Safe Speed Forums

unless the local council has decided to ban overtaking or there's lots of oncoming traffic, or... take your pick. You can easily get stuck behind one of these numpties for 20 or 30 miles.

I'll tell you what I find odd. I don't personally get frustrated if I'm held up behind a truck or even that much behind a tractor or cyclist, but these 40mph everywhere people do my nut.

I think its because all the other cases I've noted have a good reason for driving at 40mph or less, but these muppets are just driving slow.

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

I followed a great one today. 40 down the straights, but 40 in sections where I couldn't keep up too! (in a big van...)

I agree that if it is a case of someone who obviously is oblivious to the knock on effect on other drivers, that guy should be stopped and given some stick.

But what I notice is that drivers tend to assume that just because another driver is slower he must be a muppet, and reach that conclusion within instants of being held up.

Especially in the morning the rush hour traffic makes driving pretty dangerous. It is down to people being "in a rush" and not looking beyound their own speedometer!

If you are a fast and safe driver, even in the most absurd conditions you don't get held up very much if the driver in front has a reason to go slowly, so it is safer to wait and see. If the driver in front is really completely ignoring what is happening around him and makes things harder for you, then I agree that can be very frustrating.

But as frustrating as that might be, it can't be used as an excuse for dangerous overtaking.

Don't get me wrong, I am one of those that ignores speed limits and applies common sense, and sometimes drives much faster, sometimes a bit slower than the posted speed limit.

But I must also remind myself that there are occasions when I have to slow down for other traffic.

I though never ever speed up for other traffic just to keep up, uless overtaking or avoiding danger.

Great post. Thank you.

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"Experience isn't everything - but it's most of it".

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you.

I trust driving at 55 mph is acceptable as this is the most economical speed for many cars?

And what about the situation where, with local knowledge, you know you are going to hit a queue before the next major junction so there is not point at driving at any more than 40 mph?

By slowing down a bit you can allow some of the queue to dissipate before you arrive there - thus less time is spend stationary and overall average speed is the same.

FFS, even on my bicycle, average speed just below 20 mph, on some journeys I follow my neighbours and other people who live nearby all the way home.

I read somewhere that the average life time speed of a car is about 17 mph.

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It's not what you ride... it's how you ride it.

ed, this is not about driving at peak times or on roads with lots of junctions but on quiet country roads where these days you will always find some idiot who not only insists on doing 40mph in the NSL but continues at the same speed through all the 30mph towns/villages. Hardly what anyone would call safe behaviour.

Hallo Liebchen. Und if I did not say before .. really truly delighted things went well with you in the end. We are pro-cycling und pro-driving und pro-biking.. und because of Krissi being all "horsey girly" - we have to be pr0-pony trekking too So she drive the dreadful 4x4 . . complete with the dreaded trailer ... und help organise the Scarecrow fest und a 4x4 und tractor fun day in her little pocket of UK .. but she drive her 4x4 where it should be driven.. und for right reasons.. her work as country vet und as one of them horsey folk!


You need have no fear of Krissi und the 4x4 etc fun days. .. that community ist the stewardship if you like of England's "pastures green" und if they did not "plough the fields und farrow" - nature's harvest would not provide


She does not actually drive over fast .. especially if the horse ist in that horsebox. An ex-racer.. he ist a sensitive brute.. but very friendly. I have a lovely photo of him giving Krissi a big horsey kiss She said she never realised that horse breath was a bit whiffy until then... but that the horse's tongue licking her face was a bit of a surreal experience

But back to topic of the speed on the NSL.. if speedo show 60 mph .. we usually at around 56-57 mph per the GPS system und thus at "optimum speed on the NSL trunks"

We talk of numpty who drive at 40 mph everywhere - no matter what the lolly say

Saw one such on M6 on way home from work the other evening.

He (Focus) entered M6 .. just swerved in in front of the car in L1 - who had to slam on brakes. I eased off in case this driver needed to move to L2 to avoid. I am COAST styled driver.. I look ahead to see what develop und plan accordingly

L1 normal driver had not really go the "oomph" as this was small Pug .. so I pass und move into L1 to keep the discipline. In mirror I see the Pug perform very safe overtake und move in behind me.. but I also note as I progress that the slow driver did not seem to make any further progress to motorway speeds.

Later .. I leave my normal exit to join the NSL A road to home. I come across the 40 mph everywhere driver. When we hit the 30 mph zone .. und the 20 mph zone in villages .. he stay at 40 mph. .. und stay fixated at 40 mph into the NSL zone too. I could have overtaken him.. but I was curious und not in any great hurry. I wanted to observe his driving to verify he was a right numpty .. which he really seem to be Poor indicating skills, failed to give sufficient room to a well visible cyclist .. did not give way to car approaching from right on mini-roundabout .. but at his speed past the speed scam.. he was "legal und therefore a "good" motorist .. when my own observation und instinct tell me to keep distance as not really safe to share my road space with




Ach.. but when we are local .. we do use that knowledge to advantage My Sat Nav doo-dah usually warn of stationary traffic. I will give it that credit .. even if I do not obey what it tell me as I know safe short cuts und its database does not (It get all huffy und puffy over that too.... I think I quite enjoy the tantrum of the Sat Nav voice und am childish enough to think I sass back at her authoritarian schoolheadmistress tones (Ist a very bossy voice .. I can well understand how one would turn left und find oneself on a railway line (per Waily last week) und in a river (per Waily today) ) )




Ach .. it depend where you live We are quite lucky here. Ist rural und fairly peaceful.

In-laws live in Manchester urban sprawl. But Jazz who works in Bolton finds she averages 25 mph on way to work - including road work hold up - und Ju-ju who work in Altrincham say she average 10 mph on way to M60 und normal motorway speed as far as Altrincham Spur und then at speed limit und flowing for rest of journey via the "country back lanes around Warburton".

But .. the 40 mph everywhere driver.. they really are a pest as they are normally complacent und the only reason why they never have incident ist because everyone else defend against them..

It thus does not prove that they are good drivers because they never have incident. Nor does it mean they never will .. but then IAM.. RoSPA .. COAST .. POLICE ADVANCED training does not make that elusive c100% immunising vaccine against incident.

Like the vaccine .. und even like the olde big heap medicineman cures if you are into homeopathy .. we do treat like with like .. und most medicine heal by building the antibodies und boosting the immune system. It does not ever mean you are completely "immune" und will never ever fall ill from that particular affliction .. it just mean that you have the means und the antibodies (und in case of advanced driving ) the means within you to protect und survive another day

I hope I make some sense to you here. Have not thought through .. I think I get the English into tango again

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Nicht ganz im Lot!
Ich setze mich immer wieder in die Nesseln! Der Mad Doc ist mein Mann! Und ich benutzte seinen PC!

UND OUR SMILEYS? Smile ... und the the world smiles with you.
Smiley guy seen when you read
Fine me for Safe Speed
(& other good causes..)

Greatest love & Greatest Achievements Require Greatest Risk
But if you lose the driving plan - don't lose the COAST lesson.
Me?
Je ne regrette rien!

Succinctly put ..und so true

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Nicht ganz im Lot!
Ich setze mich immer wieder in die Nesseln! Der Mad Doc ist mein Mann! Und ich benutzte seinen PC!

UND OUR SMILEYS? Smile ... und the the world smiles with you.
Smiley guy seen when you read
Fine me for Safe Speed
(& other good causes..)

Greatest love & Greatest Achievements Require Greatest Risk
But if you lose the driving plan - don't lose the COAST lesson.
Me?
Je ne regrette rien!

Funnily enough, my cars trip computer reckons in 65000 miles of mixed driving in 4 years, I averaged 40mph...

Five cars? Nothing! You should have seen the JCB that came round the corner on my side of the road towards me as I was driving to nuneaton.

I must have passed about a minutes worth of cars - probably about 50 of them!

No excuse. But people do try don't they! They say "Well, he's only doing a job", or, "Stop being so impatient and find some other route" - irrelevent. That JCB driver should have a bit of decency about him.

Cya
Simon

And that's what all these speed limiters and spying technology will prevent - giving your car a little kick to get past the menace in front and pull in safely.

Wouldn't surprise me if you had said as soon as you started slowing down to pull in he slowed down to stop you, or someone else filled the gap! Happened to me a couple of times.

Cya
Simon

Yes, one should not feel the need to drive at up to the speed limit all the time (subject to safety), but drivers do need to be reminded not to cause delay to others who may wish to travel faster.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

I think it comes down to...

One should not feel compelled to keep at the limit, but should be CAPABLE of doing so.

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

And if they wish to go slow, move out of the way of faster drivers.

Some people are so vindictive when you try to overtake them. They fail to realise how dangerous they are being in their attempt to teach you a lesson, because they believe you are being dangerous. When I overtake I tend to choose a gear and speed where I can still accelerate (fairly quickly) if they choose to mess around.

Having said that there are still a few drivers that move over to the left and help you to overtake them.

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Oct 11 Birmingham Half Marathon. I am running for the British Heart Foundation.
http://www.justgiving.com/Rob-Taylor

Not so sure about that.

As we know the maximum safe speed will vary with the driver and vehicle for a particular set of road conditions. It therefore would be quite possible to have a road whose limit is safely attainable by, for instance, 85% of its users, of other 15% some should be should really be travelling slower.

What you are suggesting would mean the speed limit should be set so that all drivers should be able to attain it safely.

I appreciate what you mean but be very careful what it is you are asking for.

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Driving fast is for a particular time and place, I can do it I just only do it occasionally because I am a gentleman.
- James May

I can see both sides of this...

Like Sixy, I'd be worried about a driver who didn't have the confidence and competence to drive at the speed limit in good clear conditions.

But I'd be even more worried about drivers who felt that they 'should' drive at the speed limit in less than perfect conditions.

The bottom line of course is that the conditions are everything and the speed limit is close to nothing.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Yes, I believe I understand what Sixy meant, and I believe it was 'if the road conditions allow, any licenced driver on the roads should have the faculties to be capable of safely driving at the speed limit'.

Indeed, when I was doing my driving lessons, in the dim distant past, I was cautioned by my driving instructor, upon entering a NSL section of sigle carriageway, that if I did not attain and maintain a suitable speed for the conditions it would be counted as a fault. In good conditions that would be the speed limit.

As for drivers who try to force you into oncoming traffic during an overtake, my opinion is that, if such a move results in a collision and injury/death, they should be charged with attempted murder/murder; their act being a premeditated and willful attack on your safety, and they should reasonably be expected to know that their actions could result in your death, thus satisfying both mens rea and actus reus.

The problem is securing the conviction. Most witnesses will see 2 cars which are accelerating next to each other and come to the conclusion that they were racing. Either that or the driver who was being overtaken will claim that they didn't accelerate with the same result.

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Prepare to be Judged

Yup, but if they pulled their head out of their collective 'Speed Kills' arse, and decided to broadcast other road safety messages, such as highlighting the dangers of accelerating when someone is overtaking you, and commenting that you could be charged with attempted murder were any harm to come of it, then I am sure people would be much less likely to do it!

Its called education, it needs to be required, it needs to be reasonable, and it needs to be credible.