Slowsters -- the fastest growing danger?
Discussion
does the highway code say that you should drive to the speed limit where appropriate?
years ago a friend failed a driving test for driving too slowly.
People can drive as slow as they want providing they leave adequate space in front of them for those wishing to progress quicker than a glacier!
years ago a friend failed a driving test for driving too slowly.
People can drive as slow as they want providing they leave adequate space in front of them for those wishing to progress quicker than a glacier!
Anybody who drive at 20mph below the NSL during their driving test would quite rightly fail for not making reasonable progress.
The reason they'd fail are exactly those being described above - causing frustration on the part of drivers behind possibly resulting in ill-judged over-takes.
If they are unable, unwilling or lacking the confidence to drive close to the speed limit when conditions allow then they are clearly a danger to other road users.
Oh for 5 yearly re-tests! That WOULD save some lives (unlike speed cameras).
The reason they'd fail are exactly those being described above - causing frustration on the part of drivers behind possibly resulting in ill-judged over-takes.
If they are unable, unwilling or lacking the confidence to drive close to the speed limit when conditions allow then they are clearly a danger to other road users.
Oh for 5 yearly re-tests! That WOULD save some lives (unlike speed cameras).
regmolehusband said:
Oh for 5 yearly re-tests! That WOULD save some lives (unlike speed cameras).
That would kill our economy.. How many people would fail a modern driving test today ? More than 50% i imagine.
4 out of 5 drivers i see can't even indicate correctly on a round about ffs.
jwo said:
does the highway code say that you should drive to the speed limit where appropriate?
years ago a friend failed a driving test for driving too slowly.
People can drive as slow as they want providing they leave adequate space in front of them for those wishing to progress quicker than a glacier!
The highway code also says that you should pull over to allow others to pass if a queue is forming behind you.
iaint said:
does the highway code say that you should drive to the speed limit where appropriate?
years ago a friend failed a driving test for driving too slowly.
People can drive as slow as they want providing they leave adequate space in front of them for those wishing to progress quicker than a glacier!
The highway code also says that you should pull over to allow others to pass if a queue is forming behind you.
Rule 145: Do not hold up a long queue of traffic, especially if you are driving a large or slow moving vehicle or a Nissan Micra. Check your mirrors frequently, and if necessary, pull in where it is safe and let traffic pass.
You know I reckon that radar combined with ANPR could quite easily figure out people driving at 40mph with nothing in front of them and plenty behind.
Now how sweet would that be hearing the grey haired old duffers getting driving bans for actually driving dangerously.
Oh happy thoughts
SM
Now how sweet would that be hearing the grey haired old duffers getting driving bans for actually driving dangerously.
Oh happy thoughts
SM
I think one or two people are missing the point here - I don't have an issue with people driving slowly per se but I do have an issue with people either driving:
(a) Slowly and inconsideratly, eg holding up long queues of traffic
(b) Slowly because they are afraid / inconfident to go faster, ie make good progress. Further education and perhaps a more rigorous test would pick up on this.
(a) Slowly and inconsideratly, eg holding up long queues of traffic
(b) Slowly because they are afraid / inconfident to go faster, ie make good progress. Further education and perhaps a more rigorous test would pick up on this.
cooperman said:
I've been posting on here for some time, but I don't think I've ever seen such a load of selfish codswallop before.
The posters here seem to feel it their right to drive at 20 mph (say) over the posted limit at all times, but if someone who is not in a hurry chooses to drive at 20 mph below the limit then they are deemed a a 'numpty', or worse.
For goodness sake, let's show a bit of tolerance here and stop this attitude that if you don't want to drive very quickly and have the ability to do so then you have no rights to be on the road. Go quickly when you can, go slowly when you can't, and show tolerance to others. Everyone has the right to the use of the roads. If others should not be selfish and self-centered, then nor should you or I. This 'King-of-the-Road' attitude is not good for anyone.
Peter my friend, it's not often you're wrong, but you're right again. Well said.
It's all about having a bit of flexibility and give and take in your driving. Some people are not comfortable with anything more than a fairly low speed, and when I meet drivers of that type I'll adjust my style to suit. To me the ideal is someone who can put a bit of light and shade in their driving, a bit of sparkle now and again, but if they can not, well that does not mean they should not be on the road IMHO.
Today I caught up with a closely spaced queue of 45-50 mph people on my way home, but I had already had my bit of fun at warp factor 6 and a bit, so I settled down to following them and listening to the music. It's no big deal. Let's try and understand the non-petrolheads a bit.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
jwo said:
does the highway code say that you should drive to the speed limit where appropriate?
years ago a friend failed a driving test for driving too slowly.
People can drive as slow as they want providing they leave adequate space in front of them for those wishing to progress quicker than a glacier!
For driving test purposes I think one should be able to demonstrate the ability to make progress at up to the speed limit, but I don't think one should be expected to always drive like that, so long as proper consideration is shown for those who wish to travel faster.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
When I'm out in my vintage car I am motoring at around 30-35mph. I try to keep off the main highways for obvious reasons and if I spot a Q forming behind simply pull in at a convenient spot, usually get a friendly wave from the cars passing. But I'm lucky that I live in a quite location of Suffolk.
Last Summer I was enjoying motoring life in my TVR Griff' and decided to have a change of wheels. So I've seen both sides of the story I guess.
Last Summer I was enjoying motoring life in my TVR Griff' and decided to have a change of wheels. So I've seen both sides of the story I guess.
Ok, for the sake of the egos on this forum, lets acknowledge that everyone here is far bigger and better than to get frustrated in a line of cars. We're all first class drivers and inclusive of all abilities and ambitions on the roads.
Now back to my point:
Are more people being killed on our roads because they overtake dangerously in the lines of closely spaced cars following an increasing numbers of slowsters driving 20+ mph under the speed limit? And if there are, what is being done about it?
SM
Now back to my point:
Are more people being killed on our roads because they overtake dangerously in the lines of closely spaced cars following an increasing numbers of slowsters driving 20+ mph under the speed limit? And if there are, what is being done about it?
SM
scorp said:I reckon this would be far more effective and economical than the impending national rollout of the congestion charge.
Oh for 5 yearly re-tests! That WOULD save some lives (unlike speed cameras).
That would kill our economy.. How many people would fail a modern driving test today ? More than 50% i imagine.
4 out of 5 drivers i see can't even indicate correctly on a round about ffs.
Which would you prefer:
a) A retest every 5 years: £50 (including a refresher course or two) to screen out the not so able, or
b) The privilege of driving around a congestion charging zone for 5 years: £10k
?
Tank Slapper said:
Agree with the last post - if a driver is unable to keep pace with the rest of the traffic, they're a danger and a liability on the roads.
That is a ridiculous statement. If you find it such a problem to deal with people driving slower than you, then maybe the problem doesn't lie with them!
It might be frustrating, but it isn't dangerous.
I must ask, even though I think I already know the answer to this:
if a slowster is driving slow enough, knowingly encouraging others to overtake and an overtaker gets it tragically wrong in the process, would the slowster face being convicted for causing death by dangerous driving?
The similarities of this situation to the one linked below are obvious:
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=192124
supermono said:
Are more people being killed on our roads because they overtake dangerously in the lines of closely spaced cars following an increasing numbers of slowsters driving 20+ mph under the speed limit? And if there are, what is being done about it?
SM
I think they are, that's why KSI are up. It's an unexpected side effect of the scamera boom. As speed decreases, so driver frustration increases. Our fastest roads are our safest roads. If we could INCREASE the average speed on our roads I think they would be safer.
That doesn't mean drive fast when it is inappropriate, it means we need single carriageway roads that are safe to navigate at 60 MPH for even the lowest common denominator.
We need to push for the "Safety Camera Pratnerships" to be disbanded ASAP and return to education and engineering as a solution.
There is a lot of ignorance on the roads, alas. 
However on longish journeys on single carriageways I find that opportunities to overtake slower vehicles safely normally occurs after a while. Quite satisfying to get past them as well.
Either that or the slow person at the head of the queue eventually turns off or whatever.
Nevertheless would be better if they looked in their mirror, saw a queue and made use of a layby to let everybody pass.
However on longish journeys on single carriageways I find that opportunities to overtake slower vehicles safely normally occurs after a while. Quite satisfying to get past them as well.
Either that or the slow person at the head of the queue eventually turns off or whatever.
Nevertheless would be better if they looked in their mirror, saw a queue and made use of a layby to let everybody pass.
I drove too and from Prescott down the A40 this weekend, towing the Chim. Large parts of it are single carriageway, where I'm limited to 50mph, so I was pulling over to let people past at regular intervals. But ... there was a fair amount of dangerous overtaking going on, principally caused by;
- Impatience. Some people simply couldn't be arsed to wait for a proper opportunity. I had to brake hard twice to let people in after they tried to get past me in the face of oncoming traffic (Yes, that red Mini Cooper S - you know you are!)
- Driving too close. The people in the queue behind me were so close together than anyone who wanted to make their way up the queue to overtake me simply couldn't. And people were deliberately closing the gaps if anyone tried (so far as I could see in my mirrors, anyway.)
- Speed cameras. I'm doing 50mph, the limit's 60mph, there isn't enough permissible differential to get past in a reasonable time, so people don't try, and the queue builds up.
So, chill out, people. There'll be another layby or section of dual carriageway in a minute.
- Impatience. Some people simply couldn't be arsed to wait for a proper opportunity. I had to brake hard twice to let people in after they tried to get past me in the face of oncoming traffic (Yes, that red Mini Cooper S - you know you are!)
- Driving too close. The people in the queue behind me were so close together than anyone who wanted to make their way up the queue to overtake me simply couldn't. And people were deliberately closing the gaps if anyone tried (so far as I could see in my mirrors, anyway.)
- Speed cameras. I'm doing 50mph, the limit's 60mph, there isn't enough permissible differential to get past in a reasonable time, so people don't try, and the queue builds up.
So, chill out, people. There'll be another layby or section of dual carriageway in a minute.
I think the BiB can stop people driving..... perhaps they could clear it up ?
A few years ago there was a story in the local paper about some doddery old buffoon who had been stopped by trafpol, given an "instant test", and stopped from driving .... I don't remember the exact circumstances but remember the incident, 'cos it was noticeable the duffers seemed to drive a bit faster for a while.
One of the funniest things I've ever seen was the ultimate "safe pursuit" ; a well known local incompetent driver doing about 20mph hunched over the wheel, oblivious to the trafpol crawling along behind her .....
A few years ago there was a story in the local paper about some doddery old buffoon who had been stopped by trafpol, given an "instant test", and stopped from driving .... I don't remember the exact circumstances but remember the incident, 'cos it was noticeable the duffers seemed to drive a bit faster for a while.
One of the funniest things I've ever seen was the ultimate "safe pursuit" ; a well known local incompetent driver doing about 20mph hunched over the wheel, oblivious to the trafpol crawling along behind her .....
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff