate, wait for a safe space to move over. Quickly because you don’t adjust your speed quick enough up to 60mph the car catches you up very quickly - in fact they’re startled as they are keeping up with traffic. You class it as tailgating and threatening but the other driver is trying to drive without interruption of speed. I don’t for a second believe this happens today, it’s probably happened a couple of times and now every driver is the demon for doing 10mph (or 7mph depending on your speedometer) over the limit.

I would also love to know the road so I could look at conditions and see the signs and approach.

I have just driven 150 miles up the A1 today, and most of the traffic was overtaking me - apart from lorries, and I was probably averaging low 70s mph.

I would also love to know the road so I could look at conditions and see the signs and approach.

I asked. The OP can’t be arsed.

I guess I was waiting for someone to give me a good reason why people a) break the speed limit

1. being intimidated, as you point out
2. being human, not realising I've drifted over the limit when so many other road things to monitor
3. I don't want to stay driving super slow under limit for miles b/c not safe to stay under speed limit while overtaking; only safe way to overtake involves exceeding speed limit.

I have people aggressively on my tail & exploding to overtake at first opportunity often b/c they are arses. I think they'd be less on my tail and aggressive in their overtake maneuvers if I were speeding. But I'm not PERFECT. I will fail to keep to limit sometimes no matter how hard I try to keep to it. So in spite of keeping to limit myself, I'm feeling more affinity with the speeders on this thread. The Imperfect are my tribe.

Probably because it is a 70mph limit.

I’ve never in my life seen a dual carriageway/motorway that is a 60mph limit unless it’s got roadworks or is a smart motorway.

I genuinely think the OP must be doing something wrong as there is no way every day can be such a hard slog of a commute, it’s not the same person behind OP every day so a lot of people appear to be frustrated with her driving...

Well if they get caught, they pay the fine and get points on their licence 👍👍

I’ve never in my life seen a dual carriageway/motorway that is a 60mph limit unless it’s got roadworks or is a smart motorway.

There are loads
The A184 into Newcastle is 50mph. I know becasue I drove along it today. The Western bypass around Newcastle is actually three lanes each side of the central reservation and has a 50 mph limit. I know because I drove along it today.

The A636 into Wakefield is 50 mph, then goes down to 30 mph, or was the last time I drove along it.

You need to get out more.

@58TheTruthAboutLove you really need some education!

A 'dual carriageway' is only 70mph if it has a central reservation/ blockage. If you could roll a football from one side of a 'dual carriageway' to the other without hitting an obstruction, then it is 60 mph.

Get educated ffs. Its people like you making the OPs joirney so much more stressful

You are wrong.

You should drive to your abilities and the road conditions. If you are only happy at sixty then fine, don’t be bullied. Equally if you have a P plate and want to drive at 40, that’s fine too.
If I find myself on a wide dry empty road at 6am, I am not above a bit of speeding but not when there are nervous drivers, cyclists etc or if the roads are wet/icy.
However, if your motivation is to inflict your views on speed on other (stressed) drivers, then I think you are quite unwise. Try to put yourself in other people’s shoes. You are not a traffic officer and you could be putting yourself at risk.

Young, inexperienced drivers have a lot more road sense than many of the posters here.

Probably because it is a 70mph limit.

Why do you think the Highway department was it up repeated signs with 60 on them then? Just for a laugh?

The dual carriageway nearest me has a 50mph limit.

And you are also wrong grisley (but more right than the poster you are correcting...). The speed of a dual carriageway can be 70, or any other speed indicated. I travel on one that has two lanes, a central reservation with barrier and the speed limit is 50 for most of it and 30 at either end where there is a roundabout.

Bloody hell @TheTruthAboutLove. If there are signs saying 60 it's a 60.

OP explained that it's reduced to 50 further along and the reasons why. Why would she lie about road signs?

• A 'dual carriageway' is only 70mph if it has a central reservation/ blockage. If you could roll a football from one side of a 'dual carriageway' to the other without hitting an obstruction, then it is 60 mph.

Get educated ffs. Its people like you making the OPs joirney so much more stressful

You are wrong.*

I was just about to come on here and say I was totally wrong about the 60mph thing. But who the hell do you think you are to tell me to get educated? It was a genuine error but if it makes you feel better to get one over and be petulant to someone online in a display of superior knowledge, carry on!

I’m trying to picture the type of scenario the OP describes and I’m really struggling. If you’re on an approach to a roundabout, cars would be slowing down as it’s natural and safe to do so, and I’d imagine sitting in a queue of traffic. The only explanation possible is the OP pulling in too early and disrupting the flow, rightly or wrongly, of faster traffic. I don’t think it’s tailgating either, I just think it’s genuinely cars who were going faster without realising having to slow down because of the OP’s speed.

How about just being a reasonable human being, not breaking the law and leaving earlier if you are always in such a fucking hurry?

Agree. Driving over the speed limit and impatiently being up someones backside and flashing is awful road behaviour. Its bullying and stupid and most importantly its dangerous.

Yanbu, i have a 50 mile commute to work on a 60mph road, i try to stick to this speed as it can be a dangerous road but I get dickheads up my arse all the time, so I just drive slower. I detest tailgaters. But it also bugs me when you get folk driving at 35/40mph for no apparent reason

So, to summarise, everyone who drives faster or slower than you is a dick?

@thedancingbear I'll get on board with that.

In fact, anyone who's driving faster, slower, in the lane I want to be in, on the main road I want to pull on to or wants to turn into a side road so I have to stop and wait is a dick

Also, forgot to say, its quite bemusing when you get someone insisting on overtaking you very, very aggressively and they zoom off only for you to pull up right behind them at the next roundabout. So, all that aggression and impatience wasnt even worth it. Stupid morons.