Vulnerability in 50mph zones

[8IKERDAVE]

I am not sure if anyone shares my huge sense of vulnerability when travelling on the increasing number of average 50mph zones on our motorways. I am a very confident driver and quite happy driving in heavily populated cities, flat out on the autobahn or in snow, fog, the dark, etc.

However, I absolutely HATE travelling along for mile after mile at 50mph next to a line of HGV's with another HGV 3 feet from my bumper. I get a sense of Claustrophobia (if that is the right way of describing it). It's always nice to know in any driving situation you can put your foot down and get the hell out of there if you need to but in these zones you're all stuck driving along at the same speed. I know half the people on there have pretty much switched off from driving, the HGV drivers are frustrated because they can't sit on their limiters and it's just a generally unpleasant experience. Add narrowed lanes to this and it is my absolute worst type of driving.

When I've asked passengers about this they generally don't seem phased by it but one of my close mates pretty much emphaised my fears by saying "I just whack the cruise control on and switch off till the nationals come up". I'm the opposite; constantly checking mirrors, blind spots and peoples behaviour.

Anyone else or should I just hand my license in

[GeniusOfLove]

Set cruise/limiter to 56MPH and you're not sitting next to everything, it's the only thing that makes it slightly less awful.

You're right though, it's not nice having no room or scope to move.

[The Selfish Gene]

yeah it's terrible - the M1 which I've had to spend a load of time on recently is just miles and miles of this madness.

Some reason, when I'm in Europe, they seem to much better manage this, with a very short run into the road works and they do smaller sections at a time. That may be my imagination but that's how it feels.

I agree with you on the HGVs - it's so narrow and they're so close, you can't get past because all the billies are sticking in the right hand lane to not be in with the HGVs, but are forgetting the entire stay left unless over taking thing.

SO - yes - too many 50mph limits, for too long and the lanes are too narrow and everyone drives like a .

I won't be handing my licence in

Edited by The Selfish Gene on Wednesday 1st May 17:05

[Geffg]

Know what you mean, everyone is so bunched up doing similar speeds, if you need to come off at a junction and want to get over you can’t accelerate to get ahead etc. I find it more tiresome.

[The Selfish Gene]

also - anyone else feel the need to calculate how much time was stolen from them, and then increase their speed when out of the silly restricted zone to ensure their average is as it should be or better? Just me? ok

[Pica-Pica]

I cope. Just be grateful you don’t have to plead for your licence every three years.

[Flumpo]

I went through a few areas that were testing the 60mph instead and I thought they were much better. The traffic seemed to flow better and you didn’t have an hgv 3 inches off your back bumper.

[Baldchap]

Lift so you aren't next to a HGV for miles.

[sherman]

If you think the motorway average speed zones try traveling from Perth to Inverness.
Average speed cameras all the way.
60 mph for everyone for 100+miles apart from on the dual carriageway sections that are few and far between where its 70mph for car but still 60 for anything that should be 60mph on a duzl carriageway.

[Randy Winkman]

Question to the OP: Why are they 50 mph zones? Presumably because of some sort of roadworks? Isn't that fundamental to your frustration?

[SV_WDC]

National Highways have had a recent radio campaign to remind people to only use the right-hand lane for overtaking "it saves time & improves road safety" or something along those lines is their slogan.

Problem is, you then get into any kind of congestion & signage tells people to stay in lane.

There is definitely an element of vulnerability with the lanes being so narrow but that has less to do with the congestion & more with the miles and miles of 'roadworks' causing it.

[tegwin]

Try some of the dual carriageways near Chepstow/Abergavenny.

No road works, perfect flat straight dual carriageway.... mile after mile of 50mph signs. Not an average camera zone so you get people pootling along at 45mph vs those that simply don't understand the logic and are driving at the correct speed of 70mph. mind blowing.

[SmithCorona]

tegwin said:

Try some of the dual carriageways near Chepstow/Abergavenny.

The only place I"ve ever got a speeding ticket from a handheld camera. Perfectly clear day, little traffic, inexplicably 50mph permanent limit.

I understand there are different maintainence requirements based on speed limit, so councils can reduce cost if the limit is lower. I don't know if that's fact though.

[911Spanker]

Yep, HGV drivers are terrible. I don't give a monkeys though - if I am in the correct lane and doing a sensible speed, they can FRO.

[119]

GeniusOfLove said:

Set cruise/limiter to 56MPH and you're not sitting next to everything, it's the only thing that makes it slightly less awful.

You're right though, it's not nice having no room or scope to move.

At 56mph some will still be up your arse.

[raspy]

The way that HGVs sometimes get too close on narrow lanes in a 50 zone can be concerning. My car seems to come with side collision avoidance or something like that, but it often detects a vehicle in the next lane getting a bit too close and adjusts my position accordingly to avoid a collision. Tech can be so useful.

[DaveCWK]

Yeah I don't like this. If it's congested I prefer to sit at 49mph and have stuff more regularly pass me rather than sit at GPS 56 but in a lorry sandwich.

[FMOB]

We are all free to take a different route and not subject ourselves the 50mph, average camera controlled, narrow lane roadworks on the motorway or other multi-lane roads.

[wc98]

You aren't my long lost twin by any chance, i feel exactly like that in similar situations though thankfully up here it is easy to avoid. Especially the A9 nonsense, far more interesting routes to use.

[wc98]

The Selfish Gene said:

also - anyone else feel the need to calculate how much time was stolen from them, and then increase their speed when out of the silly restricted zone to ensure their average is as it should be or better? Just me? ok

Nope, not just you. I point blank refuse to have my journey time dictated by speeding Nazi's. Results in some entertaining drives. Average speed roads can work well when the limits are set appropriately, the A90 Dundee to Aberdeen being a good example ,although it was handy being able to do it a lot quicker when you only had to slow to 80 for the old fixed cameras whereas now it's set cruise to 80.