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Original poster

To ask what speed on a dual carriageway....

241 replies

WannaStay · 19/01/2020 06:07

Hi all,

I want to ask you, what speed do you do down a dual carriageway that is NSL? I mean you personally.

I know the limit is 70mph.

I do stick to 70, because it was drilled into me by my dad. I am sure I have broke the speed limit at some point in my driving life, if only briefly, think we all have.

But back to it. What speed do you do? Also what speed do you think is acceptable max? My DH does 80 and thinks most do so. Confused

Also I am asking what speed your speedometer says. I know they are out some what but just to keep it simple, for me lol. Grin

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 19/01/2020 11:07

I do wonder how safe it is for all these drivers to be fiddling about changing their speed limiters.

TabbyMumz · 19/01/2020 11:07

TabbyMumz

"You will get stopped by police driving too slow and you will also fail your test. So no, it’s not safer"
53 is not too slow. They will not stop you for 53. A lot of dual carriageway have a speed limit of 50 and have average speed cameras up now, and a lot if trucks and caravans are limited to 50.

lollybee1 · 19/01/2020 11:08

Plenty of lorries do 50 and are tagged as speed limited so are they all wrong too?

Biker47 · 19/01/2020 11:08

It already is an offence, just has no-one to enforce it.

PhilCornwall1 · 19/01/2020 11:08

You will get stopped by police driving too slow and you will also fail your test. So no, it’s not safer

You'll be stopped by the Police for doing just over 50 on a dual carriageway?

Whoremione · 19/01/2020 11:08

No. I'm not stupid, I'm just giving an honest answer to the question. Clearly most people here aren't being honest, because on any given day, if the roads are fairly clear, people going over 70 outnumber people going under by a vast majority. Or maybe this kind of question brings out the kind of people who love to follow the rules. I imagine they were the same people who asked the teacher for more homework in school.

Biker47 · 19/01/2020 11:08

In reply to middle lane hogging statement.

JohnVirgo · 19/01/2020 11:08

Middle lane hogging needs to become an offence.

It is.

MrsStrangerThing · 19/01/2020 11:10

It really just depends on the weather conditions and how heavy the traffic is. There really isn't a one size fits all answer here! I do try and not go over 70ish on the speedo, and even then that would only be for when the conditions are excellent. I try hard to not exceed the speed limit, but as you say op, I am sure most of us have on occasion.

TabbyMumz · 19/01/2020 11:11

"TabbyMumzand that car should be in the inside lane, not the middle lane. Regrettably it is safer to get past quickly particularly when a twit zooms up behind one's bumper doing 85!"
No. The middle lane is an overtaking lane, if there is someone doing less than you in the left hand lane, you can legally overtake at 68. 68 is 2 mph off 70. If someone is in the middle lane at 68, you can overtake in the right hand lane, but not go over 70, because the limit is 70. Its ridiculous to say doing 68 you shouldn't be in the middle lane.

SoupDragon · 19/01/2020 11:14

if there is someone doing less than you in the left hand lane, you can legally overtake at 68

Yes. What you can't do though is "tootle along at 68" in the middle Lane which is what the post said. "Tootling along" is not overtaking.

JosefKeller · 19/01/2020 11:14

depends on the dual carriageway and the weather Hmm

If anyone maintains the same speed at all time, by any weather, on any dual carriageway they should go back to driving schools.

Cooper88 · 19/01/2020 11:14

Between 60 & 70 by my Speedo. Depends on my mood, who's in the car, what music is on and obviously the weather conditions. I never go by my GPS speed and have occasionally slipped over 70. I look forward to the day I can afford a newer car that has a limiter function 🤷

Orangeshark · 19/01/2020 11:15

I will do 70-80 usually. But it's impossible to say as it's entirely depended on the road/traffic/conditions. I could be going 40 if conditions are really poor.

The number of cars however who cut me up, can't merge, middle lane hog etc. These are much more likely to cause accidents because I really dont think they know how to drive. Even here the lack of knowledge of dual carriageways is quite worrying. If you don't understand basic rules of the road how can you let yourself get behind the wheel of a vehicle?

SpiderHunter · 19/01/2020 11:16

Very large vehicles are limited to 56mph. Nobody is going to get stopped for driving at that speed. Anyone unable to account for vehicles going at approximately that speed on a motorway simply shouldn't be driving.

I drive fast(ish) on motorways - usually 75 if the conditional allow, have occasionally drifted up to 80. But you still need to be able to cope with slow vehicles (such as lorries) and those overtaking the slow vehicles in the middle lane who are sticking to the legal limit.

SpiderHunter · 19/01/2020 11:18

"Tootling along" is not overtaking.

Maybe roads are quieter where you live, but round here there are lots of lorries so often the middle lane is full of folk doing 65-70 for long distances as they overtake one lorry after another. They are most certainly tootling along and overtaking at the same time.

TabbyMumz · 19/01/2020 11:19

Honestly, life is weird. If you dont breastfeed or wean your babies too early you are the scum of the earth apparently, but it's ok if you drive at 80mph and potentially kill and maim loads if people!!!

PhilCornwall1 · 19/01/2020 11:20

I look forward to the day I can afford a newer car that has a limiter function 🤷

My wife didn't on her car when it was new. I put it on by accident and she had to go to an office quite a distance away, she didn't know there was a limiter on the car. I think it was set to something like 40 and funnily enough she was on a dual carriageway. She was cursing me after she found out what was wrong, didn't help I laughed Grin

Orangeshark · 19/01/2020 11:21

If they are tootling along that means they are sitting in the middle lane. I.e. not overtaking. If they are obviously overtaking I'm not calling them a middle lane hogger

Of course you can overtake at 68 but you then move back to the left.

DGRossetti · 19/01/2020 11:23

I do wonder how safe it is for all these drivers to be fiddling about changing their speed limiters.

I think the ratio of

accidents caused by changing limiters vs. accidents caused by speed

is so low as to be negligible.

A bit like

prosecutions for driving too slow vs. prosecutions to speeding,

really. Total red herring.

Last Ford I drove changed the limiter automatically as well ....

2020BetterBeBetter · 19/01/2020 11:23

Erm, it's only a dual carriageway if there is a central barrier between the lanes 

An intentionally grown patch of grass will do; it just needs to be a physical separation.

NSL varies as well depending upon what vehicle you are in. The limit could be 70 for a car but 60 for a van.

Orangeshark · 19/01/2020 11:24

Also I really hate people who speed up to overtake and then slow down again when they move over to the inside lane

Drive at a fairly consistent speed ffs. Then I get stuck behind you because I think you want to travel at the same speed as me, and suddenly your're doing 60

If you lane change with plenty of time you aren't making anyone slam on their brakes by overtaking at the speed you want to travel. It's not dangerous.

Mischance · 19/01/2020 11:25

Is it virtue signalling to say that you do not shoplift? No.

Is it virtue signalling to say that you keep to speed limits? No

Both involve keeping the law.

I really do think that if some of you who regard breaking the law as being acceptable were to spend a day in A & E you might get the picture. But - I guess these things will never happen to you.........

Why? - just why? Why do you need to exceed the limit? What are you hoping to gain? Does moving fast have some intrinsic merit? Does it make you feel good? Is getting somewhere a few minutes earlier worth the risk of wrecking someone's life?

I agree with a previous poster who said that she cannot understand why people might break the speed limit to overtake her and then she finds herself sitting beside that person at the next set of traffic lights. What is the point? Really, what is the point?

I can understand that it is a macho thing with some immature men; a bit of penis-waving. But it is quite simply illegal. So don't do it. Easy. End of.

Retroflex · 19/01/2020 11:27

@biker47 I do know how to drive, but it seems that you lack some writing skills, as its only now that you've mentioned it is a "flyover" when it was a "roundabout" previously.

Where I am, dual carriageways often go down to one lane, and there are signs to remind you of the speed limit. Perhaps you should pay attention to them...

PhilCornwall1 · 19/01/2020 11:33

I do wonder how safe it is for all these drivers to be fiddling about changing their speed limiters.

Depending on the car, you don't need to. If I switch mine on it does it automatically. The car is a clever little fucker and can read the speed signs and if the limiter is on sets the upper limit accordingly. If there are no speed signs it tries to get the info from the sat nav. If I can't do that, then the limit is what I've set the upper limit to.

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