People driving at 50mph on a 60mph road

[impossibldream]

I have to use an A road most days which has a national speed limit (60mph). It seems like I’m always stuck behind some idiot driving along at 50mph. I find it so hard not to get wound up. It just results in people trying to overtake (sometimes taking risks so I think it increases a chance of accidents) and generally increasing levels of stress. Why do people do this? AIBU to find it rude and annoying?

This! ⬆

"...some idiot driving along at 50mph" -- that will be "some idiot" taking account of the road conditions and watching out for other people, then. Not like you. It's not a race. If you want to drive in Formula 1, go for it, but let go of your sense of entitlement and rage before you do yourself or someone else a mischief in your rush to get ahead.

And I would call that a typical generalisation from someone who believes that the arbitrary limits - one size fits all - allow people not to apply any form of critical thinking.

70 not dangerous.

71 life threatening.

Its total bollocks.

The only sensible thing is assess the conditions and drive accordingly. In town I am one of the most cautious drivers. I’m not taking a chance with an unexpected child/cat/dog running out. A cyclist jumping a light, I’ve seen it happen and I couldn’t live with my conscience if I knew I could have avoided it by driving slower. So I drive slower 🤷🏻‍♀️

On an open road with no one on it - I know my abilities, and I’ll drive accordingly. With a very decent buffer obviously to cope with the unexpected. And like I’ve said before on the thread, it was exceeding the limit and was caught by a camera - then I’ll pay/do the time for whatever punishment I’m given. That would be my fault for being an idiot and not seeing it.

27 years, never had any points, never been stopped, never had a my fault accident. 300,000 miles on cars and motorbikes

Touch wood I’ve been assessing things fine so far. If I ever feel my judgement is impaired, I wouldn’t drive.

71 life threatening.

But not in France or the multitude of other countries that have chosen higher arbitrary numbers to put on their speed limit signs.

But anyway - yeah, these days I prefer driving slower anyway. Stick on the cruise control, use less energy, listen to a podcast and concentrate on the road and make the odd adjustment here and there.

The only time I’d ever drive fast (exceed the limit) is if it was a genuine life threatening emergency or I felt like having a blast on an open road. God forbid the first never happens and I never feel like doing the latter anyway these days. Not worth it vs relaxing.

everything else is no rush. I’m an engineer doing something fairly vapid in the grand scheme of human progress. Who gives a shit if arrive 15 minutes late to work. I don’t.

Exactly!

Oh and I can think of numerous times when exceeding the limit was the safest way out of a situation. Consider some idiot coming down a slip road at 80 not judging the gap in traffic already on the motorway, whilst you’re being tailgated by another idiot. Sometimes braking isn’t the answer.

Has happened a few times and I’m bloody glad I put my foot down to avoid them.

The idea is the roads have been certified to be used at the speed limit set, it's completely safe.

@Hrpuffnstuff1 bollocks. There are many NSL roads where doing 60mph would be extremely unsafe. Likewise there are plenty of residential streets which are officially 30mph roads, but which it isn't really safe to be doing more than 20mph. In my village (again, officially 30mph) cars generally max 15mph as they negotiate their way past parked cars, pedestrians and oncoming cars.

Someone driving to the limits of the weather conditions or their own sense of safety as a driver doing 50 is far less of an idiot than all the people who drive up and sit on their arse.

Didn't limiters become law this month?

Interestingly the French NSL for dual carriageways is 69mph and for other main roads it’s 48mph. So their speed limit for OPs equivalent road is actually 12mph slower.
I suspect the French recognise that driving on motorways and dual carriageways is safer at speed than other roads.

Interestingly the French NSL for dual carriageways is 69mph and for other main roads it’s 48mph. So their speed limit for OPs equivalent road is actually 12mph slower.

Which just illustrates the arbitrary nature of speed limits in general. In France you go from “I’m safe” to “I’m going to die” 12 mph sooner than you do in the UK.

Safety isn't a hard simple boundary

As speed increases risks increase and the limits are based on what is deemed acceptable to society

So the uk is happy that a few more children die for faster speeds on roads

Of course it's not made clear that's what is really happening but it is acceptable level of death and disruption that informs the speed limits

Hit a child at 40 they die, at 20 they will be fine

Safety isn't a hard simple boundary

Exactly, which is why doing 25 in a 30 limit in some circumstances is potentially far less “safe” than doing 40 in others.

But we need simple rules because most people are less clever and careful than they think -75% of drivers think they are better than average after all

France also drops the 130kph limit to 110 when its raining & also have 30kph or 18mph limit in towns and villages.

As much as i love France, some of their driving leaves much to be desired..... or they see a UK registered car as a target to get past.

The UK 60mph limit unless otherwise signed, is stupid, cornwall council put up a "NSL applies" sign as you come out the village into a narrow very badly maintained lane......

Depends where you hit them. A close friends daughter was killed at 20mins. She had dropped something while crossing the road and bent over to pick it up and was hit in the head. Split second decision in a crowd of people crossing a road and driver distracted by young child in the back of her car.
The driver has to live with that for the rest of her.

I live on the edge of a very rural village with a 30mph limit. Then immediately goes into 60mph. Its single track, country lane. Its 60 mph hut that doesn’t mean you CAN drive 60 on it. Its safe to only do 39.

legally allowed doesn’t necessarily mean you can do it

Rurally the speed limits change frequently and at this time of year the signs are often obscured by hedge rows. Unless you have a modern car with speed limit recognition you can miss limit signs.
Again the first lesson I taught my son that speed limit often warns you that the road conditions are hazardous.
I have done a couple of speed awareness courses, I know I’m advocating for speed limit and I should know better, they are really useful if you listen. There are always people there that argue the point with the instructor, many like the OP who are convinced that they are right (usually women). If you attend one go with an open mind prepared to learn.
If you learnt to drive 20+ years ago they can be a valuable tool in improving your driving.

Only do 39 mph eh? That's very exact 😂

Was that measured in dry, perfect conditions, or wet?

Is that in a Porsche with sticky tyres, or an unmaintained trabant?

Is that a person with excellent reflexes, or an elderly driver?

Does that apply to the whole road, or the bends?

This whole 'pick a number' thing is so ridiculous.

😂😂 definitely no porche where i live

I'm unsettled by the people who really do think a speed limit is the minimum. I'm not a slow-coach driver at all (honestly!) but when I'm on an unfamiliar road I do sometimes drive at say, 5 miles below the limit. Yes, lots of people know that road like the back of their hand but please remember not everyone is in that position.

One road I find quite stressful to use had a 50 limit and I stick to it religiously. But so many other drivers use it as a race-track and every week you either see cars which have 'left the road', shall we say, with 'Police Aware' notices on them, or hear of some horrible crash. So I'm going to stay at the legal limit, thank you.

As other PPs have said - speed isn't the issue here - it's more about drivers with anger management issues who let minor frustrations wind them up dangerously.

60 is a limit, not a target.

The highway code states that people should drive appropriately for the road and weather conditions.

In clear weather on a road that isn't windy or dangerous, it is just as dangerous to go too slowly as it is to go too fast.

Yes those ones are the worst!!

You do realise that 60 is the maximum speed and that everything below that is legal? You sound like a typical road-rager who thinks that you own the road. And I will lay bets that you don't stick to less than 60 unless you actually are behind someone observing the speed limit. Hang on peoples' bumpers, do you? I love people like that - I just slow right down and tap the brakes frequently. Annoys the fuck out of them 😀

@CulturePigeon agree re: familiarity. When I go to another part of the country to visit family there's a road with a lot of sharp blind bends. The speed limit is 50 but I don't really feel safe driving at more than 40. I appreciate it's frustrating for locals who as you say know those roads like the back of their hands but there's an argument for being understanding of other road users.
Similarly if someone is driving in my area of North London and finds themselves in the wrong lane I try to be understanding that they may not know the area and let them in my lane without being a dick about it.