same driver this morning - grrrrrrrrr.

[bryan35]

He's an old chap, complete with 4 coats and 3 scarves, driving with the steering wheel touching his chin, drives an R reg peugeot 405, on the A63, with the left wheels just on the solid white line to the hard shoulder at 45MPH!!!!!!!. This is a 70MPH dual carriageway. EVERY morning he's there, and every morning there's a log jam of lorries and cars bunched up as they try to pass him.
ANGRY?!!!!!!!!!!!

[KITT]

Sounds similar to the old codger in the brand new X3 I see on the A38 near Churchill on my journey home some evenings, also doing 45mph

[jacobyte]

It's a shame he is not considerate by making it smoother for everyone, but he has every right to be there.

I have the same problem with a JCB on the A3. So I just leave home 20 minutes earlier. I get there quicker and also get noticed for being in early, = brownie points at review time.

[bryan35]

well yes jacobyte, but you wouldn't really expect a JCB to go very fast. In law you'd be entitled to travel at 30MPH on a motorway if you wanted to. Whether you would choose rush hour on a busy dual carriageway is another thing entirely.

[jacobyte]

I totally agree with you and share your frustration, but the fact is the old man and the JCB driver have chosen to do exactly that. So unfortunately for the rest of us, it's a "like it or lump it" situation. Hence why I changed my pattern (I do still sometimes see him coming down the slip road as I am approaching - "nail it, nail it!").

[tw99]

jacobyte said:

It's a shame he is not considerate by making it smoother for everyone, but he has every right to be there.

Maybe, but:

A friend of ours was put in a wheelchair, permanently, by an 82 year old who knocked her off her bike. He was driving slowly (~30mph) down a wide NSL road. His eyesight was so bad, he was apparently following the left hand white line and kerb to see where the road was going, didn't see the bicycle at all, and in fact didn't even stop at the scene...

Another case where speed cameras would not have helped.

[bryan35]

hmm, you have to ask why 45MPH on a dual carriageway is his choice of speed.
Either -
1.he actually enjoys travelling at that speed
2.he's frightened to death of dualcarriagewayus
3.He's frightened to death of travelling in heavy traffic
4.He can't see where he's going.

So he either likes driving at 45 on a motorway, or he shouldn't be there at all in my opinion.

[cliffe_mafia]

bryan35 said:

hmm, you have to ask why 45MPH on a dual carriageway is his choice of speed. Either - 1.he actually enjoys travelling at that speed 2.he's frightened to death of dualcarriagewayus 3.He's frightened to death of travelling in heavy traffic 4.He can't see where he's going. So he either likes driving at 45 on a motorway, or he shouldn't be there at all in my opinion.

If he's a regular on this road then can't you complain to the old bill?
They might give him a pull - maybe others have complained too?

[Fat Audi 80]

bryan35 said:

hmm, you have to ask why 45MPH on a dual carriageway is his choice of speed. Either - 1.he actually enjoys travelling at that speed 2.he's frightened to death of dualcarriagewayus 3.He's frightened to death of travelling in heavy traffic 4.He can't see where he's going. So he either likes driving at 45 on a motorway, or he shouldn't be there at all in my opinion.

Precisely.

If you cannot safely keep up with traffic you should not be there. You certainly won't pass your driving test doing 40 mph on a NSL dual carriageway....

People like this are as much a danger as the speeders and it is NOT their right to go as slow as they like

[james_j]

Minimum speed limits are in place in some countries.

I think this would be a good idea for some UK roads. (Maybe a eyesight test too by the sound of it.)

[8Pack]

A friend of mines son, has just failed his driving test. Can anyone guess why? .................







That's right! He didn't speed up when he passed out of the 30 mph zone!

Dave.

[Pigeon]

Minimum speed limit is white digits on a blue background, circular. Never actually seen one on the roads though.

[autismuk]

Pigeon said:

Minimum speed limit is white digits on a blue background, circular. Never actually seen one on the roads though.

Used to be one on the Dartford Tunnel (before they built the bridge), it was 40 max 10 min.

I have a vague memory that several years ago the RAC, AA et al, and the Police agreed on imposing an 80/50 limit on motorways - to throw off the incompetents that dawdle on them in a panic at 30 - but the gov't refused to do it.

[twister]

autismuk said:

Pigeon said: Minimum speed limit is white digits on a blue background, circular. Never actually seen one on the roads though. Used to be one on the Dartford Tunnel (before they built the bridge), it was 40 max 10 min.

Still got 10mph minimum signs on the Blackwall Tunnel (southbound at least, can't say I've ever noticed them going back north).

[Antwerpman]

The problem is that everyone makes an assumption about this person based upon his speed only....you have no idea about the story behind his journey or his ability to carry it out safely so it is totally unfair to then hold a Kangaroo court and brand him as 'just as guilty as the speeders'

Maybe he fought in the war and sacrificed friends and health to allow us the freedoms we all enjoy and take so much for granted. Perhaps he is travelling to a hospital/hospice to see his terminally ill wife of 50 years. Maybe he was the victim of a road rage incident and is now too terrified of driving but has no choice in order to carry out whatever thing he is doing?

I know if it were my grandfather I would be pretty upset to read this about him if he were merely slow and not 'blind and dangerous'

[parrot of doom]

MAybe hes carrying the limbs and decapitated head of his former wife in the boot, and he doesn't want to rouse suspicion by driving too quickly?

[markmullen]

Antwerpman said:

Maybe he fought in the war and sacrificed friends and health to allow us the freedoms we all enjoy and take so much for granted. Perhaps he is travelling to a hospital/hospice to see his terminally ill wife of 50 years. Maybe he was the victim of a road rage incident and is now too terrified of driving but has no choice in order to carry out whatever thing he is doing?

Sad if that is true but no amount of mitigation of this sort will be of any consolation to my family if I am killed due to his inadequate driving skills. If the man is incapable of driving safely he should take a cab.

[8Pack]

A little while ago, I was almost driven into the hedges on the right hand side of a small lane with no footpaths as I tried to overtake an old man and his wife.

I'd been following him for some time after he nearly "T" boned me from the left, for which I braked violently to avoid. His driving was erratic to say the least, straying over the white line frequently and speed varying by 10-15 mph for no reason.

Finally I'd had enough, and picked my spot, (and his present state, to try to overtake quickly, only to find that my overtaking manouvre coincided with another of his over the centre line Drifts. Result, me brushing the hedges all along the right hand side. Phew! close.

Oh Yes you're right, I forgot, His speed? 10-20 mph variable. The MOST DANGEROUS driver I've EVER seen!
And a speed camera would think he was wonderful.

I know we all have to get old, but there really is a time to give up driving.

Dave.