Acceptable Speed

[surveyor]

I've noticed over the recent years that speeds in my home town are creeping down. In part this is because of the islands that have been built that mean it's hard to overtake, but it's also due to increasing numbers of drivers who never achieve the speed limit.

Now when I were a lad I was taught to drive at the speed limit, unless of course there was a reason not to such as road conditions/weather etc..... This I was told was a sign of a courteous driver keeping the traffic flow.

So is this still the way it is taught? I am I know out of date and it's acceptable to go however damn slow you feel like?

[Heaveho]

I'm not especially politically correct generally, and particularly where speed limits are concerned. My general rule of thumb is to religiously observe 20, 30 and 40 limits, call it how I see it in a 50, and be the fastest thing from A-B if humanly possible on all other occasions. I've got no time for people driving at less than the posted limit, unless there's no choice, i.e, a bloody cyclist cluttering the place up and slowing the traffic unnecessarily.

My excuses for the above are that I'm either being a van driver, or an Evo driver!

[ecsrobin]

Having recently moved to North East Nottinghamshire it has come to my attention that a national speed limit road means 40mph.

Today's journey home from work was especially painful as every car I came behind seemed to be 5-10mph below the speed limit for no apparent reason.

[Johnnytheboy]

What I can get away with without putting others at unacceptable risk.

[richs2891]

I've noticed that the speed that people drive at had dropped as well, especially on motorways. I can remember when 80 / 85 seemed pretty much the norm, now anything over 75 / 77 mph and your passing 95% of the traffic.

[Troubleatmill]

Old adage - It's a limit - not a target.

When I was a lad - there were at least 50% fewer cars on the road.

I end up spending a lot of my time in a slow convoy lead by a truck doing 40 in a 50.

You learn to live with it.

[littleredrooster]

Troubleatmill said:

Old adage - It's a limit - not a target.

When I was a lad - there were at least 50% fewer cars on the road.

I end up spending a lot of my time in a slow convoy lead by a truck doing 40 in a 50.

You learn to live with it.

If it's a single-carriageway road and a big truck, 40 is his limit.

But you knew that.

[swisstoni]

Personally I think a lot of people, certainly urban drivers, are so cowed by the speed cameras and camera vans that they drive around sing themselves that they'll miss one and pick up points (or more points).

[Asspec]

richs2891 said:

I've noticed that the speed that people drive at had dropped as well, especially on motorways. I can remember when 80 / 85 seemed pretty much the norm, now anything over 75 / 77 mph and your passing 95% of the traffic.

Fuel costs and many motorways have cameras these days

[drab]

I tend to drive on the limit in good conditions, on nsl sections it varies depending on mood and passengers. I find that speeds aren't really the issue in built up areas, it's slow acceleration and dawdling etc.

My speedo is way off though, I guess other people's are too which might be playing a part

[SK425]

Troubleatmill said:

Old adage - It's a limit - not a target.

That adage is about reminding drivers that driving at the limit will sometimes be too fast and they should have no aversion whatsoever to slowing down when necessary - hazards that demand driving slower than the limit are everywhere. On the other hand, unless something's changed very recently you can still get faults on your driving test for failing to get up to the speed limit when it's appropriate, so in a sense on your driving test a target is exactly what it is - you should be at the speed limit unless there's a good reason not to be.

I don't think the adage you quote is meant to be interpreted as, "it's fine to wander round as slow as you like, the only thing that matters is not exceeding the limit" . Not needlessly interfering with other people's journeys is important too - driving is a team sport.

In a previous thread on this topic someone compared driving at the speed limit to driving through a green traffic light, along the lines of: it's not compulsory, it might not be safe, but if it is safe and you choose not to do it and in the process hold someone up, that's a bit rude.

[Troubleatmill]

SK425 said:

Troubleatmill said:

Old adage - It's a limit - not a target.

That adage is about reminding drivers that driving at the limit will sometimes be too fast and they should have no aversion whatsoever to slowing down when necessary - hazards that demand driving slower than the limit are everywhere. On the other hand, unless something's changed very recently you can still get faults on your driving test for failing to get up to the speed limit when it's appropriate, so in a sense on your driving test a target is exactly what it is - you should be at the speed limit unless there's a good reason not to be.

I don't think the adage you quote is meant to be interpreted as, "it's fine to wander round as slow as you like, the only thing that matters is not exceeding the limit" . Not needlessly interfering with other people's journeys is important too - driving is a team sport.

In a previous thread on this topic someone compared driving at the speed limit to driving through a green traffic light, along the lines of: it's not compulsory, it might not be safe, but if it is safe and you choose not to do it and in the process hold someone up, that's a bit rude.

Fully agree... but with > 50% of the population driving in that manner - it is a losing battle.

[The_Burg]

Actual speeds have definitely plummeted. A14 is the nearest dual and 10 years ago 85 would get you tailgated and flashed. Lucky to hit 65 now. 15 years ago and most motorways the regulars would stick in the 90s.
Oddly the M40 thi is still the case. Nowhere else though.

[Johnnytheboy]

This thread would take off so much better if moved to SPL.

"They" will no doubt find it soon.

[surveyor]

The_Burg said:

Actual speeds have definitely plummeted. A14 is the nearest dual and 10 years ago 85 would get you tailgated and flashed. Lucky to hit 65 now. 15 years ago and most motorways the regulars would stick in the 90s.
Oddly the M40 thi is still the case. Nowhere else though.

I like the M40.... It's like Wacky Races.

[manic47]

The_Burg said:

Actual speeds have definitely plummeted. A14 is the nearest dual and 10 years ago 85 would get you tailgated and flashed. Lucky to hit 65 now. 15 years ago and most motorways the regulars would stick in the 90s.
Oddly the M40 thi is still the case. Nowhere else though.

This man speaks the truth - I've just spent a week commuting from Northants to Loudwater.
The M40 certainly flows nicely southbound in the mornings.

[theboss]

ecsrobin said:

Having recently moved to North East Nottinghamshire it has come to my attention that a national speed limit road means 40mph.

Today's journey home from work was especially painful as every car I came behind seemed to be 5-10mph below the speed limit for no apparent reason.

Some areas are definitely slower than others owing to demographics and general pace of life... I live in Shropshire and I find the area generally to be just as you've described, to the point that any >10 mile journey within the surrounding area just becomes painfully tedious. Overtaking and getting flashed at are daily occurrences - even the wife reports this on a near daily basis and she's is generally less inclined to 'press on' heavily than I am. Its very predictable - overtake somebody doing 40 in a NSL in good conditions and at least half the time you'll provoke a reaction despite doing nothing wrong. A number of friends/relatives have said the same when they come to visit from (typically) the South East - its common to hear "whats wrong with people 'round here... as soon as we got off the M5... etc"

I can't change anything so I simply try to minimise my driving within the area in 'peak' daytime hours. I can get to London in just over 2 hours at night or 5 hours by day, so I plan my journeys accordingly.

[Sheepshanks]

manic47 said:

The M40 certainly flows nicely southbound in the mornings.

Not unusual to see camera vans or tripod mounted camera at several points(common around Warwick and Oxford).

I slowed down after getting zapped by a tripod mounted camera while bowling along at 85 one clear summer's evening - it made me realise just how easy it is to get caught. Of course you're more likely to get away with it if it's busy, but you're asking for trouble speeding in light traffic.

[theboss]

Sheepshanks said:

manic47 said:

The M40 certainly flows nicely southbound in the mornings.

Not unusual to see camera vans or tripod mounted camera at several points(common around Warwick and Oxford).

I slowed down after getting zapped by a tripod mounted camera while bowling along at 85 one clear summer's evening - it made me realise just how easy it is to get caught. Of course you're more likely to get away with it if it's busy, but you're asking for trouble speeding in light traffic.

I've seen them around Oxford and also Beaconsfield on numerous occasions - but never near Warwick. Where do they site them around there?

[Snollygoster]

With the recent rain, it seems like NSL is now 40.

I learnt to drive 4 years ago, and my instructor taught me to get to the speed limit straight away, and just drive to the conditions. First lesson was straight onto a dual carriageway, up to 80 and make speed not an issue. Had a total of 11 one hour lessons, and no other driving passed. My friends were all on like 20-30 lessons, whilst using their parents cars, most of which can't drive.

I guess a lot of driving companies will try and extract as much profit out of each student, and thus, take ages to cover things spoon feeding them on how to drive. This reflects the lowering driving standard IMO.