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AIBU?

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Original poster

To wonder who all these people are, speeding?

420 replies

justonanote · 03/04/2022 02:19

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 Shock

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?

OP posts:
girlmom21 · 03/04/2022 11:03

@MrOllivander

I admit I usually do 75mph. If I'm on a variable speed limit section though I set my cruise control and stick to that Always amazed when it's a 50mph bit with cameras and people are cruising past me at 70
Too many dumbarses don't understand the concept of average speed cameras!
spotcheck · 03/04/2022 11:05

@sst1234

Why are you driving in the outside lane? Sounds like your driving is the problem.
But that is the actual speed limit?

And as long as you are overtaking, rather than just cruising there- what is the problem?

DGRossetti · 03/04/2022 11:05

It's fine to do 70 in the overtaking lane as long as you're overtaking, and pull back in to the slow lane as soon as you get a sensible space.

"Sensible" is a weasel word like "reasonable".

DGRossetti · 03/04/2022 11:08

Always amazed when it's a 50mph bit with cameras and people are cruising past me at 70

I haven't seen that for years ... once a critical mass of cars is doing it, you have nowhere to go. Same for the 20 mph zones we're getting here. You may be able to barrell past one car doing 20. But not a line of 10 cars.

Can't recall the last time I was overtaken on the A456 30mph stretch in Brum either. (Might have something to do with the average speed cameras ????)

junglejane66 · 03/04/2022 11:20

@Popopopo

This is all making me wonder if there are any other laws it is ok to break that I'm not aware of
This one, Planks and pavements do not match If you want to carry a plank on the pavement in the UK then unfortunately you are out of luck. Since 1939, it has actually been illegal to carry planks along pavements – if you see any builders breaking this important law then be sure to reprimand them immediately.
BoredZelda · 03/04/2022 11:30

If you are sitting in the middle or outside lane doing 70 and people are flashing you, then you need to pull over more. The “I’m doing the speed limit” lane hoggers are also breaking the law.

BoredZelda · 03/04/2022 11:32

And as long as you are overtaking, rather than just cruising there- what is the problem?

There is no problem with that, but most often cars are pulling out way early to overtake, crawling past a 68mph car at 70 mph, then not pulling back in.

If cars are constantly flashing at you, fair to say your driving is likely the problem.

amylou8 · 03/04/2022 11:37

If you're sitting at 70 in the right hand lane proclaiming I'm doing the speed limit, you're being flashed to get out the effin way.

HeArInGhandsgirl11 · 03/04/2022 11:39

I always used to speed on the motorway, trying to save a few minutes. I then saw a horrific crash.

I now stick to the speed limit, and move over if I get flashed.

I have no problem with people doing 80mph on the motorway
. Just not for me anymore

Wherearemymarbles · 03/04/2022 12:02

I think 80 is pretty normal.
Virtually all car spedo’s over read by 2-3 mph so 80 is more like 77-78.
As for being stopped the threshold is around 10% plus 2mph assuming good conditions so you wont normally get a ticket doing 77 mph

Wherearemymarbles · 03/04/2022 12:06

Chances of being caught are low. I’ve only had 1 speeding ticket in 35 years of driving and i’d say 80 is normal for me and 90+ when there is no traffic

SuperSocks · 03/04/2022 12:08

I don't know, and I don't know how they don't get caught! I'm also terrified at how driving standards have dropped generally since the start of the pandemic. You used to have the odd scary moment, these days I feel relief to have got to work in one piece. People overtaking at speed and with no idea what's ahead, often on a blind corner, seems very popular at the moment. It's one thing to not care if you kill other people but how come so many are downright suicidal?! The other night I was coming home from work following the road around a bend, when a car shot across in front of me to the junction opposite. If I had been literally 2 seconds further along on my journey it would have ploughed into my driver's side and taken me out. I just do not get it.

Nidan2Sandan · 03/04/2022 12:10

@amylou8

If you're sitting at 70 in the right hand lane proclaiming I'm doing the speed limit, you're being flashed to get out the effin way.
But if I'm overtaking a slower vehicle, and I'm doing the speed limit the person flashing me is on the wrong and no, I do not need to get out the effin way.

I'll move back to the middle, and inside lanes as soon as it's safe to do so.

It's the kind if aggressive driver you appear to be, that causes accidents.

BlueThursday · 03/04/2022 12:22

I think if we were all honest with ourselves we’d admit there’s certain driving rules we’d break and ones we wouldn’t

I definitely do 80+ on a motorway as the breaking distances were set in the 60s and my car is far better than any back then

However, I won’t break 20s or 30s limits as this brings in pedestrians into play. I wont use my phone and I will always wear a seatbelt.

The amount of people using their phones while in the car scares me

NotFeelinikeIt · 03/04/2022 12:22

@ivykaty44

And if they crash whilst speeding, it’ll be called an accident & tragic loss of life if they kill someone in the process. No punishment & then they can repeat
This. There was a young guy local to me a few years ago who was driving 70 in a 30mph zone. Crashed and killed himself and very seriously injured his friend and left him disabled. The shrine for him is still there a few years later.
teaandtoastwithmarmite · 03/04/2022 12:23

@ICantRideABike I didn't mean on every single road obviously

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 03/04/2022 12:24

That's awful.

This. There was a young guy local to me a few years ago who was driving 70 in a 30mph zone. Crashed and killed himself and very seriously injured his friend and left him disabled. The shrine for him is still there a few years later.

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 03/04/2022 12:25

I agree with @BlueThursday the phone use scares me too

NotFeelinikeIt · 03/04/2022 12:28

I just pulled the news paper article up and he was actually doing 80mph. Tragic loss of life, but people are hailing him a hero and there has been no lesson about speed. I still regularly see people speeding along the road that accident was on and no speed camera have been installed or anything like that.

womaniswomaniswoman · 03/04/2022 12:29

@teaandtoastwithmarmite

That's awful.

This. There was a young guy local to me a few years ago who was driving 70 in a 30mph zone. Crashed and killed himself and very seriously injured his friend and left him disabled. The shrine for him is still there a few years later.

Well, it sounds like he died driving like an arsehole, but I'm sure his family and friends are still devastated.
OnceAgainWithFeeling · 03/04/2022 12:29

There was an accident near here on a 60mph dual carriageway when a driver hit a (drunk) pedestrian (dressed head to toe in black) crossing the road on a bend with poor lighting at 3am. The inquest found the driver was doing no more than 40mph (calculation was 37mph) and the blame lay with the deceased. Didn’t stop them reducing the speed limit permanently to 40mph though. Hmm

Cheaper than making adjustments to stop pedestrians crossing at dangerous points, I suspect.

JS87 · 03/04/2022 12:29

If we operated a policy of two strikes and you’re out (ie second incidence of speeding results in license loss) people will soon stop speeding. I think we will see less speeding going forwards as it uses a lot more fuel.

sst1234 · 03/04/2022 12:29

OP you still haven’t shared why you are driving in the wrong lane. Your follow up replies show that you are probably a nuisance driver on motorways. If you can’t use the right lane, you shouldn’t be driving on motorways.

Sux2buthen · 03/04/2022 12:30

We are lucky to live in a country where the law is flexible to what we want at the timeHmm
People froth on here about kids opening a packet in a shop and then paying for it, but when it comes to speeding all bets are off

Abra1d1 · 03/04/2022 12:33

@backtobusy

I would have thought 80 was a normal motorway speed in reality?
Are you the one in the middle lane blissfully unaware that you are causing other people to move into the outside lane because you are there?