To wonder how so many people are comfortable breaking the speed limit?

[AngeloMysterioso]

Is it just me? I’m pretty vigilant about sticking to the speed limit but more and more I’ve noticed recently that I’ll be doing 70 or just below on a dual carriageway or the motorway and someone will go flying past. God forbid I be driving at the limit on the outside lane, even if I’m going faster than everyone in the middle lane it’s only a matter of time before some knob is either flashing their headlights at me or driving up my arse (or both) while I wait for a big enough gap to move across so they can shoot off before doing the same to the next car in front.

It tends to be most often 4x4 drivers or Mercedes/BMW/Jaguar etc types. Maybe they just don’t think they should have to see the back of a 16 year old Fiesta!

Just get out of the fast lane.

You're dangerous if you aren't keeping to the left OP! If you're going to be slow, get put of the way

And I drive a Fiesta! I'd be giving you the evils!

Or drive through red lights when there is a camera. On Sunday morning, I was driving to the group litter pick and three cars jump the red light by a camera. About three quarters of a mile further up the road, I saw these cars behind other vehicles at another set of lights - mainly lorries as near to the M1/M69 entrances. They achieved nothing bar getting 3 points and £100 fine.

Driven for 22 years with no speeding or jumping red light convictions.

You shouldn't be in the outside lane just for driving st speed limit. Its an overtaking lane and you were preventing others from overtaking

Of course you're going to get flashed if you stay in the outside lane - it's for overtaking only.

As I said in my OP- when I’m in the outside lane it’s because I’m going faster than the cars in the middle lane.

When there’s nobody to overtake I move across.

Yeah, you shouldn't hang about in the overtaking lane -- just get past whoever it is you've pulled out to pass then pull back in as soon as it's safe to do so.

70 mph is slow now?

Well your first mistake was driving in a lane that is designed for over taking.

How slow does everyone else drive if you've got to skip the middle lane and go straight to the outside lane to overtake, whilst sitting firmly at 70mph?

For what?

When driving at 70 mph on the motorway I have never had a situation where I had to be in the third lane for more than a few seconds.

Oh my god, it's not the fast lane! It's lane 3...4..5 and is a 70mph limit the same as lanes 1...2! If people didn't hang about in the middle lanes OP might not need to be in the furthest right lane at all.

OP, you are not BU. People are arseholes and I've begun to wonder if red lights are optional now also. Everyone is so important and in such a rush. Bring back the public service adverts for "amber gamblers" and "if you hit me at 40mph..."

Where did I say I do that?

Because there are people out there who like to take risks, and aren't really considerate of people around them. And a lot of people in a rush, and also many who just enjoy driving fast. It's nothing new and they exist outside of vehicles as well.

I don't think 70mph speed limit is suitable for some motorways anymore. Cars have changed and are more efficient, better braking systems and capabilities. Despite the speed test accident/crash data, I'd rather be allowed to drive at say 80mph.

Because it is often not actually that dangerous breaking the limit.

What is most dangerous is driving too close to a car in front, driving inappropriately for the conditions and weaving in and out of lanes.

Modern cars have huge amounts of safety features including much better crumple zones, air bags, ABS brakes that stop them in really short distances, traction control and a whole load of other stuff.

The speed limits were set in the 1960s when a lot of people didn't even wear seatbelts.

You should not be in the outside lane for more than a few seconds.

These people saying its an overtaking lane, i'd be giving you evils etc. Alot of people drive slower than 70MPH on the motorway both in the left lane and the middle. If you need to overtake then do so, however, if you are flying up someones back end and that person is doing 70MPH whilst overtaking then you are legally speeding. No matter which lane you are in you shouldn't be going over 70MPH

To be very clear - I only drive in the middle/outside lanes if I’m going faster than the cars in the inside/middle lanes. When there are no more cars to pass I move
back to the left.

Have people's reaction times also improved? Cos you can have all the best brakes in the world, if you can't react in time for the speed you're travelling you're still going to have an accident. The lack of distance some people have between themselves and the car in front is going to be an issue regardless of brake quality.

This is my experience too. Overtaking a middle lane zombie or lorry slowly crawling past another lorry are the only times you'd reasonably need to get into lane 3 or 4 doing 70mph.

Driving slow, if everyone is passing you then you're not going with the flow of traffic