Country road etiquette. Am I doing it wrong?

[JensonsAcolyte]

I have a new twice daily commute which is mainly country roads. Very twisty and windy, most of it is wide enough for two cars to pass but not all. Lots of up and down hills as well.

I’ve done the journey three times now. It’s 40mph until it hits the two villages then it’s 30.

Every single time I’ve had a car right up my arse for nearly the whole way. I’m starting to think it’s me.

So I drive at 40 along the straight bits with good visibility ahead. I brake coming into sharp turns and then accelerate coming out. I slow right down if I think I’m going to struggle with the gap with an oncoming car. I sometimes have to tap the brakes on a downward steep hill to stay at 40. I slow down to 30 approaching the village.

Every single time I slow down, the car behind pushes right up to me. It was a big white van this morning and yesterday morning (thinking about it, it could be the same guy) and an Audi SUV thing yesterday evening. The Audi overtook me when we got to the dual carriageway and GLARED at me. I’m in a mint green fiat 500, girly little car which I think is half the issue.

Am I being over cautious? Do I need to just thunder round the lanes at a steady 40?

If you are the sort of driver who would be pissed off with me can you explain why?

It’s not you, yanbu. I live in a tiny village in the sticks and there’s a weird sort of arrogance in some locals that they know the roads so well that they can speed and still know what they’re doing, pillocks. Keep to a safe speed - better that and someone getting annoyed behind you, than for you to end up in, or causing, an accident.

Are you a new driver?
If it happens every single time then yes I’d be questioning whether your driving is appropriate to the road conditions. Particularly the amount of breaking. If it happens sometimes only then I’d say it’s likely the other drivers being twats. There are lots of bad drivers around, sometimes it’s speeding, but can also be hesitancy, unnecessarily hard breaking etc. If you’re a new driver might be worth putting ‘p’ plates on to warn people

I have to say I groaned when a van turned up behind me this afternoon but he was an absolute gent, kept a proper distance, I didn’t feel pushed or rushed.

The upshot was I was much easier on the brakes and more confident round the corners because I was less worried that I’d be rammed up the arse if I had to do an emergency stop. Who’d a thunk?

That would annoy me so much I would slow down on purpose, or stop with the indicator on, so they can go passed. My husband tends to speed up and worry about what the person behind thinks which really annoys me as well. Why put yourself at risk for some twat that should have left earlier.

I used to drive rural (sometimes one lane) country roads to work every single day. I pulled over if someone was driving up my arse, or if I felt pressure from other drivers.

I felt much safer having them as far away from me as possible! I don't see the purpose in continuing on knowing you have a load of cars up your backside. Pulling over is far safer for everyone concerned.

You get impatient a-holes everywhere. There are a few roads near me that are notorious for crashes, because people don't drive to the road conditions and potential hazards (horses, cattle, pedestrians, cyclists, narrow sections with oncoming lorries in the middle of the road) If people are sensible on them, they're fine to drive. Yet so many people are too impatient to slow down 10-15mph at tricky points.

It doesn't sound like you're doing anything wrong. I was driving at 20mph in Birmingham because it was one of their 20mph zones. The number of drivers who drove up my arse, zoomed past me as they overtook, beeping and gesturing. It did make me question myself until the 20mph VA signs flashed up 20mph as they sped past them.

I still do 20mph when I go to conferences there because that's the speed limit and I don't know whether it'll just be a flashing sign or a speed camera.

It reminds me you don't have to be doing anything wrong to piss other drivers off.

I've just got a £100 fine and 3 points for doing 36 in a 30 mph zone. I'm really really careful now and do 29 mph in this area, with people right up my bum, I can't risk more points.

I drive country roads every day, tiny twisty lanes and everything. I have grown up driving rurally. Unless you’re heavily/sharply breaking going into a corner, or you slow down to a stupid pace for passing someone then you’re fine.
It’s the small dick, big car syndrome at work.

I was driving a country road a couple of years ago. It was 60mph but I was on a really bendy bit so did 40mph.
Thank god I was going slowly! As I got round the bend, a car coming in the opposite direction was on my side of the road!! They'd taken the bend too quickly and we nearly had a head on collision.

I thought it was 60mph...

It's partly the small car. I get this in my car but not when I drive DHs which is bigger even though I drive the same in both.

Sounds like you’re doing nothing wrong.

But it’s safer to just let a-holes past you. So when you get to a bit where it’s be possible to overtake, let people past - it does sound like you speed up a fair bit whenever it’d be safe to overtake you, which will frustrate drivers behind.

I frequently drive a 7 mile stretch of road that is NSL, with 30 through villages. It is single track with passing places in some parts, but mainly has two narrow lanes. There are about 3 long stretches during which overtaking could be possible, but rarely is, because of oncoming traffic. Otherwise it is twisty and hilly. It’s in a beauty spot so there are buses, tractors, locals, horses, pheasants, sheep and tourists (who have no idea how wide their car is so drive in the middle of the road, or drive up my bumper with no regard to the fact we both won’t fit into one passing place if there’s a tractor oncoming).

It’s irritating to be stuck behind someone going 25-35mph the whole way, and who brakes for oncoming traffic when there’s no need, but I’ve never come close to running into the back of any of them because I keep a safe stopping distance away. There are many corners where 20mph is way too fast anyway — there are hedgerows and dry stone walls and poor visibility — regardless of the fact I know the road “like the back of my hand”.

OP you should maybe consider your driving style a bit as previously suggested. Keep your gear on the low side to let the engine slow you more quickly as you ease off instead of braking, which gives you more control in case you need to stop suddenly, and allows you to accelerate out of the bend. Otherwise, thank you for not driving like an idiot.

Doesn't sound like you're at fault at all, op! There are just a lot of impatient twats out there...

I too hate to drive on country road ..

So It's not you.. some people are always at a hurry. I normally tell myself maybe they have an emergency and give way as soon as it's safe to do so.

But don't feel intimidated, drive safe at good speed and let those who are in a hurry for whatever reason to pass..

You're doing nothing wrong, they are twats. I live in the country and can be doing 60 when I can on a (60 limit) road and STILL have someone up my backside. I usually stop to let them pass when I can.

Ha! I get drivers like this too, but I have every right to follow the speed limit. I know too many people who have been injured of caused injury, not to want to stay within what I feel I can do safely in my little car.

Rest assured, you will get a bit faster on the bends, once you know them, but safety has to come first. The highway code recommends slowing down when someone goes close up your back. Would serve them right if you did as well.

People who know country lane drive fast on them.

At the moment there is some really dangerous driving on the lanes where I am. People hurling through spaces where two cars can barely pass at 40.

I think it's an end of lockdown thing as I've seen lots of near misses recently.

Pull over and let them pass.

Once you know the roads well you'll get faster as you will know what's safe and what isn't.

I have a holiday house very rural, I often get other drivers behind me like this. I think it’s because the roads are unfamiliar to me but they know every twist and turn. I often wish I could drive around my home town, London, with them and watch them navigate Hyde Park Corner - see who is the more skilled driver then!
Just do what’s safe and sensible for you.

@TheNorthWind

No, they are twats. They think the road is empty because it's a country lane. And it probably mostly is, until it isn't and there's no visibility and no time to stop.

Absolute bellends.

This^

Look, at the moment you are pissed off, OP, and so are the poeple behind you.

I drive country roads all the time. I am very familiar with them. There are still people who want to drive faster than the speed limit and this faster than me. Fine, I'm not the Police, not my job to make them obey the law.

On the straights I slow down and let them past. If there's no straight coming up, I pull into a suitable place to let them past. They're happy cos they aren't being held up and I'm happy cos I'm free to enjoy my journey.

Just let people past.

Drive at the speed YOU feel comfortable at, but if you're really breaking hard into the corners, it can get frustrating so be steady with it and try and keep your speed consistent

As mentioned above just in case you mean the national speed limit sign (/) and not a 40 sign... the national speed limit on a single carriageway way would be 60 unless specified otherwise. I'm not saying you're wrong, just checking.