To drive at the speed limit, despite what the bloke right up behind me wants?

[tearinghairout]

I often do a 20-mile trip on B-roads & through villages where the speed limits are 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60mph in various places. On two stretches there are speed cameras, and a few months back I got a warning letter for doing over 30 in a 30mph limit - don't know by how much, but I was lucky not to get a fine.

So I stick to the speed limits, even though IMO some are a bit daft - the 20mph is only relevant at school pick-up & drop-off really - but it's not for me to decide the law.

So why are there always cars - always BIG cars - right up my exhaust pipe trying to chivvy me up? It's SO stressful, why not just relax & go with the flow?

I ignore them and if it is a road where it isn't safe to overtake, I make sure I am fairly close to the line in the middle. Then you get the enjoyment of seeing them about to explode when you look in your rear mirror.

I agree that it is very unsettling, but I sometimes take the complete opposite approach of Wynken, and pull over to let them blow past if they're in such a hurry. That way, I can have a more relaxing drive - far better, imo, than the satisfaction gained from making them angry.

I was told on my speeding awareness course to carry on driving within the speed limit, but to pull over and let them pass if it is upsetting you, or in my case making me rageful

Thank you thank you.

I've been driving for 18 years but can remember the terror of having someone close up behind, constantly pushing. Worrying about having to stop/turn off & being pushed into going faster than your comfort zone.

My DH says he tries to make people go faster - - and does not accept that there's a danger.

But this thread was about - why can't people accept that it's reasonable to stay within the speed limit? And overtake when it's safe without pushing others (me) to go faster?

I feckin hate that. I got a speeding fine a while ago in my first year of driving which scared the pants off me, as 4 points in the first two years and they take your license away! Luckily I got to do the speed awareness course instead of points, bloody brilliant, it should be compulsory for every driver before they take a test IMO, I never speed now if I can help it (not for fear of getting a ticket, but because speed limits are there for a reason!) and it drives me nuts when people tailgate me, makes me want to drive even slower! I feel no guilt whatsoever, I think I'm potentially stopping some idiot from injuring or killing someone with their stupid speeding.

Hear hear!

Pull over, let them pass

less stressful

particularly if they end up in the path of a lorry

I do think that there is a certain morality by some drivers
" i am going at 28 and i am so safe look at me"
but who seem not to be " driving to make progress" within the limit.

I do think its rude to drive up someones arse BUT oyu are not the traffic police and if someone wants to go faster its THEIR choice unfort.

am always stunned by the lack of "open" speeders on mumsnet.....

I do pull over sometimes. I did that once this morning on the outward journey but sometimes you are going at a speed that you can't suddenly decide to pull into a gateway.

I was so annoyed with one 'tank' being so close that resorted to an old trick, put the lights on briefly so he'd think I'd braked, but then I wondered if the bloke in the opposite direction was thinking I'd flashed him!

I tend to keep touching my brakes. I find it makes them a tad nervous and liable to back off a bit. Then smile sweetly when they eventually tear past mouthing obscenities.

AgentCody - I don't quite understand you. Why is driving at 28 a bad thing? It's also not their choice if someone is driving at the speed limit in front of them. What they are trying to do is take away my choice not to speed by trying to intimidate me into driving faster.

You might not believe that I don't speed, but I don't anymore after learning about the damage that can be done by speeding.

I say that, but I do speed on the motorway (as in go over 70mph) but recently had a near miss in the fast lane so I won't be doing that anymore either. My life, my son's life, and everyone else's lives are worth more than that

i didnt say I approve of being up someones arse, but when you get dawdlers who take 2 hours to go around a corner

I do pull over sometimes but am pig headed on my road ( reasonably main one) about it as someone killed my friend's Grandad recently. Calming measures have been put in which some people completely ignore and I'm sure it is only a matter of time before some idiot kills one a child from one of the 5 schools that traipse up and down daily.

Cody - I don't agree with trying to make people go slower than they want. If they want to speed, up to them. BUT they have no right to try to make me break the law, they should just wait & overtake when they can.

Re DH, no, he's not normally a knob. Just a lovely quiet bloke who turns into a monster behind the wheel. I still can't stand to have him as a passenger, he leans forward & grips the dashboard!

I hate people coming too close up behind me, very irresponsible, and besides anything else, rude.

my mum's friend came up with a great solution - put your windscreen washer on - to date, this has worked every time (obviously not in the rain!). i am happy to move over once there is a safe gap to move into, but hate to be chivvied. remember, windscreen washers, you read it here first!

Oh I HATE this! People who want you to break the speed limit! grrr. If I can pull over I will, because I'd rather they just fuck off out of the way. Let them get pulled over or wrapped round a tree if they want, just leave me out of it.

If I can't pull over, they can bollocks. Although you find that they then overtake dangerously and zoom off down the road. Sometimes gesturing for good measure erm hello. Doing 30 in a 30. What's the problem?

I always mutter about there never being a policeman or a blockage across the road when you need one. Would love to go round corner and find them stopped by police. Fantasise about pulling up and saying "This NUT just...." and making things worse for them

Drivers up your backside trying to get past on country roads are good sport! The faster they try to go the slower you go and at appropriate moments, speed up ever so slightly (and safely) so they can't quite get enough power up to overtake you..

Actually, my DH tried to teach me to brake test them i.e. you press the accelerator and the brake at the same time so they think you are braking and then you race off ahead - problem is, I just start bunny hopping down the road!! ...

I don't agree with speeding at all and think the speed limits are definitely there for a reason. There's a huge difference in mortality stats with even a small increase in speed.

HOWEVER, I don't agree with people attempting to police the roads by slowing down to irritate other drivers or breaking without need. These are all measures which results in increased frustration (even if the driver behind you is a w...er) and people spending far too much time noting the effect of their efforts in their rear view mirrors rather than concentrating on their own driving.

The best place for a speeding driver to be is in front of you, not irritated by being behind you. Frustration DOES cause accidents and no matter how enjoyable your efforts aren't making the roads safer, just more dangerous. If they are speeding in the first place and driving too close, antics designed to slow them down further will result in them making dangerous overtaking manoeuvres, putting lives at risk.

You are absolutely NBU to be irritated, however those (not the OP) who have said they take measures to slow down/irritate the other drivers definitely are.

I agree Satsuma - its just as dangerous baiting other drivers by deliberately slowing down and then speeding to stop them overtaking. Absolute madness and probably more dangerous than someone going 5 or 10 miles over the speed limit.