..to get so frustrated with overcautious drivers?

[Joolyjoolyjoo]

I'm still seething from my journey to work this morning, which usually takes 20-25 minutes and today took 1hour and 10 minutes! The reason? It was raining. A phenomenon not entirely unknown in this part of Scotland, but which seems to instil great fear in many drivers. Now, I appreciate that wet road surfaces DO require an extra measure of caution- keep a safe distance, be vigilant in poorer visibility and use headlights. But is there really any reason to drive at 15 mph on a normal 40 road? To refuse to even attempt to go round a roundabout, despite having the right of way? And then to change lanes suddenly (although still at 15mph) without indicating? To stop suddenly because there is a puddle (not a flood, not even a large pool of water) on the road? Do people actually think this makes them a safer driver??

And another thing that bemuses me is road cone phobia. Say, for example, you are travelling along a single lane road, which normally then becomes a dual carriageway, but one of the lanes is closed and there are ROAD CONES!! Apparently there is a need to brake to 20mph (despite road signs advising that the limit is now 50, as opposed to the usual 60) and sneak past the road cones. Now, I can only assume that, as the lane is exactly the same width as the one in which you were previously travelling, and the road surface is clear, with no works actually taking place, that these people know something about road cones that I don't. Is it imperative that you sneak past in order that they don't jump out? Are they, in fact, merely sleeping, ready to attack your car in the manner of monkeys at a safari park, pulling at your windscreen wipers and trying to chew through your tyres? Why, why, why? can anyone enlighten me?

Don't get me wrong- I am not a speed freak, but I don't believe that being simply slower makes you safer in all circumstances. If people are really that fearful to drive, should they be driving at all? Or am I just a road-hog, who needs to learn to respect the serious nature of rain and the unpredictability of road cones? Well, am I?

Wilkiepedia - if you're driving behind someone in a carpark you really should be expecting them to suddenly come to a stop. They are trying to park, after all.

People driving slowly is annoying, not dangerous.

People behaving unpredictably and not knowing how to correctly use a roundabout is dangerous, but this just as often comes from those who are overconfident as underconfident (and is mainly a case of 'doesn't know what the indicators are for').

Kathy - I was taught to aim for the speed limit where sensible, just as ajandjjmum's ds was. Of course it depends on conditions and I wouldn't do 60 down a narrow country lane, but it should be a target on, say a dual carriageway, to be doing 70. Not 50.

Yabvvu and Paolosgirl is right, you are actually describing bad drivers.

Having only learned to drive myself quite recently (I know, pathetic) the most stressful for a beginner is angry people sitting on your arse and honking because you are doing 30mph in a 30mph zone rather than the 40 that is considered the norm and overtaking on bends etc because they can't bear the sight of an L plate.

Obviously doing 10mph is dangerous and annoying, but it's rare that you find someone doing that (maybe not in Scotland). My lovely instructor always said the key to being a safe confident driver was to drive at a pace that suits you and not give a about the cars behind you. As she said it's only metal and if you hit someone at 20 or 30mph only metal will be damaged, if it's 40 or above you'll be a-goner.

I agree - it's annoying when they stick to a constant 40 along 60 and 30 roads, but they are NOT driving dangerously at that speed. It's frustrating, but there you go. No point in getting so wound up, because when you let yourself get to the point that the red mist has descended and you are at the point of exploding, YOU become the dangerous driver.

And I am so with the people who mentioned the people who BRAKE suddenly for speed cameras- you should be doing the correct speed anyway!! And if you are, there is no need to brake!

I understand the analogy of a child running out from between 2 parked cars, but there are no parked cars or children on the motorway/ expressway (hopefully!)

I was talking about the possibility of a child running out between 2 parked cars in a supermarket car park.

Erm, people, I have not said that I sit up other driver' backsides (something i hate too) I am VERY patient with learners, or people with the green L on the back of their car. For the rest of the population, I expect that, having passed their driving test and having some experience, they should be able to drive in a safe and confident manner, that's all.

Nor do i drive along in a "red mist"- I had my 18mth old son in the car, fgs!!

I was, however, 15 minutes late for work, which had a direct effect on everyone else that I work with and my clients. I think I am allowed to be a bit peeved about that, since there was no real need for it

I would feel just the same. I did when I almost missed a badly-needed doctor's appointment because four silver-headed old ladies were admiring the scenery from their car at a steady 31 mph on a road with national speed limits.

GARRRRR!

juju, you are me. I learned to drive recently (fucking terrifying) and could not believe the pressure from other drivers to speed up all the time.

My ADI and my dad were always saying 'look ahead, the guy behind you takes care of himself' yet I kept looking in my rear-view and worrying that they cars behind wanted me to break the speed limit.

You can't win - drive at 30 and get hand gestures etc, or drive over 30 and fail your test for speeding.

The roads seem to assume that speeding is the norm, and that anybody who doesn't is causing a hold up, yet you can lose your licence if you get caught speeding enough times.

Bad drivers should not be on the roads, but cautious driving is annoying, not dangerous, as so many people here have said. As for the braking thing - hello, braking distance? The thing is, all drivers do know about braking distance as they must have covered it in their driving tests. They just choose to forget all that once they get 'confident', ie arrogant.

Your OP did sound like you needed a lie down in a darkened room with a cold compress on your forehead!

Sorry, Paolosgirl- thought you were directing it at me.

MorrisZapp- I am very careful about braking distances, especially in the wet. But I find it harder to keep a reasonable distance behind someone driving so slowly, as my normal instinct is to drive at 30mph. Also on the dual carriageway I find it difficult as every time I leave a safe distance somebody cuts into it at high speed!

Again, if people should only drive at the speed at which they feel comfortable, why is hesitancy a fail on a driving test?? Surely they only fail you for things that are potentially dangerous???

Oh FGS I don't drive up people's arses in carparks, what I am saying is when you are tootling along behind someone without a space in sight and then suddenly they just brake out of the blue as they have spotted one they have just passed or whatever. No matter how far behind them it is still incredibly annoying as they don't check their mirrors first to see if anyone IS behind them. That's all.

morrisZapp - well that's certainly not safe driving if you're looking in the rear-view and panicking the whole time

nobody is daring to condone speeding here, just saying don't drive ridiculously slowly or do other irritating things.

We would all of course have the perfect braking distance in place but it is a chain reaction and some fool a few cars back might not!

Mirror-SIGNAL-manoeuvre!

Oh and people who don't indicate correctly on roundabouts should be banned for life.

I hate how people (definitely NOT cautious in any way) think that my safe distance is actually a gap for them to squeeze into.

at how no one here is responsible for driving up learners' arses/honking in car parks yet it happens continually in rl

Morris to you. I have feelings on this subject as, having passed my test, I need to practise, but the worst thing about hitting the road is the constant aggression I witness in the rearview mirror, though I am learning to laugh at it now. I pretend I have six points on my licence and absolutely mustn't get any more to stop myself from revving up out of peer pressure.

The OP may not terrorise people who've just passed their tests and have green P plates on, but the majority of the public do imo. So now I've taken it off as and find people are (marginally) less vile.

Hesitancy is a fail as it demonstrates that you are not confident enough to drive at a safe speed that keeps up with other traffic.

Any driver who wants to drive at 40 when it is clearly safe and legal to drive at 65 is obviously not fully confident of controlling the car at that speed, and should fail.

But after the test, most people forget all that stuff and drive how they like, ie what indicators are for, right of way on roundabouts, braking distances etc.

People drive how they feel they should be allowed to, and I guess that includes hesitant drivers too. They have as much right to be on the roads as the drivers who passed their test but then drive more quickly when nobody is sitting looking over their shoulder.

Don't get me wrong, I get equally miffed with guys who try to bully me into going faster when I am doing the speed limit (driving is such a calming experience for me ) and idiots who cut me up. I can't help getting fiery about it- I am a typical redhead and get riled by too many things in life, I'm afraid.

Anyway, I am gearing myself up to do it all over again, as I am going back to work now, and DH has just informed me they have just put a whole line of ROAD CONES along the expressway. Deep breath, rescue remedy....

Exactly juju. It's like tailgating - everybody hates it, but somebody must actually do it.

I agree ^ that a driver (ie, me) who panics when looking in their rearview is not a safe driver, and for that reason, I don't actually drive. I managed to drive well enough for half an hour to pass my test, but real life is another story.

If I needed to drive now, I'd take some refresher lessons.

Exactly, juju.

It SHOULD be mirror, signal, manoeuvre, but how often have you had someone up your backside in a car park when you're driving round slowly looking for a space and found yourself unable to MSM because they've left precisely 6 inches between your bumper and theirs. Exactly what are you supposed to do in that situation??

MorrisZapp, I recently took some refresher lessons after not driving for a few years, and it's suprising how much more confident I am. I think it's partly because I'm more confident as a person than I was as a teenager.

I think for me, having an automatic car would be a godsend. I never enjoyed shifting gears all the time, and bet I'd feel a lot more confident if I could fully focus my attention outside the car instead of inside it.

I learned in a manual, like most people do. Wish we were a bit more like America and all drove autos