To wonder who all these people are, speeding?

[justonanote]

Or more to the point, how they think they can get away with it, or clearly do all the time?

I do a lot of motorway driving and I see so many cars doing over 80!

See also dual carriageways near me. People do 80+!

I'll be in a lane sometimes doing 70 and I have cars behind flashing at me to speed up

My question is do people not get done very much for speeding? I wouldn't really think to speed anyway but surely the strong possibility of a fine or more is a deterrent? Do people just not care?

I think it's likely that as petrol prices continue to go up, people will start to slow down and drive more economically.

@Blossomtoes

How anyone can say tailgaters at 80 are less dangerous than people going at 70 in the middle lane just baffles me

Nobody did.

Lots of people are saying the most dangerous drivers are lane hoggers in the middle lane, so the inference is there.

The point is there are at least as many people doing 80 at a lot less than stopping distance than there are lane hoggers. Lane hoggers are not in and of themselves dangerous, it's just people's reactions to them.

If someone has an accident at 80 miles an hour and the people behind haven't left the stopping distance between them, then they will also be involved. It's simple physics and nothing to do with people being experienced, reading the road, knowing the conditions or any other bullshit.

And I'm not saying people should lane hog. It's irritating. But not dangerous in itself, unlike driving well within the stopping distance and flashing people without giving them time to safely change lanes.

@Bramshott

I think it's likely that as petrol prices continue to go up, people will start to slow down and drive more economically.

Not really.

I regularly drive at 80-90 when using the M40, which doesn't have speed cameras. I deliberately choose it over the M1, partly for that reason and also because it's less busy so an easier drive overall.

I also drive at similar speed on the M54, although being a 2 lane motorway you tend to get stuck behind people doing 69mph attempting to overtake cars in the other lane doing 67mph...

Never do more than 70-75 on the M25 (or whatever temporary speed limit has been applied due to the proliferation of speed cameras.

I find people being in the wrong lane very irritating. On my last trip down the M40 - I'd say 5% of vehicles were in the nearside lane, 35% in the middle lane, and 60% in the outside ('fast') lane. In the empty nearside lane doing nearly 80, I was going faster than both other lanes, none of them even attempted to move over.

@Grenlei - not sure if you're aware but that's undertaking which is a) illegal and b) incredibly dangerous.

I'm only undertaking if I then cut back in front of those cars.

The point is they should not be in the middle lane if the nearside lane is empty. You should always be in the nearside lane unless overtaking. If the lane is empty, they're not overtaking anyone!

[quote StepAwayFromGoogling]@Grenlei - not sure if you're aware but that's undertaking which is a) illegal and b) incredibly dangerous.[/quote]
That was a question on my driving test ... When are you allowed to pass a moving cars left hand side ?

3 cases ...

You should always be in the nearside lane unless overtaking.

I'm never in the nearside lane on a Smart motorway.

@Grenlei

I regularly drive at 80-90 when using the M40, which doesn't have speed cameras. I deliberately choose it over the M1, partly for that reason and also because it's less busy so an easier drive overall.

I also drive at similar speed on the M54, although being a 2 lane motorway you tend to get stuck behind people doing 69mph attempting to overtake cars in the other lane doing 67mph...

Never do more than 70-75 on the M25 (or whatever temporary speed limit has been applied due to the proliferation of speed cameras.

I find people being in the wrong lane very irritating. On my last trip down the M40 - I'd say 5% of vehicles were in the nearside lane, 35% in the middle lane, and 60% in the outside ('fast') lane. In the empty nearside lane doing nearly 80, I was going faster than both other lanes, none of them even attempted to move over.

But should you be doing 80-90 in the first place?

@Grenlei You sound like an accident waiting to happen.

The big problem with going past vehicles on the inner lanes, is the vehicles you are passing may well decide to move into the lane to their left... where you are, especially as the m/way is fairly congested and you are doing 80, they don't expect you to be there!

I know the M40 very well and its often closed due to hi speed accidents, perhaps you caused or were involved in some?

I've never caused or been involved in an accident thankfully.

One of the fundamentals of motorway driving which seems to be ignored by most people is you should be in the nearside lane unless you're overtaking (and once you've overtaken, you flow back again to the left). The nearside lane should never be empty on that basis, but it is because lazy twats sit in the middle lane doing 65.

If they were correctly in the inside lane, I'd be passing them in the middle lane, everyone's happy. And tbh that's how it often is - or the middle laners are doing 70ish and I'm passing them on the outside lane going slightly faster.

They're right though. I do a lot of motorway driving and have never been flashed at unless I was in the wrong lane. 70 drivers pootling along in the middle lane is irritating as fuck. Its an overtaking lane. Get up to speed or get over!

If I want to drive slower than the flow of traffic, I need to be keeping left unless overtaking. Otherwise people are going to get frustrated and start undertaking me and no one expects to be passed on the left. It's more dangerous than just speeding up with the other traffic.

I do a lot of motorway driving too. Prob around 300 miles/ week I’ve been flashed to move over by aggressive drivers who come up really close at speed.

@Billandben444

You should always be in the nearside lane unless overtaking.

I'm never in the nearside lane on a Smart motorway.

Same. I try to avoid being in this lane. It’s dangerous imo. I’ve broken down on the motorway before- thankfully there was a hard shoulder and even then it was frightening. Now that stretch of road is a smart motorway and if my car cut out like it did I wouldn’t have chance to make it to a refuge area.

@DGRossetti

Cameras on the gantry’s do their job.

And (on motorways) are increasingly using average speeds. When they were fitting smart motorways around Brum there was a 50mph temporary speed limit enforced by average speed cameras. Seemed very effective - everyone slowed down (or had to) entering them.

🤣🤣🤣

Only one change.

I went through about 15 between the Dartford crossing and the M11 junction.

OnceAgainWithFeeling

We were living in Lincolnshire last year and there were several signs announcing the number of deaths on the roads in Lincolnshire.

As I drove around I really did think I was taking my life in my hands.
The speed people went at was ridiculous.

The week after we moved we heard of another fatal crash.

The dual carriageways are lethal.

I’ve averaged 20k miles a year for 20 years. Say half on motorways. The majority at 80+. So let’s say 160k motorway miles at more than 70. And zero accidents

The one accident I have had was at relatively slow speed a narrow lane (another driver decided to ignore road priorities and tried to squeeze through a too small gap and hit my wing mirror

Firstly 20,000 miles per year isn’t exactly a great deal. Less than 400 miles per week.
I did 400 miles today alone.
I probably do 50k per year at least.

Secondly you can’t say you have zero accidents and then say in the next sentence, the one accident I have had
You have had either no accidents if one accident

My question is what makes you think you are entitled to break the law.
Why do you need to speed.

My question is what makes you think you are entitled to break the law.
Why do you need to speed.

Driving laws & rules don’t apply to them - only apply to other people. Like giving priority, they expect other to follow the rules but they don’t have to.

@ivykaty44

*My question is what makes you think you are entitled to break the law. Why do you need to speed.*

Driving laws & rules don’t apply to them - only apply to other people. Like giving priority, they expect other to follow the rules but they don’t have to.

Not sure what makes you think that there are other driving rules I ignore with gay abandon. I’m actually a bit of a stickler for the rest including being in the right lane, indicating at roundabouts, parking considerately, giving way etc.

I don’t speed in 20, 30, 40 or 50 zones.

I do exceed 70 on motorways when it is safe to do so. (Most of my miles are done at night when there is little traffic on the road.)

Why? Because there are few pleasures in driving nowadays and I’ve a sporty car that handles well at speed. I balance the risks at the time. If it’s not safe I don’t do it. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Firstly 20,000 miles per year isn’t exactly a great deal. Less than 400 miles per week.
I did 400 miles today alone.
I probably do 50k per year at least.

It’s not a pissing competition. I said I’d averaged 20k. Sometimes more, sometimes less. The average is 10-12k so I’m averaging up to twice what is “normal”.

Secondly you can’t say you have zero accidents and then say in the next sentence, the one accident I have had
You have had either no accidents if one accident

Try again. I’ve had zero accidents on the motorway. (The paragraph was about the motorway miles. )

My question is what makes you think you are entitled to break the law.
Why do you need to speed.

See above. I don’t drink or smoke and driving is something I try to enjoy. I think motorway speed limits should be higher given the improvements in car safety (and I also think driver standards need to improve generally - look how many middle lane hoggers there are on this thread alone).

On a dry, empty motorway at night I’ll not stick at 70. I judge the risks at the time. If I get caught I’ll take the rap. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[quote StepAwayFromGoogling]@Grenlei - not sure if you're aware but that's undertaking which is a) illegal and b) incredibly dangerous.[/quote]
Undertaking is NOT illegal (although it can be classified as dangerous driving).

www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/legal/undertaking/#:~:text='Undertaking'%20is%20the%20practice%20of,deemed%20to%20be%20careless%20driving.

@Billandben444

You should always be in the nearside lane unless overtaking.

I'm never in the nearside lane on a Smart motorway.

Same. I try to avoid being in this lane. It’s dangerous imo.

It's dangerous because it's not used properly so people speed down it undertaking.

If you use it properly you'd have plenty of time to see a hazard and slow down and change lanes.

Deaths on UK country roads are 10 times those on motorways. There are many factors that influence these statistics.

I drive as per the road conditions. This occasionally means I drive nearer to 80 on a motorway, but also at 20 in a 60.

I have a Road Angel - I can’t speed as she squawks at me in a very annoying voice to slow down even if I go 1 mile over the speed limit
The more miles I go over the squawking gets more & more hysterical 😂
Its very good though as it warns me of mobile camera hot spots, bus lanes and black spots
Wouldn’t drive without it

Do you use lanes correctly on motorways? Do you keep left unless you're overtaking? If you're getting cars flashing you a lot it sounds like you're lane hogging which is dangerous and a huge problem.

I am not a driver, but when I was young I was told drive to the speed of the drivers around you.
I now live next to a motorway with cameras everywhere and variable speed limits. Often 40 for no apparent reason. I look forwards to the people who disregard these speed limits getting a letter when they get home.

@ivykaty44

It's none of your business what other people drive. Just stay out of my way! I regularly drive at 80+

It is my business if your putting my relatives in danger by your law breaking - what a fucking attitude

This.

I cannot stand entitled fuckwits who make up their own rules despite knowing the law, then tell other people to stay out of their way.

If you cannot abide the laws of the road, don't fucking drive. The rules are there for a reason and we'd all be safer without wankers like you speeding excessively thanks.