To think it’s better to drive at 31 than 25?

[xla]

When I was learning to drive my driving instructor told me it was always better to be five miles an hour under the limit than one over. I’ve been driving three years and it seems like most people actually seem to subscribe to this method of thinking?! I drove into work this morning and spent most of it sat at 24/25, despite the roads being clear, and at one point was actually undertaking people because otherwise I would be driving at 20 miles an hour. On a 30 road! Surely I’m not alone in thinking this is insane?

If the lane is going to be turning right then maybe they are just slowing down rather than having driven at 20-25 the entire time? Or see no need to zoom about the place and slam on brakes. I've driven in Sheffield loads so am familiar with the type of layouts you're talking about, I agree with the PP that if you're slowing down when someone is in a differently marked lane then actually you are the one at fault.

After doing a speed awareness course last year, I absolutely go the speed limit or less now.

Not only for safety but the entire class was filled with people (including myself) who were constantly in a rush.
One man was almost spitting because he was so angry that people drive slow and I thought I don’t want to be like him.
I am not miserable like that, I love my life and I’m very happy.

Like why are we stressing ourselves out so much.
The world is so fast paced and it’s not healthy to be rushing around to get to places all of the time.

If I am late, then it’s my fault and I should have left earlier.
Me speeding or getting worked up over it isn’t going to help.

Now I turn my music on or listen to an audiobook and enjoy the luxury of having nothing else to do but drive.
Once I get to my destination then I can go back to rushing and trying to juggle 20 things at once.

I only took my test this year at the grand old age of 52. Passed first time, was very shocked lol.

my instructor was very insistent that I don’t cause other cars to slow down at the speed limit as it makes me the danger.

also taught me how to undertake, there are questions about that in the theory as well.

Yes this is what I recall from the theory

Personally I don’t like leaving an hour for a half hour drive!

If so many people are doing something you think is wrong, maybe it's you?

I drive to speed limit or to safety, whchever is lower. The number of people getting agitated around me because they are busy and important is growing every year. Sometimes I have "local knowledge" that there is a temporary (2 years so far!) reduced speed stretch around the next bend and it's always a pleasure to let the racers overtake at mad speed and get hit by the flash of the camera. Sometimes I use natural breaking before I turn off a road so as not to waste fuel. Pootlers can be frustrating to be stuck behind, but better we are all alive, no? Best to drive near the correct speed, but the snails seem safer to be around than the angry racers.

31 is around 28mph in reality. Speedometer are designed to over read.

On a motorway, your 70mph is closer to 65.

This isn't quite the right interpretation. Your actions should not cause another driver to swerve or brake.

Actions in this context would mean things such as pulling out of a junction, changing lane and so forth. Manoeuvres. Not going slower than the speed limit in a lane in which you are already established.

If your interpretation of the theory was correct, then tractors, lorries, buses and any other vehicle which isn't fast or which may be speed limited would be illegal on the roads.

My instructor told me I'd fail my driving test for not consistently driving close to 30 in a 30 zone, assuming the conditions are appropriate. Doing 20 in a 30 would be considered unsafe driving, unless there was a good reason for it.

From what I learned on my speed awareness course (cough - it was ten years ago) 34 mph makes quite a difference to injury/likelihood of survival if you hit someone, v 30mph.

That said, going along at 31/32 is likely to be still under the limit as you are likely actually doing 29mph.

What is more annoying and dangerous than drivers going really slow is drivers going slow because they are faffing about and not paying attention to the road. I can see them turning their heads and chatting to a passenger and not looking, fiddling with a phone or something on the dashboard.

Or they don't pay attention to road signage. I'm wondering how many drivers do not have their eyes tested or change their glasses as often as they should as I think they simply don't see it.

I was behind one guy doing 22mph in the 20mph limit the other day and he clearly did not notice when it had changed to 30mph or the subsequent signs and carried on pootling along.

Often you get the other way round which is worse. They are doing 40mph in a 60mph limit (on a road where it is possible to do close to 60 safely in good conditions) then carry on at 40mph.

Yes but I have lived here my entire life and know that a clear stretch of road with no cars in front is safe to drive at 20 on? Surely people can agree that

You were driving on a clear road.
You are correct that the driver doing 20 in the outer lane was incorrect but as the inner lane was clear your journey wasn't affected.
Your hyperbole is amusing.
I'm guessing you are bored and keen to get a rise.

You might find that it enable you to relax a bit and enjoy the journey.

My mum used to have a great saying about driving and rushing about,
"Better five minutes late in this world than 20 years early in the next."

You are right.
The slow driver in the outer lane was at fault.
OP simply had to continue driving in the inner lane (being alert to the other driver) and no problems or delay were incurred.

YABU. You should drive according to the conditions of the road, not what they speed limit sign says. If everyone else is driving slower than you, that might be for good reason. A few mph slower won't make much difference to your journey time, and if it does, set off a few minutes earlier.

My personally favourite is when people drive 40 in a 30 and then continue to drive 40 in a 60. Makes no sense lol

It was dry, clear skies and quiet roads. What need is there to drive at 20????

I wouldn't know, I wasn't there and I haven't seen the road. But if everyone is going so much slower than you, it might well be you that is wrong.

Yeah, no. I’d rather people just drove sensibly

And you drove past. What need is there to make such a drama about it?

Were you on the way to a wedding or a funeral? If not calm down and drive sensibly. It’s really not worth your health or the health of others to rush. When some people get behind the wheel of a car they become a different person, behaving how they wouldn’t in other walks of life and believing that they are invincible.

Take a second to think about why you are mad. Are you mad at them or yourself because you didn’t leave enough time to drive safely to your destination?!

im angry because despite me driving “not sensibly”, I arrived in one piece but spent my entire journey crawling

In that sort of situation, I think it is sometimes permissible to move faster than the vehicles in the right lane. You are not over-taking as such.

From the highway code, in various places:

• Stay in your lane if traffic is moving slowly in queues. If the queue on your right is moving more slowly than you are, you may pass on the left. Cyclists may pass slower moving or stationary traffic on their right or left and should proceed with caution as the driver may not be able to see you. Be careful about doing so, particularly on the approach to junctions, and especially when deciding whether it is safe to pass lorries or other large vehicles.
• Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake. In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left-hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right. In these conditions you may keep up with the traffic in your lane even if this means passing traffic in the lane to your right. Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake.
• Only overtake on the left if the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right, and there is room to do so.

I don’t think there’s a one size fits all formula for speed because it’s so dependent on the road, weather, driver confidence, etc.

I’m not enraged by slow drivers though which is probably why I feel that way, people driving so badly they place others at risk is what gets me.

We live in a 20mph residential area (cars parked both sides) next a school and park, the rage I feel when someone comes flying down our road at 30mph or parks on the junction corner is unreal. All of them would lose their license if I had my way!! 😂

You weren't crawling. You drove slightly below the speed limit. Stop being so dramatic. It's the busiest time of day, of course the traffic might move more slowly.