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?

I just don't understand the mindset of people who drive excessively slow when it good conditions/visibility etc. if you're not confident to drive up to 70mph when conditions and limits allow, you shouldn't be driving.

There's a road near me that's 40mph, and fine to drive at that speed
Every single day people crawl along it at 25mph. Why??!
Then it changes to 30 and they speed up

I don't understand the mindset if people who get so upset about saving a few minutes here and there

I think that's what annoys me most the fact they clearly aren't aware of the speed limit signs at all if they're not speeding up and slowing down appropriately.
I had a school event to attend, I left work with as much time as I possibly could so was just bad timing that it really irritated me today. I feel better for getting it off my chest though 😆

Your schedule is your schedule, nothing to do with other road users

You are right. They are dangerous in both situations particularly the 30 or 30 zones. I used to live in a village and see this all the time.

Sorry think YABU. Is someone is driving slower I assume they might not know the area or not be fully confident. Id always rather someone drive a bit slower and we all get there safely than them have an accident which then impacts me (by driving into the back of them) or someone on the other side of the road

These idiots are one of the main reasons why I drive a powerful BMW. They are much less of a nuisance when you can overtake them immediately, safely & effortlessly.

Then you’ve got the idiots who don’t know what a dual carriageway is. There’s a single lane one near me where 70mph is absolutely appropriate. I sometimes get stuck behind people doing 35mph.

I once got stuck behind someone on a twisty single NSL carriageway who refused to go above 28 (the road is easily manageable at 60 apart from one or 2 spots which tell you to slow to 20, but otherwise perfectly fine for 60), and would still brake at every slight curve in the road or car coming the other way. It was absolutely ridiculous, and of course every straight had someone coming the opposite way so it took about 20 minutes before I could overtake them safely. They completely ignored all the lay-bys they could have pulled into to allow me to pass too, it was infuriating!

Drivers who are afraid of of driving should have their licence revoked, as should middle lane hoggers and people who don't understand how to merge in turn and decide to sit in the middle of the 2 lanes to prevent those of us who do understand zipper merging from doing so

When I lived in the country DH and I used to call these infuriating people “Life beginners” ( as in “life begins at 40…”)

People don't trust teachers, politicians or the police, but for some reason place blind faith that road speed limits have been properly assessed for each road, which is mad, because it's not the case at all.

B roads were just designated at the national speed limit years ago, when cars didn't go as fast. When they approach a residential 30 zone, the speed limit drops through 50 40 30, the speed limit being assigned through distance from the 30 zone. Smaller roads have never been assessed for safety at those speeds.

I have a road near me which is signposted 60. When it's sunny and in daylight potentially it could be 60 (the road isn't actually full width, but people unfamiliar with it wouldn't know as it has a line down the middle, so it has some very hairy blind curves so 45 to 55 is a better speed). But at night, deer and badgers leap out, when it's rainy the road surface is poor, it's unlit and the road markings are nearly gone in places - it's definitely not a 60. 40 is a much safer speed in those conditions. But few people seem to adjust for this, and assume 60 is still the right speed, because the sign says so. Madness.

My dad drives everywhere about 10-25mph minimum below the speed limit. 30mph zone? He drives at 19mph. 60mph? 44mph. Drives me crazy.

When I was in the depths of labour and he was driving my DH to the hospital I called him up and shouted "AT LEAST DRIVE THE SPEED LIMIT!", then hung up.

What a surprise that DH missed the birth.

As the name suggests I've had my licence less than a year, I also had no one except a driving instructor to sit with me, so when I picked my car up and drove it home it was the first time I'd ever driven alone.

It was a petrol when I'd learned in a diesel and was an unfamiliar car and obviously driving itself was still pretty unfamiliar.

I took it to an industrial estate to practice driving it and get used to it, but I had to get it there first, I didn't have the experience and confidence I have even now, never mind of those that have been driving 20 years or more. I went maybe 5-10mph below the limit (depending on what it was) while I got used to the car and driving alone, and I was worried about inadvertently breaking the speed limit.

Would have been far more dangerous at that point for me to have been overconfident and got myself into a situation I couldn't handle, and far more inconvenient for anyone behind me - everyone has to do that first few drives alone as a new driver.

Now, I do get frustrated with people doing 40 (or this morning 35!) in a 60, but it's my frustration to deal with appropriately and it's my decision and concequences if I overtake and it was the wrong decision and there's an accident.

I drive to the conditions and that includes my level of experience, I drove for the first time in ice and snow earlier this year and was extra careful (and yes pulled over if there was traffic behind me) but ultimately I'd never done that before, I knew the theory behind dealing with it but I'd never actually experienced it, now I have and I'm a bit more confident.

In less than a year I've experienced most conditions (great British weather 🙄) and drive to the speed limit thereabouts unless conditions dictate otherwise.

But how is anyone supposed to gain that experience to become a more confident and competent driver if everyone thinks they shouldn't be on the roads until they are?

And yes I had P plates on and I put them back on to drive in the snow and ice, if anything it was just an invitation to get up my arse and hassle me rather than stay back because you've got something actually telling you the person in front is a new driver 🤷🏼‍♀️.

Middle lane hoggers are the worst. I was on the motorway last night, having to be extra careful with fuel economy because the petrol light had come on. I got a bit fed up with a few of them and just said bollocks to it and put my foot down so I could get past.

One of them sat there merrily preventing a lorry from overtaking another, which must have been infuriating for the lorry driver as they can't come into lane three.

My ex used to do it and I would constantly have to ask him who he was overtaking.

My dad has two speeds and one gear, 30, 50 and 3rd gear. He's getting on a bit and I really worry that he and his Volvo estate will get into an accident. I cringe seeing him struggle to reverse out of a space then again seeing cars overtake him on very rural B roads. Its so dangerous as his local roads are narrow, unlit and other drivers fail to realise that there is an art to overtaking. Don't get me started on his motorway driving. Have I asked him to consider a smaller automatic car? Yes. The answer was a resounding 'no'.

So the real effect of overtaking and making up time was really only to be just in front of them...

I get your point. But, new driver or not, you need to be driving at the appropriate speed. I'm surprised you weren't failed for hesitation if you weren't confident enough to keep up the flow of traffic.

There is a special place in hell reserved for middle lane hoggers.

Derestricted doesn't mean you "should" be going at 60. All our tiny, single track lanes are officially a 60 limit, but you can only safely go at about 20-25.

(I appreciate that the section of road you're talking about might well be safe to travel at 60mph, and that 40mph might be overly cautious, but that's because of the road, not because of the road sign.)

I'm delighted that my ex will be there 🔥🔥🔥😁

Nope, they're still in the wrong cos they're now speeding through a 30mph. If they'd been driving appropriately a) wouldn't have overtaken or b) would have overtaken and they wouldn't have caught up.

Oh this drives me potty.

It's more the 40 in a 30mph area that rattles me. However low speeds in 60mph can be equally as dangerous. More so when you get knobheads over taking those cars on twisty country roads.

I wasn't failed for hesitation because I didn't hesitate?
I don't hesitate now, I was for those first few journeys, more careful, I wasn't doing 20 in a 60 but maybe 50, 25 in a 30 etc.
I happily do 60 and 70 (although I won't break the limit because I don't particularly want to lose my licence, I've only got 6 points for another year) when it's safe to do so.

What would you have said if I'd involved you in an accident on that first journey because I got cocky and thought as I'd passed the test that was all I needed and didn't handle a situation as well as someone driving 20 years plus? Would you have preferred I took it a bit easier and everyone got home safe?

Do you also routinely speed through rural villages? If not then this thread isn't about you.