People who drive 40 everywhere

[PeRiO]

Sorry this subject has probably been done to death but I let it really annoy me today so just want to get it off my chest 🤣
AIBU to be annoyed at people who drive 40mph everywhere? Following a car home today, I live in a small village of which the road to it varies between 30/60. It isn't a bad road, fairly straight on the 60 bits but I appreciate 60 isn't a target speed but it riles me up when said car is happy to speed in the 30 bits but not willing to go a little faster in the 60 bits.

Anyone else?

Yes obviously you need to brake approaching roundabouts and junctions etc but on a motorway or most 60mph roads you should generally be able to slow enough for corners and so on taking your foot off the accelerator.

Should be perhaps in a perfect world, in real life it’s not.

Corners? You wouldn't want to take any corner at 60 on a standard road. Slight bend, perhaps, but it depends on the conditions, and whether on a slope.

Take your foot off the accelerator and change gear in a manual car. And brake in a automatic.

In an EV, sure, just take your foot off because of regenerative braking.

Still not my problem when they are driving up my arse because I'm not speeding through the village where I live.

Indeed. Impatience, anger and distraction.

I live in a village in an area that is mainly only villages connected by 60 roads and I know just the type of driver you mean OP.

I can cope with 40ers on a 60 road. Though I appreciate it gets tiresome

But speeding in a 30 zone is downright selfish and dangerous. If they've been doing 40 to that point and carry on even though the limit changes, it proves how little they notice or care about the driving they are doing.

When traffic calming measures and a 20mph limit were introduced here, some drivers admitted they hadn't even noticed they were driving through a village before.

And some still go absolutely batshit crazy with impatience if you stick to the limit.

Teddleshon · Yesterday 18:26

That’s another whole subject - why do people apply the brake rather than just taking their foot off the accelerator?!

Because the brakes are designed to slow the car quickly and efficiently, they also make the brake lights come on, so cars behind can see and understand that they should slow down, too.

You really shouldn't be changing gear to slow down. That puts a lot of stress on the clutch, gearbox and engine. It's was the brakes are for!

The advanced motorist system:

Course
Mirror
Speed/Brake
Gear
Accelerate

To slow down, you come off the accelerator and brake if that isn't enough, then you change gear, then you accelerate away from the hazard.

Perhaps I wasn’t clear, obviously you should brake if coming off the accelerator isn’t enough for the situation but certainly for motorways and for many 60mph roads, if you’re looking ahead coming off the accelerator should be sufficient.

It’s the responsibility of motorists behind to keep a safe distance and monitor your speed.

These fuckers are the reason why we now have 20mph speed limits in all the villages around here.

From the RAC website

Eh? Of course taking your foot off the brake will slow an automatic. I have an automatic ICE and an EV and only need to use the brake if coming to an intersection/roundabout.

they also make the brake lights come on, so cars behind can see and understand that they should slow down, too.

This is advice that the police and IAM give. They also suggest that if you are the last vehicle in a queue of traffic at a junction or traffic lights, or anywhere else where the traffic has stopped, that you keep your foot on the brake pedal to warn the traffic coming up behind you, until another vehicle stops behind you.

They also advise that if someone is tailgating you that you gently put your foot on the brake pedal to show your brake lights so that the driver behind slows down.

I was also told by a policeman that if they see anyone driving unduly slowly they will stop them to check if they are OK (unwell or under the influence of drink or drugs).

Of course taking your foot off the brake will slow an automatic.

Yes, veeeeery sloooooowly. If you need to reduce your speed from 60 to 30 it would take about a mile without using the brake. Why is this even a discussion? What’s wrong with braking?

By the way, I think you meant accelerator, not brake.

In my automatic it takes a lot less distance than a mile to go from 60 to 30.

As for reasons, four fold. Better fuel economy, less wear and tear on the brake pads (reduced cost), less chance of being rear-ended and generally a more relaxed drive if you're not constantly accelerating and braking.

Mine slows far faster than that, particularly uphill.

It’s an issue because people constantly brake unnecessarily, if you’re behind someone who brakes it’s impossible to judge whether they are just slowing gradually for an impending corner or because there is a real need to suddenly brake (ie an animal in the road). Unnecessary braking on motorways causes traffic jams and sometimes accidents as people brake relatively harder and harder the further back they are.

Unnecessary braking is also very bad for fuel consumption and not good for your engine.

As for reasons, four fold. Better fuel economy, less wear and tear on the brake pads (reduced cost), less chance of being rear-ended and generally a more relaxed drive if you're not constantly accelerating and braking.

That's no justification for driving unsafely.

On what planet would you think it's unsafe to drive smoothly rather than constantly accelerate and brake? The mind boggles!

Clearly you’ve got quite an unusual car as it very definitely wouldn’t take a mile to slow in either of our automatics, or any of the ones I’ve driven since my licence at 17.

You don’t stand any greater chance of being rear ended if you brake gently, less actually because your brake lights warn the driver behind that you’re slowing down.

I exaggerated, it still takes considerably longer to slow down if you don’t brake.

So what’s your point exactly?

There is far less chance of being rear ended if you reduce your speed slowly (I e taking your foot off the accelerator) than suddenly (by braking). All telematics / black box rate driving quality negatively on the higher the level of accelerating / braking.

Yes, of course braking is the quickest way to slow down: it's the way you slow down if you have to do it in a hurry at zero notice, rather than as something you've planned ahead, because you can see that the road ahead will require it.