to be coming to the conclusion that there are an awful lot of bad drivers (who think they are good) on rural roads?

[hatwoman]

I've just moved to a rural area and am getting increasingly annoyed by a particular type of driver that seems very common round here. the roads between villages aren't bendy country lanes - they are wide enough for two - but they are bendy, and have lots of blind hills etc. I'm a careful driver and I am not going to thrash my car along these bendy roads at 60mph. the price I pay for my caution? dickheads (usually in bmws, always male) driving right up my arse bottom. yesterday one was so close that I don;t doubt for a minute that had I needed to brake hard he would have killed himself, and done myself and dds considerable harm too . when I was taught to drive I was taught that you need to leave adequate distance between you and the car infront to able to do an emergency stop without going into it. that bit of "good" driving seems to have passed some people by. and I think it would be fair to assume the offenders are convinced they are "good" drivers. give me central london taxi drivers any day. ok they might be a bit unforgiving if you get yourself in the wrong lane but the worst that's going to happen is an expensive bump.

ok rant over. and breathe.

It's the difference between rural and urban driving.

Just ignore it. I bet after a while you'll feel less threatened. You may even become so experienced on those roads that you curse people.

DH is from Somerset, passed his test at 17 because he had to have a car, and like many rural drivers, drives fast when it's safe to do so because he knows the roads and the overtaking spots.

It was a bit of a shock when I was first in the car with him but now I don't consider him to be at all dangerous just different in style from me.

We now live in London and he tones it down when we visit his parents because he doesn't have the daily experience any more. He still sighs theatrically behind someone he thinks is being a slowcoach.

That would include me btw

and just to prove my points (I'd kind of forgotten about this because it was dh driving, not me) - a few weeks ago we had an accident. A car had stopped just round a blind bend to turn right (the right turn in question is actually no longer allowed - but you have to drive assuming that there are idiots who will do stuff like this). dh was far enough behind/going at a suitable speed to be able to stop without going into the back of the car - but two cars behind us weren't, causing a 3-car pile up. no-one was hurt but the car in the middle was a right off. The insurance wasn't even quibbled - it was the fault of the cars behind. (though they may have had to argue between them how to share that fault out...but certainly it was in no way our fault)