An epidemic of insanely slow drivers
Discussion
GolfDragon said:
Noticed this when driving on Sunday.
Driving down a B road with a signposted limit of 40mph (which used to be NSL about 10-15 years ago).
Someone was driving at 20-25mph for no obvious reason whatsoever (very low traffic levels).
I’m based in Wales so I don’t know if the driver assumed all roads are 20 but the 40 mph repeater signs on the side of the road quite clearly indicated otherwise.
They were probably driving without due care and attention.Driving down a B road with a signposted limit of 40mph (which used to be NSL about 10-15 years ago).
Someone was driving at 20-25mph for no obvious reason whatsoever (very low traffic levels).
I’m based in Wales so I don’t know if the driver assumed all roads are 20 but the 40 mph repeater signs on the side of the road quite clearly indicated otherwise.
I thought about this thread the other day, along with the other one, which I can't find now about why people have really fast cars.
Over the past few weeks, I've noticed myself being held up more and more on the roads. especially on motorways.
I drive a 59BHP Peugeot 106 1.1, so not exactly a powerhouse, or a rocket on the motorways. It got me thinking, in the four years I've owned this car, I can't once recall needing more power, but I get constantly annoyed at how many people hold me up, and I'm not driving quickly at all!
Motorways are dreadful. People crawling along at 60 in the outside lane of a four lane smart motorway!
Over the past few weeks, I've noticed myself being held up more and more on the roads. especially on motorways.
I drive a 59BHP Peugeot 106 1.1, so not exactly a powerhouse, or a rocket on the motorways. It got me thinking, in the four years I've owned this car, I can't once recall needing more power, but I get constantly annoyed at how many people hold me up, and I'm not driving quickly at all!
Motorways are dreadful. People crawling along at 60 in the outside lane of a four lane smart motorway!
Pan Pan Pan said:
Unreal said:
Pan Pan Pan said:
One of the reasons tailgaters exist, is because some cannot drive at the posted limits, and they unnecessarily hold up others who legally want to travel at the posted limits.
The main reason for using any vehicle from a skateboard to an SST, is to get from one place, to another quicker than is possible by walking. Otherwise there would be no point in inventing, building, having, and using motorized vehicles.
If the person in front, is doing the posted limit, then they are doing all that can be expected from them, and they should not be tailgated into going faster (Getting done for exceeding a posted limit, if that is what a driver wanted to do, is one thing, but getting done for exceeding a posted limit, because the person behind tailgated you into exceeding the limit is as about as daft as it gets).
If a person is not able to cope with driving at the posted limits, they should perhaps consider whether they are suited to driving any motorized vehicle on public roads at all. Certainly they would fail a driving test, if they did this during the test, which technically means they are fit to be allowed on public roads.
The sad thing is that if everyone stuck to the limits, (Low though they are) good cross country progress can still be made.
The reason some feel the need to speed, is to compensate timewise, for the negative effects on journey times, caused by the dawdlers they meet on the roads
I can't say I've noticed a correlation between tailgaters and people driving below the limit.The main reason for using any vehicle from a skateboard to an SST, is to get from one place, to another quicker than is possible by walking. Otherwise there would be no point in inventing, building, having, and using motorized vehicles.
If the person in front, is doing the posted limit, then they are doing all that can be expected from them, and they should not be tailgated into going faster (Getting done for exceeding a posted limit, if that is what a driver wanted to do, is one thing, but getting done for exceeding a posted limit, because the person behind tailgated you into exceeding the limit is as about as daft as it gets).
If a person is not able to cope with driving at the posted limits, they should perhaps consider whether they are suited to driving any motorized vehicle on public roads at all. Certainly they would fail a driving test, if they did this during the test, which technically means they are fit to be allowed on public roads.
The sad thing is that if everyone stuck to the limits, (Low though they are) good cross country progress can still be made.
The reason some feel the need to speed, is to compensate timewise, for the negative effects on journey times, caused by the dawdlers they meet on the roads
Edited by Pan Pan Pan on Monday 25th March 15:08
Tailgating is endemic at almost any speed.
If however, they are travelling at well below a posted limit, they can hardly be surprised if `some' others coming up behind them get a little close. (Possibly in the belief, that the person dawdling in front of them, is driving without due care and attention, and has not seen them yet, because they not been using their mirrors properly?)
New drivers won't have the confidence to make overtakes or maintain speeds that local experienced drivers can. Some people are carrying fragile items. I have to collect a long, thin quartz window sill soon - anyway who thinks I'll be driving to the speed limits all the way home with that in the back is sadly mistaken. Nor will I have a sign in the back to justify my speed to morons. Amazingly, some people do have more time than others, so don't drive everywhere at the limit, all of the time. And on some roads, amazingly, the limit is too high.
Having said all of that, there are obstructive drivers, road captains and dawdlers. Some should be prosecuted. An experienced, competent driver deals with all of these dispassionately, accepting that they are part of driving like poor road markings, potholes, cyclists, horses and blackberry pickers.
On the other hand, there is not one single valid justification for tailgating. It is the hallmark of the incompetent driver.
James_N said:
I thought about this thread the other day, along with the other one, which I can't find now about why people have really fast cars.
Over the past few weeks, I've noticed myself being held up more and more on the roads. especially on motorways.
I drive a 59BHP Peugeot 106 1.1, so not exactly a powerhouse, or a rocket on the motorways. It got me thinking, in the four years I've owned this car, I can't once recall needing more power, but I get constantly annoyed at how many people hold me up, and I'm not driving quickly at all!
Motorways are dreadful. People crawling along at 60 in the outside lane of a four lane smart motorway!
I was like that in my Duster, downgraded from a 3 series, and was still being held up.Over the past few weeks, I've noticed myself being held up more and more on the roads. especially on motorways.
I drive a 59BHP Peugeot 106 1.1, so not exactly a powerhouse, or a rocket on the motorways. It got me thinking, in the four years I've owned this car, I can't once recall needing more power, but I get constantly annoyed at how many people hold me up, and I'm not driving quickly at all!
Motorways are dreadful. People crawling along at 60 in the outside lane of a four lane smart motorway!
Unreal said:
On the other hand, there is not one single valid justification for tailgating. It is the hallmark of the incompetent driver.
Have to agree with this. It is one of those things that people do that offers only downsides for everyone concerned. It's the very definition of stupidity. And if the intent of it is to prompt someone to speed up in my case it's almost certainly going to have the opposite effect since I'd now be concerned about the car behind's stopping distance as well as my own. The other truly stupid thing about tailgating is that if you're being frustrated by a slow car in front, tailgating is simply going to close down your line of sight for what is ahead and make overtaking more difficult. A lot of problems on the road would be solved by people allowing appropriate distances to the vehicles in front. Gad-Westy said:
Unreal said:
On the other hand, there is not one single valid justification for tailgating. It is the hallmark of the incompetent driver.
Have to agree with this. It is one of those things that people do that offers only downsides for everyone concerned. It's the very definition of stupidity. And if the intent of it is to prompt someone to speed up in my case it's almost certainly going to have the opposite effect since I'd now be concerned about the car behind's stopping distance as well as my own. The other truly stupid thing about tailgating is that if you're being frustrated by a slow car in front, tailgating is simply going to close down your line of sight for what is ahead and make overtaking more difficult. A lot of problems on the road would be solved by people allowing appropriate distances to the vehicles in front. Gad-Westy said:
Unreal said:
On the other hand, there is not one single valid justification for tailgating. It is the hallmark of the incompetent driver.
Have to agree with this. It is one of those things that people do that offers only downsides for everyone concerned. It's the very definition of stupidity. And if the intent of it is to prompt someone to speed up in my case it's almost certainly going to have the opposite effect since I'd now be concerned about the car behind's stopping distance as well as my own. The other truly stupid thing about tailgating is that if you're being frustrated by a slow car in front, tailgating is simply going to close down your line of sight for what is ahead and make overtaking more difficult. A lot of problems on the road would be solved by people allowing appropriate distances to the vehicles in front. Can we have a competition for most flashes a day.
I've one today so far.
Someone in a SUV driving at 12 in a 20, then coming to a halt for every speed bump.
Had an opportunity, took it, I may have exceeded the limit briefly for safety reasons, slowcoach got their brain in gear for an angry flash when I was already 200m ahead
I've one today so far.
Someone in a SUV driving at 12 in a 20, then coming to a halt for every speed bump.
Had an opportunity, took it, I may have exceeded the limit briefly for safety reasons, slowcoach got their brain in gear for an angry flash when I was already 200m ahead
Unreal said:
popeyewhite]I quite often tailgate whilst waiting for the most convenient overtake. If it's not on I'll drop back. [shrugs said:
Not increasing my TED for anyone.
How about increasing your visibility?popeyewhite said:
Unreal said:
popeyewhite]I quite often tailgate whilst waiting for the most convenient overtake. If it's not on I'll drop back. [shrugs said:
Not increasing my TED for anyone.
How about increasing your visibility?James_N said:
I drive a 59BHP Peugeot 106 1.1, so not exactly a powerhouse, or a rocket on the motorways. It got me thinking, in the four years I've owned this car, I can't once recall needing more power, but I get constantly annoyed at how many people hold me up, and I'm not driving quickly at all!
Motorways are dreadful. People crawling along at 60 in the outside lane of a four lane smart motorway!
I actually find it MORE stressful to have less power because if someone holds you up it's such a punishment.Motorways are dreadful. People crawling along at 60 in the outside lane of a four lane smart motorway!
If you are overtaking and someone in the right lane holds you up, you then have to drop down gears and rev the tetts off your car to get back up to the speed you were going.
At least if you have 300bhp+ you can quickly return to the speed you were going once the person has pulled back in.
Another example of pathetic gormless driving is the speed in which people pull away from traffic lights. We all know how they work by now it's a very simple concept. Yet when they change it seems to surprise everyone that the car in front has moved off so they decide it's probably time to select 1st gear and pull away as slowly as physically possible. 3 - 4 cars get through and the traffic jam behind increases.
I genuinely think if people just got on with the job in hand traffic would reduce 10 fold.
I genuinely think if people just got on with the job in hand traffic would reduce 10 fold.
to add - the gaps people leave when heading into green lights - like they're waiting for it , hedging their bet for it to go amber so they can stop and slow a million people in the queue down.
Just get the f
k on with it - you have one job when operating a vehicle - and that is to drive it, as efficiently as possible to the next destination not getting in anyones way.
Simples!
Just get the f
k on with it - you have one job when operating a vehicle - and that is to drive it, as efficiently as possible to the next destination not getting in anyones way.Simples!
8IKERDAVE said:
Another example of pathetic gormless driving is the speed in which people pull away from traffic lights. We all know how they work by now it's a very simple concept. Yet when they change it seems to surprise everyone that the car in front has moved off so they decide it's probably time to select 1st gear and pull away as slowly as physically possible. 3 - 4 cars get through and the traffic jam behind increases.
I genuinely think if people just got on with the job in hand traffic would reduce 10 fold.
Being glued to their phones mostly explains the delay.I genuinely think if people just got on with the job in hand traffic would reduce 10 fold.
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