Dan W

I only ask for things seem to be getting worse.

Once upon a time I would encounter few drivers who drove at well below the speed limit but now it seems like it happens every time I drive.

The worst offenders drive at 40 in a 60 zone with a whole line of cars behind them and not a care in the world.

I'm no speedy gonzales but think I am entitled to expect others to drive in accordance with the standard that got them their licence. That being a bit faster than 40.

Given that the half wits in power bleat on about carbon footprints (me neither) wouldn't it make sense to get people to drive at a more fuel efficient speed such as 55-60?

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

What about really old, slow cars? Wouldn't really be fair would it?

PeteBrant

It is really annoying, but...

completely unenforceable
Completely unworkable (tractors etc)

Dan W

fair point but there would need to be certain exceptions/exemptions etc. I'm not talking of a blanket enforcement but perhaps particular roads at particular time. Like the traffic matriced with varible speed limits perhaps.

Maybe if there were signs pointing to a minimum speed limit it might prompt the self rightous and the incompetents into speeding up a little.

SteveScooby

iTrader: (2)

They can already dealt with for driving without due consideration for other road users if necessary

NotoriousREV

Make the driving test harder and weed out the nervous, thoughtless, witless and slow drivers. That should leave the roads clear for me.

stilover

Got stuck behind a train of cars this morning on a back road to work. Car in front was doing 20mph Driven by what looked like a 100 year old.

Not one car dared overtake him though Why? It's not illegal.

Luckily some cars turned onto other roads, so it was upto me to have to overtake 2 cars at once.

Dan W

exactly.

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

Yes, but it's not a law as such, just general common sense.

speedking

At least you can overtake someone doing 40 without exceeding the limit yourself. The worst are those who sit at 55 (not just Americans ) which means that overtaking requires breaking the law and the potential punishment that goes with it

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

But is it really worth getting worked up because someone os doing 8.4% less than the speed limit?

The Chief

You'd think sometimes that overtaking was as socially unacceptable as bloody drink driving sometimes the way some people react when you overtake

ChrisGrant

i like tooting up all the cars and lorrys and seeing how many i can overtake at once

my best is 2 lorrys (artics) 1 van 9 cars and yes on a single carridgeway!

whats you problem with me overtaking? drive faster dumb ***

T5OLF

iTrader: (4)

The last time I was driving in California on the back roads people driving slow would pull in to laybys called turn out's to let faster drivers get past. Slow people here are to pig ignorant to move out the way and just carry on at 45mph and 9 times out of 10 carry on at that speed when they enter a village.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

This is No1 on my list of driving hates

No2 is the driver who's happily doing the limit, out in the country, then comes up behind an idiot doing, say 45mph, BUT REFUSES TO PASS, leaving you to try and do two at once as they NEVER leave a gap.

And No3 is the driver who tears up behind you on a dual carriageway at night. If you've any sense, the minute you see him coming you're doing the speed limit. And then what does he do? Sits behind you, whether you do 30 or break the limit, HE WILL NOT PASS, or drop back, but just matches his speed to yours. WHY????

Alcazar

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

Just to add some variety - my personal pet hate are those people that slow down to 40 when they get to a speed camera in a 50... "just in case"

JUST IN CASE OF WHAT?????

Just in case you're too dumb to note that you are going over 50?

ARGH!!!

For those that know Derby - Raynseway 50 limit and that camera that never moves... God it drives me nuts on the way home... the sheer number of numpties that crawl past (in either lane) and cause a huge tailback.....

Varboy

I've noticed in the past couple of years that seems to be an overwhelmingly pious attitude to speed limit with people generally self enforcing themselves to 1mph under the posted limit. Little do they realise that their true speed is probably a lot lower than what the speedo is telling them.

I truly believe that people should be highly encouraged through various incentives ie insurance, VED etc to increase their driving knowledge by undertaking advanced driving lessons. Imagine how much better things would be if people actually knew how to drive with consideration for the prevaling conditions and other road users?

Clarebabes

I sat behind a taxi driver doing 30 on a 60mph road the other day. Bit of a windy road, but nothing major. I couldn't overtake due to slight bends, but the road is safe to drive at 60 on.

This is a PROFESSIONAL driver. He drives for a living. He should have his licence taken away as going slow can be dangerous - people get frustrated and overtake! dangerously.

Smatt

Around Basingstoke all the roads have been dropped to 50MPH.

Why? The grey brigade only did 40-45 in a 60.
Now it is 35-40 in a fifty.
I have literally done several miles at 30-35, no lorries just geriatrics.

Having live in Basingstoke all my life, I know the road history pretty well & can hand on heart say there are more serious accidents now than 10 years ago.

The amount of fatals has risen & they have all been head ons where somebody is overtaking.

The pratts who authorise these reductions should be held responsible.
Speed doesn't kill, impatience does. To catch someone over the limit on a nice straight road isn't policing.
Policing is creating a safe environment, where people can get from A to B in a decent time.

BOB.T

I'm utterly convinced that if more people drove at or near the speed limit, our roads would be much safer.

These people who drive at 40 mph everywhere just don't realise the frustration they cause to those that follow. We get it here on the A59, there's one really long straight and two shorter ones and there's always accidents on them. Thing is, these are the only overtaking spots for 50 kabillion miles so they're you're only chance to get past Mr and Mrs Numpty If they drove faster you wouldn't have folk pulling risky overtakes.

Then you get folk who do 35 - 40 in the twisties then when they get to a straight they're up to 60, so you can't overtake them plus they lull you into a false sense of security till the next set of bends, 40 mph again!

Stuff tax on 'gas guzzlers', tax Rovers, Xsara Picassos and Passats to death

Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh hh I hate crap drivers!

stilover

The whole countries been windy lately, so what? Why should that effect his driving.

Secondly. You class an immigrant with a Taxi sign on his roof as a professional?

SteveScooby

iTrader: (2)

My biggest pet hate is people who block roundabouts and junctions by moving on to them before their exit is clear

Clarebabes

Windy as in got bends in it. Not windy as in moving air!

The driver gets paid to drive, therefore is a professional driver.

megabreath

Im sure most of them do it to wind people up.

There is no other reason why you'd drive 40 down a 60 limit straight road in dry conditions.

SVXNUT

I thought it was still illegal to deliberatly cause an obstruction on the highway??. Anyone driving at 10% or more less than limit should be prosecuted.

Oh by the way to be road legal a tractor must have working lights, orange spinny lights on the roof and rear No. plates on whatever they are towing. That make 95% of them illegal, but you never see them pulled over.
They have to be taxed as well.
The law also clearly states that if a queue of more than a few vehicles are behind them, they must pull in at the first safe opportunity.

vindaloo

If I was driving a 1.2 Skodawagen and got baulked by a Mr 35-40mph, I'd be stuffed. Not enough acceleration in the car to get by. The ONLY way to do it would be to a) know the road and b) speed up in anticipation of straight bits where passing is possible.

Most of the roads I've driven, 40mph is quite enough on bends to get you into trouble. Narrowish roads, not lanes, bound by hedges, crappily completed resurfacing, blind brows etc. 40mph I'll accept, 30 however, or lower, is taking the p*ss unless it's on-tow or missing one of it's wheels.

J.

Lum

I'll see that and raise you 10 artics and 40ish vans/cars, in a TDi VW Bora, on a single carriageway, without breaking a speed limit.

I wish I could remember which road, it was in Lincolnshire (possibly the A50), it was perfectly straight and had visibility for a good 6 or 7 miles, it was also plagued with speed cameras and crawling along at 30 due to a crane or something at the front of the queue with two artics stuck behind it. Went through at least two cameras in that manoeuvre.

I received a lot of *ahem* hand signals for that one, and a thumbs up from the crane driver at the end.

SWRTWannabe

But if they can make some cash out of it, you can bet they'll try

Ringpeas

It won't be long before all our cars are controlled by satellite, have no steering wheel and have a taxi style Taxometer that whirs round for every metre you "drive".
Think it's bad now, just wait for the next phase