Discussion
Following on from the Suffolk speed limit thread, I'm wondering if the BIBs here ever pull slowsters over and tell them they need to get their toe down a bit?
Especially in Norfolk and Suffolk I often find myself a few cars back from someone who takes a pride in observing the speed limit minus 10-25%. 25 in a 30, 30 in a 40, 45 or less in a 60.
These people are a cancer on our roads and whilst I find them intensely irritating for the delays they deliberately cause, fortunately I have the willpower to keep an even keel.
Sadly there are those who don't and instead allow the frustration to get the better of them, embarking sometimes on extraordinary overtaking manouvres.
I definitely think these slowsters are the catalyst for many accidents on our roads and would like to see them pulled over and prosecuted for driving without due consideration for others. At least the BIB could explain to them how the Highway Code advises they should pull over where safe to allow traffic jams to clear and that if they really can't drive at a sensible speed perhaps they should seek some training or indeed hang up the old driving gloves.
Does it happen or do I live in a dreamworld? If you're a policeman and you were stuck 15 cars back from someone doing 40-45mph on a clear open NSL stretch, what would you do?
SM
Especially in Norfolk and Suffolk I often find myself a few cars back from someone who takes a pride in observing the speed limit minus 10-25%. 25 in a 30, 30 in a 40, 45 or less in a 60.
These people are a cancer on our roads and whilst I find them intensely irritating for the delays they deliberately cause, fortunately I have the willpower to keep an even keel.
Sadly there are those who don't and instead allow the frustration to get the better of them, embarking sometimes on extraordinary overtaking manouvres.
I definitely think these slowsters are the catalyst for many accidents on our roads and would like to see them pulled over and prosecuted for driving without due consideration for others. At least the BIB could explain to them how the Highway Code advises they should pull over where safe to allow traffic jams to clear and that if they really can't drive at a sensible speed perhaps they should seek some training or indeed hang up the old driving gloves.
Does it happen or do I live in a dreamworld? If you're a policeman and you were stuck 15 cars back from someone doing 40-45mph on a clear open NSL stretch, what would you do?
SM
I have seen it done many years ago now.
When in training at RAF Swinderby in 1991, the A46 from Newark to Lincoln was a single carriageway (it has been dualed now) and a slow moving farm vehicle was travelling approx 20mph along a 60 road. The traffic was slowing building up behind it and the vehicle has ample opportunity to pull into a gate or lay-by and let the traffic through, but it did not.
There was a marked Police car in the queue behind and I remember that we arrived a safe and straight piece of road, the BiB puts the blue lights on, sirens and overtook everyone in front and pulled this farm vehicle over.
When in training at RAF Swinderby in 1991, the A46 from Newark to Lincoln was a single carriageway (it has been dualed now) and a slow moving farm vehicle was travelling approx 20mph along a 60 road. The traffic was slowing building up behind it and the vehicle has ample opportunity to pull into a gate or lay-by and let the traffic through, but it did not.
There was a marked Police car in the queue behind and I remember that we arrived a safe and straight piece of road, the BiB puts the blue lights on, sirens and overtook everyone in front and pulled this farm vehicle over.
More then likely it is, but the country is full of more impatient people than patient I'd wager and the highway code does tell you that you should pull in if you are causing an obstruction/building up a queue of traffic behind you, sadly not enough people take any notice of that. I was stuck behind someone for 20 minutes the other day, doing 30-35 in NSL 
fatboy b said:
I think it's impatient people like you who end up being an accident statistic.
Did you read the post?supermono said:
..fortunately I have the willpower to keep an even keel. Sadly there are those who don't and instead allow the frustration to get the better of them, embarking sometimes on extraordinary overtaking manouvres.
Pootling coffin-dodgers are an irritant, but I'm more annoyed by the looney overtakers (blind bends, crossing white lines). If you can't exercise a bit of patience and self-control, you shouldn't be in control of a car.John
(disclosure: once got 3pts and a stern talking to for overtaking on a solid white line to get past a dawdler. unfortunately bib was coming the other way round a blind bend, and didn't appreciate having to use his brakes. I developed a bit of patience after that)
fatboy b said:
Surely it's no worse than a lorry legally doing 40 in a NSL? I think it's impatient people like you who end up being an accident statistic.
It's worse because the lorry is constrained by law the slowster is doing it deliberately.Rest assured my impatience doesn't cause me to behave dangerously. Like you even know me, lol.
SM
fatboy b said:
Surely it's no worse than a lorry legally doing 40 in a NSL? I think it's impatient people like you who end up being an accident statistic.
as others have said, most on here will only overtake if and when it is safe to do so.I spent a good 30 mins behind a old 80s shape cavalier with a wonky trailer doing 25mph on a NSL road.
several people got a bit bored and overtook, and I wouldnt have said any where being dangerous.
the driver doing 25mph on the nsl was the one being dangerous and inconsiderate as he should have at least pulled over everytime there was more than say 10 cars behind him.
I did the 19 miles up the A140 from Diss to Norwich southern bypass this morning at between 35-40mph because I was the 7th car behind an HGV lawfully going about his business. I have no problem with him as I can easily overtake - but not if the 6 cars in front of me are all nose-to-tail too scared to pull out and do the same.
Remember folks, going fast is dangerous; driving 1" from the car in front is apparently not.
Still, my Golf did 56 mpg as a result.
Remember folks, going fast is dangerous; driving 1" from the car in front is apparently not.
Still, my Golf did 56 mpg as a result.
If people want to go at 40 in a 60 when 60 is safe, although it's not ideal, in itself it's not a huge problem. What really gets my goat is the "Thou shalt not pass" attitude which such drivers often have. I honestly don't understand it; it's not something that I've ever been remotely tempted to do. Why would you want to be so obnoxious towards a complete stranger who just happens to want to go faster than you? People should not only not be hindering those who wish to overtake, they should be trying to help them. If anyone's behind me and wants to go faster, I do everything I reasonably can to assist them. I'd much rather they were in front. Invariably I get a wave of thanks as they pass. They're happy, I'm happy. Why can't everyone do the same? It's a simple, easy, free way of increasing the amount of happiness in the world. Who could possibly object?
Surely only the most belligerent, bitter, f**kwitted busybody of a driver would choose to keep someone behind them when they obviously wanted to overtake. It's the antithesis of defensive driving and safety is quite clearly not a concern of theirs (although "speed kills" is doubtless used by them as an excuse...yet another side effect of that policy). It drives me up the wall, partly because it's so utterly unnecessary; at least with stealing, the stealer is getting something, but with impeding, the perpetrator gets nothing, except possibly a smug feeling derived from being spiteful and controlling (in which case what a pleasant person they must be).
It's quite obvious to anyone with the right attitude that on a free-flowing rural road, it makes sense for those who wish to go fastest to be at the front, and those who wish to go slowest to be at the back. That way, everyone can go at their speed without impeding or being impeded. Anyone who is concerned with their own driving, and not unduly concerned with other people's, should be more than happy with that.
Where does this interfering, overbearing, controlling, spiteful attitude come from? Are such people like that in other areas of their life? Is it worth trying to tackle the cause of the attitude rather than the "symptoms"? I don't know, but all I do know is that such impeding behaviour has absolutely no place on our roads. Like deliberate lane-hogging (which is much the same sort of thing), if I (being far from perfect) can drive without ever doing it (or even being tempted to do it), then so can everyone. The extreme frustration and potential danger that it causes can and should be eliminated completely. But only when we have a government which doesn't insist on making driving as unpleasant as possible can we start to do that.
Surely only the most belligerent, bitter, f**kwitted busybody of a driver would choose to keep someone behind them when they obviously wanted to overtake. It's the antithesis of defensive driving and safety is quite clearly not a concern of theirs (although "speed kills" is doubtless used by them as an excuse...yet another side effect of that policy). It drives me up the wall, partly because it's so utterly unnecessary; at least with stealing, the stealer is getting something, but with impeding, the perpetrator gets nothing, except possibly a smug feeling derived from being spiteful and controlling (in which case what a pleasant person they must be).
It's quite obvious to anyone with the right attitude that on a free-flowing rural road, it makes sense for those who wish to go fastest to be at the front, and those who wish to go slowest to be at the back. That way, everyone can go at their speed without impeding or being impeded. Anyone who is concerned with their own driving, and not unduly concerned with other people's, should be more than happy with that.
Where does this interfering, overbearing, controlling, spiteful attitude come from? Are such people like that in other areas of their life? Is it worth trying to tackle the cause of the attitude rather than the "symptoms"? I don't know, but all I do know is that such impeding behaviour has absolutely no place on our roads. Like deliberate lane-hogging (which is much the same sort of thing), if I (being far from perfect) can drive without ever doing it (or even being tempted to do it), then so can everyone. The extreme frustration and potential danger that it causes can and should be eliminated completely. But only when we have a government which doesn't insist on making driving as unpleasant as possible can we start to do that.
EU_Foreigner said:
The word you are looking for is "envy".
Maybe in some cases, but I don't think so in the majority. I see this whether I'm overtaking in the GT2 or the wife's Fiat Doblo. They can't honestly be envious of a fiat doblo, lol.I really think these people are self appointed "Custodians of the Speed Limit" and feel their authority has been challenged. If you overtake, you're going "too fast" and need a flash.
SM
I've said this before, but I think the reason for this behaviour is the British Queue Mentality.
On a single lane road, you're effectively in a queue for the length of it, and overtaking is seen as jumping the queue. And we all know us Brits like to queue, eh?
I honestly think that's it.
On a single lane road, you're effectively in a queue for the length of it, and overtaking is seen as jumping the queue. And we all know us Brits like to queue, eh?
I honestly think that's it.
timskipper said:
I've said this before, but I think the reason for this behaviour is the British Queue Mentality.
On a single lane road, you're effectively in a queue for the length of it, and overtaking is seen as jumping the queue. And we all know us Brits like to queue, eh?
I honestly think that's it.
Yes for the people nose to tail behind the slowster. But the slowster himself is on a mission to "keep the speed down". I don't think he's got the queueing mentality, just the "speed kills" mentality.On a single lane road, you're effectively in a queue for the length of it, and overtaking is seen as jumping the queue. And we all know us Brits like to queue, eh?
I honestly think that's it.
Or maybe he's just some sad frick with no power in life over anyone so gets off by being able to hide inside his car and control a load of people's speed behind.
SM
You're all assuming the slowsters at the heads of these queues have any idea at all about what's going on behind them. That's a pretty big assumption in my experience.
I would suggest they are not maliciously holding people up, they just haven't peeked outside their little bubble for a looooong time.
I would suggest they are not maliciously holding people up, they just haven't peeked outside their little bubble for a looooong time.
had that once with some old person, was on some dual carriageway with roadworks, use both lanes the sign said, so used both lanes until some guy in a mini pulled out into my lane and blocked me from going down the empty lane until the roadworks started. he was really laughing and pointing at me to his friends....
Overtook the numpty after the roadworks, then slowed down until he felt the need to overtake, at which time I went faster, he could not get the speed to overtake me, due to his small car being full. Repeated this for 10 miles or so.
When let him overtake, swear he was purple head and about to explode, not so funny then I guess
--
More recently had some guy do 30-40 in a 60 mph limit, only 30-40 cars behind me
Overtook the numpty after the roadworks, then slowed down until he felt the need to overtake, at which time I went faster, he could not get the speed to overtake me, due to his small car being full. Repeated this for 10 miles or so.
When let him overtake, swear he was purple head and about to explode, not so funny then I guess
--
More recently had some guy do 30-40 in a 60 mph limit, only 30-40 cars behind me
timskipper said:
I've said this before, but I think the reason for this behaviour is the British Queue Mentality.
On a single lane road, you're effectively in a queue for the length of it, and overtaking is seen as jumping the queue. And we all know us Brits like to queue, eh?
I honestly think that's it.
Absolute rubbish!!!, the problem is the motorway driver who has no idea of how to perform an overtaking manouver on a single carriageway road.On a single lane road, you're effectively in a queue for the length of it, and overtaking is seen as jumping the queue. And we all know us Brits like to queue, eh?
I honestly think that's it.
In addition there is the nose to tail driving technique, and the "no one gets in front of me" attitude of the same driver, carried over from the motorway mindset of these motorway morons.
SLCZ3 said:
the problem is the motorway driver who has no idea of how to perform an overtaking manouver on a single carriageway road. In addition there is the nose to tail driving technique, and the "no one gets in front of me" attitude of the same driver, carried over from the motorway mindset of these motorway morons.
Their mindset is perfectly logical, if circular:1. There are limited opportunities to overtake the vehicle at the front.
2. The "queue" is too close together to safely "hop" along a few at a time.
3. Someone overtaking "from the back" is either rudely forcing the "queue" apart (if partial overtake), or depriving the person at the front of the "queue" from overtaking (if full overtake).
4. Overtaking should therefore happen only "at the front" where there is space to complete the manoeuvre and it is "your turn".
5. To enforce this, drive bumper to bumper to keep the dangerous queue jumpers back. Thus reinforcing (2) and completing the circular reasoning.
It's bo
ocks, of course. If people left sufficient space, cars with different levels of performance (and driver patience) could overtake at will.But I see why people get into the "queueing" mindset - I think it's inevitable once you get a few tailgaters.
Personally, lacking a nutter-bastard-fast car, I always drop right back, watch the idiocy from a safe distance, and let people behind hop along as best they can.
John
Supermono
I can assure you that where appropriate I would have no hesitation in stopping someone who was driving excessively slowly for now legitimate reason if for no other reason than to make sure they weren't under the inflence.
At the speeds you mentioned it would probably be a reminder about the impact of their driving on other drivers and encouraging them to consider pulling over where possible.
I have reported people for even slower speeds and made recommendations that they be dealt with through the driver improvement scheme where their standard of driving has cleary been so low that they are incapable of making better safe progress.
I know that many on here consider the current speed limits to be far to low but try combining higher limits with the current standard of driving by many in this country and it would be carnage!
I can assure you that where appropriate I would have no hesitation in stopping someone who was driving excessively slowly for now legitimate reason if for no other reason than to make sure they weren't under the inflence.
At the speeds you mentioned it would probably be a reminder about the impact of their driving on other drivers and encouraging them to consider pulling over where possible.
I have reported people for even slower speeds and made recommendations that they be dealt with through the driver improvement scheme where their standard of driving has cleary been so low that they are incapable of making better safe progress.
I know that many on here consider the current speed limits to be far to low but try combining higher limits with the current standard of driving by many in this country and it would be carnage!
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