Is 30 the new 40 ?
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Discussion

HertsBiker

Original Poster:

6,443 posts

302 months

Friday 16th November 2007
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Why oh why do we have people still doing a fraction of the speed limit? arghhhh! 30 in a 60 FFS. WHY ? it used to be 40 in a 60, but now it's 30. What is their major problem, I haven't got all day to waste. And to think we pay for the roads, get allowed to drive at 60, and don't use it? have they heard of mirrors? not seen the massive queue of commuters angrily massing behind them? By the way, weather conditions mild & dry, enemy car 04 plate family mobile, so not a lot of reason to go so slow. And the indignation when you try to go past !!!!

TTwiggy

11,884 posts

235 months

Friday 16th November 2007
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It's simple - they've swallowed the propaganda that everytime one goes above 30mph, a tiny child is taken out and shot...

Fidgits

17,202 posts

260 months

Friday 16th November 2007
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yep. i came across this last night...

got right on my tits it did! no-where to pass either!

Don

28,378 posts

315 months

Friday 16th November 2007
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You do get an annoying minority of slowsters these days, I agree.

Rarely do I find they are doing 30 in a 60 though. Its usually 45 to 52mph. 45mph when there's a bend somewhere in the distance and 52mph when its straight.

This is humoungously annoying as I would like to do 60mph on the straights and, errr, 60mph around perfectly clear bends with good visibility all the way through. Rarely does one get an oppo to get past too - as a safe overtake at 52mph means either

a) a very, very long empty straight OR
b) a highly accelerative car and a certain willingness to bend the rules

For me - not having 8mph of progress on the straights is a minor irritant. Not having 15mph of progress in the twisties is what winds me up...


dazren

22,612 posts

292 months

Friday 16th November 2007
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DON

Go for option "b". You can't beat a bit of furious accelleration. Great for reducing blood pressure.

MilnerR

8,273 posts

289 months

Friday 16th November 2007
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These 40 in 60 merchants often have an intimate but somewhat random relationship with their brake pedals too. They're often seen progressing down the road at a steady 38mph whilst occasionally stamping on the brakes for leaves blowing about, shadows, spots of rain or tiny changes in atmospheric pressure.

I always make sure I give them plenty of room, you can never tell what they're going to do next. They have indicators that wander from one side of the vehicle to the other, or indicators that only come on after the turn has been completed.
At least with the boy-racer corsa brigade you can generally anticipate their behaviour with some accuracy, it's not very good behaviour but at least you have a fair idea what they're going to do (try and overtake everything, tear round corners and stack it into a hedge usually).

Edited by MilnerR on Friday 16th November 10:36

Steven Toy

58 posts

233 months

Friday 16th November 2007
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A lot of aged 50+ drivers think NSLA is 50 mph on a single carriageway not 60. They'll then do an indicated 47 to be well within that perceived limit so if you overtake them at 60 they think you are a criminal.

Others would prefer not to be driving so instead pretend they are passengers at the wheel. Their maxiumum speed is determined by the speed they'll have to travel at on the sharpest bend en-route. Except they still brake for said bend, usually half way round it.

stara

137 posts

232 months

Friday 16th November 2007
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MilnerR said:
These 40 in 60 merchants often have an intimate but somewhat random relationship with their brake pedals too. They're often seen progressing down the road at a steady 38mph whilst occasionally stamping on the brakes for leaves blowing about, shadows, spots of rain or tiny changes in atmospheric pressure.

I always make sure I give them plenty of room, you can never tell what they're going to do next. They have indicators that wander from one side of the vehicle to the other, or indicators that only come on after the turn has been completed.
At least with the boy-racer corsa brigade you can generally anticipate their behaviour with some accuracy, it's not very good behaviour but at least you have a fair idea what they're going to do (try and overtake everything, tear round corners and stack it into a hedge usually).

Edited by MilnerR on Friday 16th November 10:36
also noticed that they still do 38 past schools, parks etc and although brake happy, they will not give room or even slow down for kids messing around or aimless dogs near the road, as "they shouldn't be on the road".

r5gttgaz

7,897 posts

251 months

Friday 16th November 2007
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Yesterday I stumbled upon the worst case I have ever seen, out in the 911, local roads come up to a huge queue of traffic around 20 cars I think oh well probably a tractor due to the speed we are all doing, I see a opening coming up but wait my turn as there are too many eager people trying to get past and as the first few cars pass the slow 20mph driver (NSL road) I see one have to go right over into the verge on the wrong side of the road. The slow guy is looking so hard in his mirrors to see what sort of an obstruction he is causing he lost his position on the road and drifted into the middle as cars were passing.

Speed kills eh.

Don

28,378 posts

315 months

Friday 16th November 2007
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dazren said:
DON

Go for option "b". You can't beat a bit of furious accelleration. Great for reducing blood pressure.
biggrin

It was the A5 in North Wales. Travelling from Bristol to Anglesey, Anglesey to Bristol as a student. I used to get stuck behind caravans, trailers, trucks, you name it. All travelling well below the safe, progressive speed for the road. Boy is it twisty, that road, and overtaking oppos are few and far between.

After one teeth grittingly slow journey I swore that when I "made it" I would buy a Porsche. Porsche, of course, being a euphemism for the fastest, most accelerative car I could think of.

In the end, of course, I've had three so far and this one ain't the last. A TVR too.

It was soo, soooo, satisfying despatching slowsters with ease.

Even after I have collected two speeding tickets! yes

Don

28,378 posts

315 months

Friday 16th November 2007
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Another rant!

A new place for slowsters to cause MAYHEM! - THE M4.

On Wednesday I travelled from Basingstoke to Bristol and back. On the way home it was dark and the traffic was generally travelling at 70mph - 80mph.

Apart from a large van. Doing 40mph.

But what this meant was the HGV (electronically limited to 56mph or summat) needed to pull out to overtake this van - filling lane 2. This meant the cars needed to pull out to lane 3 in order to pass. Since it was the M4 there were a LOT of HGVs passing this van.

The ENTIRE motorway slowed down to 56mph - 60mph around this van as people needed to make a lane change manourvre. Now - not everyone can execute a lane change with enough forward anticipation to do it smoothly. So people were getting "stuck" behind HGVs in lane 2 and pulling out into progressively smaller gaps in lane 3 as frustration built. Fast moving cars in lane 3 were having to brake to avoid cars pulling into their lane at 57mph and then sloooowly accelerating.

It was utter chaos. Caused by one inconsiderate twunt who wouldn't travel at 56mph - didn't even need to get up to 70 - 56 would have done - but no.

I don't know how they live with themselves. Its like going into a crowded room and shitting on the floor - might work for you but everyone around you has to suffer.

bryan35

1,906 posts

272 months

Friday 16th November 2007
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I thought that you'd fail your test for not making progress?
45 in a 60 when you can do 60.

old way of thinking though. Seen me right for the last 500,000 miles though.


r5gttgaz

7,897 posts

251 months

Friday 16th November 2007
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bryan35 said:
I thought that you'd fail your test for not making progress?
45 in a 60 when you can do 60.

old way of thinking though. Seen me right for the last 500,000 miles though.
Even people on driving lessons are going way under the limits now.

over_the_hill

3,338 posts

277 months

Friday 16th November 2007
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Don said:
Another rant!

A new place for slowsters to cause MAYHEM! - THE M4.

On Wednesday I travelled from Basingstoke to Bristol and back. On the way home it was dark and the traffic was generally travelling at 70mph - 80mph.

Apart from a large van. Doing 40mph.

But what this meant was the HGV (electronically limited to 56mph or summat) needed to pull out to overtake this van - filling lane 2. This meant the cars needed to pull out to lane 3 in order to pass. Since it was the M4 there were a LOT of HGVs passing this van.

The ENTIRE motorway slowed down to 56mph - 60mph around this van as people needed to make a lane change manourvre. Now - not everyone can execute a lane change with enough forward anticipation to do it smoothly. So people were getting "stuck" behind HGVs in lane 2 and pulling out into progressively smaller gaps in lane 3 as frustration built. Fast moving cars in lane 3 were having to brake to avoid cars pulling into their lane at 57mph and then sloooowly accelerating.

It was utter chaos. Caused by one inconsiderate twunt who wouldn't travel at 56mph - didn't even need to get up to 70 - 56 would have done - but no.

I don't know how they live with themselves. Its like going into a crowded room and shitting on the floor - might work for you but everyone around you has to suffer.
It's not just the M4. All M'Ways are the same. This generally happens on long uphills. One HGV pulls out to overtake. 3 miles later just about level with the HGV it wanted to overtake, both doing about 50mph by now. Rest of traffic into lane 3. Meanwhile 5 miles back down the road you wonder why everything is slowing down.

Don

28,378 posts

315 months

Friday 16th November 2007
quotequote all
bryan35 said:
I thought that you'd fail your test for not making progress?
45 in a 60 when you can do 60.

old way of thinking though. Seen me right for the last 500,000 miles though.
Yes - you would fail your driving test - and you certainly wouldn't pass an Advanced if you did it.

Sadly people do tests just once and then drive for the rest of their lives claiming they are as competent as when they took the test...the truth is that some people get better and some get worse! We have all seen driving that, if done on test day, would have led to a fail. Its called "Careless Driving" and you can get prosecuted for it...

Don

28,378 posts

315 months

Friday 16th November 2007
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over_the_hill said:
Don said:
<snip>ranting about a van doing 40mph on the M4</snip>
It's not just the M4. All M'Ways are the same. This generally happens on long uphills. One HGV pulls out to overtake. 3 miles later just about level with the HGV it wanted to overtake, both doing about 50mph by now. Rest of traffic into lane 3. Meanwhile 5 miles back down the road you wonder why everything is slowing down.
This was on the flat! There was simply no excuse for it. Other than the van driver was a tt who didn't look around him and work out the chaos was something to do with his driving...

BertBert

21,330 posts

242 months

Friday 16th November 2007
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over_the_hill said:
It's not just the M4. All M'Ways are the same. This generally happens on long uphills. One HGV pulls out to overtake. 3 miles later just about level with the HGV it wanted to overtake, both doing about 50mph by now. Rest of traffic into lane 3. Meanwhile 5 miles back down the road you wonder why everything is slowing down.
now being a calm and relaxed driver it doesn't bother me, but of course with the track car on a trailer behind, you can't even escape into L3!

So after going up the M1 to Donny on weds am where the traffic was moderate, but I didn't get any L2 space clear of lorries and ditto on the way back, imagine my joy to get onto the straight NSL road near home to find Mr 39-in-a-60! Is it legal to overtake on an NSL road in a Galaxy towing a trailer?

Bert
Am I allowed to say Galaxy on PH?

jacko lah

3,297 posts

280 months

Friday 16th November 2007
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TTwiggy said:
It's simple - they've swallowed the propaganda that everytime one goes above 30mph, a tiny child is taken out and shot...
That is actually TRUE. No really.

oldsoak

5,618 posts

233 months

Friday 16th November 2007
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...and to think, in years to come there will be posts by people of our age now, talking about US in equally disparaging tones....wink

WelshChris

1,303 posts

285 months

Friday 16th November 2007
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In Germany you run the risk of a warning for dangerous driving if you travel too slow on a two lane autobahn - should be the same here. A vehicle dawdling at 40 on a motorway when other traffic happily doing 60 - 70 is a true hazard, especially at night.

Chris