Safe Speed Forums

I very frequently drive over a long stretch of 40 limited road that until last year was NSL. I traverse it often up to four times daily in two very different cars. I keep to the limit and I know my speedos well enough to sit at 40 more or less spot-on.

If I'm in my Xantia, I can guarantee I'll get overtaken at least once, if not twice or three times. There is no shortage of repeaters to be reminded of the limit.

If I'm in my 205GTi I can guarantee I'll not get overtaken.

Is it that other road users think that when I'm in my Xantia I'm some doddery old git who will continue at 40 when the limit reverts to NSL and that when they see a GTi abiding by the limit they know it will blat off up to NSL (or faster) as soon as possible, so no need to risk overtaking?

They're wrong about both me and my Xantia, it being a "sleeper" in the form of a rare Turbo Activa. It both shifts and handles It confuses people at roundabouts because it will fly around them with no body roll and this seems to affect many peoples perception of how fast the car is going. I have to take care NOT to negotiate roundabouts at speed after a few near-misses.

So, does the car you drive affect the perception of you as a driver I wonder? Xantia = doddery old fool whereas 205GTi = boy racer in the eyes of some

_________________
Jim

Citroen Xantia: Tears and Joy

If you have access to a GPS unit I would check the accuracy of both speedometers. It wouldn't only take a few mph difference to make the difference between deciding to make a pass and not.

At 40mph the two cars could have as much as a 10mph difference in reading and still be legal (assuming one is dead on and the other reads the maximum 10%+6.25mph over).

And Hi, I think we may have met elsewhere.

Yes I guess so,

Perhaps from behind, the Pug looks like it is working harder to progress, than the trick suspension on the Xantia, making it look like your cruising.

fatboytim

Xantia Turbo Activa

Proper Q-Car that.

_________________
Simon

Well, all I know is that when I am in my sports car people tend not to overtake but just stay up my ass, probably expecting me to distance them, which I sometimes do to the extent that I cannot see them anymore.
BUt mostly I just get annoyed by stupid drivers no matter what I drive so that kinds of evens it all out...

When I used to drive a Jaguar, there was tendency for the Escort/Cortina/Cavalier brigade to 'have' to get past.