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!

Thank you! That’s the scenario I’m describing and it seems most people have taken from that that I constantly drive “slowly” (at the SPEED LIMIT) along the middle/outside lanes for the fuck of it.

I use a sat nav with a digital speedo which shows my true speed.

So in your opinion, driving at the speed limit is driving slowly? Even if I’m passing traffic to my left?

Happy to go over 70 in my wee vw polo dodgem…was equally happy in my Audis and Mercedes

It is the fast lane not the overtaking lane.

Officially it may be called the overtaking lane. But it has lots of cars going fast in it. Fast lane is a better adjective to describe it than overtaking lane, despite what it may officially be labelled.

If you are not overtaking, or keeping up with the traffic in it you shouldn't be in it. And if you are using it for overtaking you need to do so safely in a way that respects the speed of the traffic in it and doesn't impede the progress of the cars travelling in it, like you should do with all lanes.

I am guilty of driving a little over the speed limit at times, but I am with you on the idiots that race up the outside lane, and sit on your bumper. It is not massively more dangerous to drive at 80 than 70, but driving aggressively and too close to the car in front is an accident waiting to happen. It is perfectly acceptable to be doing the speed limit in the outside lane, as that is the fastest you should legally be driving.

You are literally breaking the law.

But I am overtaking. That’s my point.

I feel the speed limit is a guide, and I hate slow drivers. I doubt you are passing vehicles tbh

Don't go in the fast/overtaking lane.

It’s not a guide. It’s the law.

People who drive at the legal limit are slow drivers?

You're not doing anything wrong OP, the people criticizing you both can't read, and are what's wrong with drivers.

You're not supposed to go over the speed LIMIT to overtake, nor are you supposed to stay in the 'fast' lane because you're doing 80MPH for a long period of time. OP is the one driving appropriately.

Where else am I supposed to go when I’m overtaking?

One of the main ones will maintain the distance to with the car in front and brake/speed up to the set speed automatically.

Oh yes we have that. On the one hand it’s bliss. On the other hand if someone pulls in the gap 😱 seriously clunky emergency breaking! It is fast! And it is quite unnecessarily severe. But I do think it was designed to try to save you. It also can swerve for you which is crazy also. Collision avoidance that one’s called 😱

But bloody slower 😆. You over take faster speed than 70 then pull in again. Or even better stay out that lane.

If I’m overtaking I’m not going slower… that’s how overtaking works.

Every time I read a Mumsnet driving thread I feel a little less safe on the road

I'm amazed at the comments on this thread - I guess mumsnet has more of the BMW drivers than the average population! It is absolutely correct to not exceed the speed limit. I notice those who speed on every road don't mention pedestrians - I doubt your advanced driving certificate is going to help you inflict less damage on a child who's run out in front of you if you're doing 40 instead of 30.

Tell me about it… apparently I’m unreasonable for using the overtaking lanes to overtake whilst driving “slowly” at 70mph!

70 is the limit, you shouldn't be exceeding that to overtake. Of course there's going to be people going slower in the middle lane sometimes, it's perfectly acceptable to overtake at 70 to pass them

You going 70, I've been driving well over 30 years.

Only old people and bad drivers don’t break the law.

Wow.

And?