Safe Speed Forums

I've just come back along the A5 in a westerly direction from Cannock to Telford. The main reason for this is the M54 was shut west bound so all traffic has been diverted along the old A5, which as most of you probably know (being an old roman road), is one of the straightest roads in the country and hardly used when the M54 is open. Well it had a few lorries and a handful of cars all following a large juggernaut doing 40MPH but as the traffic Eastbound was still allowed to use the M54 there was virtually nothing travelling East on the A5. Even so, it amazed me at how no one else was bothering to overtake even though there was long stretches of open straight road, and conditions were dry, people were happy to sit nose to tail (some too close for the 40MPH they were travelling )but not bothering to overtake.

Was it because these people were so used to motorway driving that they felt uncomfortable overtaking on A roads in the dark or are British drivers so sheep like and obsessed with driving at 40MPH everywhere, that they felt that was their "comfort speed"?

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

I think that it down to the modern teaching methods. My son passed his test a couple of years ago and he tells me that he was taught that overtaking was a very dangerous which should be avoided unless absolutely necessary - basically he would only overtake vehicles travelling at less than 20mph

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

probably to do with "Elf and Softy" rules. If instructors encourage new drivers to overtake and that person kills themselves doing so a year or two later, there's probably a law firm somewhere out there, encouraging a lawsuit...

It's a sad thought though, that there are drivers out there, willing to travel at 21 MPH without overtaking anything.

I must admit that I don't remember (although it was many years ago and my memory ain't good) being told anything about overtaking, prior to passing my test, except for stationary vehicles.

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

No. neither do I. Possibly because all my instruction was within a city. But there is a world of difference between not being trained to overtake and being trained not to overtake.

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

The rule for overtaking used to be that the maneuver was carried out in as short a time as possible. Now however, with speed cams and mobile cams around, this can end up with you getting done for speeding. Therefore people tend to feel uncomfortable on the right hand side of the road. So we have yet another area where the skills of driving are being dumbed down by unrealistic rules and regulations. It seems today rather than learning to deal with potential hazards safely, we try to pretend they don't exist but then when people are faced with them they do not know how to deal with them.

whynot

Was this in the dark, as a matter of interest? I wouldn't be too quick to blame people for being reluctant to overtake on an unlit road in the dark.


The spread of the motorway network means that most town-dwelling drivers will have little need to do much travelling on rural single-carriageway main roads and therefore little opportunity to practice overtaking. Sad, but true.

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

from Cannock to the A41 junction is a bit iffy for overtaking, it is possible to overtake from the A41 to Priorslee, even in my car. That said, pre M54 (when I was even smaller) I remember there were crashes a plenty trying to cross the A5 at Crackley Bank.

yes, Peter, it was dark but being one of the straightest roads around , forward visibility (taking into account the dark)was good although I suppose people not knowing the road might have expected more bends on it than there actually are.

The best bit about was that once I got past the "convoy", I don't think I saw another car (going either direction) til I hit Telford...

Yep, Adam, Cannock to the A41 is a strange bit of road and the speed cameras, every half mile and 50MPH limit on the first bit don't help...

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

Yes, I am certainly not scared of overtaking but on an unlit road I didn't know in the dark I would be very circumspect about it.

Having said that, if you do know the road, the darkness can often enhance your forward visibility.

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

The other night on my way home at 10:30 I folowed a driver who obayed every speed limit. 60 mph then 30 through an unlit hamlet. The trouble was they had not been taught how to use main/dipped beam. 60mph and 30 mph on dipped through unlit twisty roads. Leathal.

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Speed limit sign radio interview. TV Snap Unhappy
“It has never been the rule in this country – I hope it never will be - that suspected criminal offences must automatically be the subject of prosecution” He added that there should be a prosecution: “wherever it appears that the offence or the circumstances of its commission is or are of such a character that a prosecution in respect thereof is required in the public interest”
This approach has been endorsed by Attorney General ever since 1951. CPS Code

Unfortunately -YES -I remember my last trip down the A14 from Cathorp to the A605 junction in a van .I wasconstantly tailgaited at 70+ by repmobiles (on the DC)I noted some details)-then once on the A605 ,single carriage way - same lot decided that it was "not safe " to exceed 50 -so we had sheepy reps holding every body up ,andwhen they met old lady at 20-same option .( Perhaps brainwashing was in force -"you will not overtake ")-so we altrunnnnnnnnnnnndledon at 20 ,till some white van man decided to go it alone .

Don't these PLONKER SPEED ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES REALISE - IT'S AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN -CAUSED BY POOR SPEED RESPONSE -AND POOR ROAD SAFETY THINKING .

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on