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?

30 or 40 on a 60 road would annoy me. I think you are overreacting a bit if it's a nice steady 50.

Drives me wild. Poor driving.

It’s maddening OP. Some people have one speed and they’ll drive at 40mph on a 60mph road but they’ll also drive 40mph
through a 30mph village.
I don’t think people know what the speed limit is half the time, they don’t understand the signs.
Those saying it’s a limit not a target; yes that true (ie don’t drive 60 if you can’t see round the bend or can’t control your car on the bend) but if you can see clearly ahead, the road conditions are good (not wet) and it’s safe to do so you should drive to the speed limit.

İ tend to drive at 50 to 55 for fuel consumption reasons as I drive an ageing diesel and try and keep a steady speed.

In which case no, no reason at all not to drive to the limit - we’re taught how to drive like this when we learn to drive, no-one should be unable to do this. I do get the point about reducing fuel consumption - I have reduced my speed for the same reason as I’ve found 55 gives me a better rate - but fgs, if you’ve got cars behind you who want to go faster then pull in if you can (and conversely, don’t tailgate obvs).

I must admit this gets on my wick a bit. I seem to encounter, respect lately people doing 10 under the speed limit I know it's not a target but a 40 road that changes to 30 half way down doesn't need 30 to 20.

But it's also annoying the other way. Early in the morning doing the speed limit on a straight stretch and always, always get someone sitting on my bumper.

*especially

Oh and yy to the ‘go at 40 everywhere’ drivers 😡

And the ones who pull out in front of you from a side road causing you to brake, and then proceed to drive well under the speed limit have a special place in hell waiting for them.

I tend to find that the people that drive 40/45 in a national speed limit zone, also continue to do 40/45 when they enter a 30 zone ???

Yay!

20 ish posts in and we've already had the uber-annoying "it's a limit, not a target" and another poster saying that if you're annoyed by someone pootling along at way under the speed limit, then it's YOU who has the problem.

I live on the edge of Glasgow by a main road which leads up to Aberfoyle and the Trossachs. Yes it's scenic. Yes there are some lovely views. There are also lots of people who use that road to get to work, school or home again. Being stuck behind some pootling driver who brakes at every corner and slows to an almost standstill to admire the view is INCREDIBLY frustrating. Especially when a steady stream of traffic coming the other way makes overtaking almost impossible.

On a clear day with good weather, if you are not capable of driving at something approaching the limit, you should not be on the road. And if you want to admire the view, pull into a layby or the fucking car park provided for that purpose.

I live in Cornwall and many of our roads aren't suitable for 60 mph. Quite often we have groups of cyclists on these roads as well, which slow you down as well as farm vehicles. I think people need to use their own judgement depending on the conditions, high winds, heavy rain.

YANBU, this really bugs me too. Especially as like PP have said m, these people generally seem to speed through the slower speed limits. Ok, it might not be illegal to drive under the speed limit, but it does tend to show a lack of awareness to what is happening around them, and a lack of understanding around the rules of the road, which is obviously dangerous.

The only idiot here is you getting stressed.

I thought it was just me that got crazy wound up by people doing 40 in a 60 but then continuing at 40 when they enter a 30 zone!! It REALLY cranks my goat!!!
In both cases it's just plain dangerous (if the 60 mph road is nice straight A road).

NSL is a default speed limit, historically. So if a road hasn’t specifically been designated another speed it is limited at 60mph. It doesn’t mean that the road is safe to drive at 60, and people shouldn’t be pushed along it by other drivers if they are more comfortable in their abilities on that stretch at 40/50 mph. It’s one thing if you know the road well, quite another if you’ve never driven it before!

Come to north Lincolnshire, where 30 means 70, crazy overtaking and huge tractors driven by kids, fag in one hand, phone in the other

I was going to say this. Absolute bell ends!

Do they or are you just assuming that?

@KnittingNeedles
Try driving past Stone Henge here in the south west - took me over an hour to do a five mile stretch last time for no good reason 🤦‍♀️

I'm just going to use this to have a moan!

Just by my work there's a 50 MPH limit single lane road - then a round about where it breifly goes to 2 lanes. People drive alone at 40 and I sit behind, maybe a bit miffed but not being agreesive or anything. Then we get to the round about where I could safely and legally get in front - all of a sudden they're Lewis Hamilton! Always make sure they stay ahead just so they can drive slowly again the other side of the round about!

That’ll be my sister in law. She drives everywhere at 40.

Depends on the road - if it’s a dual carriageway, then sure, I’d be annoyed. If it’s a winding A road with narrow lanes, then I wouldn’t. They’re driving legally at 50mph and if that is safe for them with their level of experience with that particular road then I would say yabu.

60 is a limit, not a target. It might not always be possible to drive at 60 on a 60mph road... depends on road conditions, visibility, etc.

How strange to be so upset at someone driving perfectly legally and sensibly on a road. I could understand if somone was crawling along but 50 in a 60 limit is quite reasonable, I tend to drive at 50 myself.

The main road near us is generally 60 but goes down to 50 in parts, it also has several sharp bends on it, being in a country area. It is better to stick to a continuous 50 which is also better for petrol consumption. 60 is the maximum speed recommended, it doesn't mean you have to drive at that speed.

There is a particular corner where cars regularly come off the road and into the ditch, last year there were 12 cars/vans that did this through the year. Presumably people not used to the road, who think they know better and are belting around at 60 or even higher.

I wonder what you think of tractors and other farm machinery then? They barely manage 20 or 30 here, we're very rural and harvest has just started so our roads are full of them. Aren't they allowed on the road at that speed then? All perfectly legal....

If it’s a clear, wide A road in good conditions you should be able to do something approaching the speed limit on it - 20 mph under it is ridiculous. If you want to drive that slowly then you should be courteous and pull in when you can - but so many drivers of this ilk appear oblivious to what’s behind them and refuse to do so. Very frustrating when you’re stuck behind them and can’t overtake because there’s a solid stream of traffic coming the other way.