How do you cope with slow, dawdling, indecisive drivers?

[Munter]

Jagmanv12 said:

Although they are only suggested limits, the limits on some motorway exit bends can safely be exceeded by 25% by any decent driver.

A lot of those are about sight lines not just the ability of a car to get around the curve.

If there was a pallet of cement bags in the road, that come into sight part way around the corner. Would you be able to perform an emergency stop, without drama, while at limit+25%. Possibly. But the majority of people would have an oversteer, abs, stability control, 5p - 50p moment.

[VanDerGarden]

I generally back off from an offending slow-poke and wait for an opportunity to overtake; but given that I only have 63 bhp to play around with it requires a lot of preparation.

"ONCOMING TRAFFIC! I AM ABOUT TO OVERTAKE, IS IT SAFE TO DO SO?"

-waits-

"Okay, I'll go."

Having said that whenever I drive at the speed limit through villages, I usually have arsehats tail gating me thinking they're Jack the Lad. When we get out onto the NSL I leave them for dead in the corners, and that's without exceeding 60. Some people need to... Turd.

[Vladimir]

Errrrm, I overtake them...

[MrBrightSi]

Can i change my answer to follow them home and stamp on their head? We need more redbull-esque rash stupid posts in this thread, im not getting the shared rage we normally get.

Has everyone become wise and sensible?

I do like some of the opinions though, god forbid you should say the speed limit is a target(after years of brainwash), but when you truly look at it that way, it makes tonnes of sense.

[thiscocks]

kambites said:

Mind you, I'm sure the number of impatient idiots who follow six inches off my bumper when I'm happily driving along at 30 in a 30 limit has also shot up in the last five years; similarly the number of people who I'll be behind leaving traffic lights or junctions in 30 limits who disappear into the distance, clearly doing 50+.

They are the ones who do 40-45 in 30 zones and keep it constant when going into a 50* zone

• =60 for people who drive with a brain

[Mr2Mike]

swisstoni said:

I was being holier than thou to annoy the OP.

Sorry

[Tyre Tread]

DevonPaul said:

Tyre Tread said:

All of those saying turn up the music and sit back and relax: Please would you mind leaving a gap in the train of cars that you're in so I can leapfrog and overtake you and the dawdler and enjoy the rest of my commute.

Last night I was 6 cars back from the front of a queue being held up by an HGV that was slowing to 15mph at times on hills on an NSL B road - Behind the HGV were an Audi TT (immediately behind the HGV) and a Subaru Imprezza (One car behind the Audi TT) - not one of these cars made a move to pass where it was perfectly safe to do so. Rqually there was no space between cars for me to lepfrog into.

You need more horsepower

I went from circa 100hp to 280hp and 600NM of torque and that still wouldn't have been enough so now have 180hp but all the grunt in the world wouldn't have made for a safe overtake of 6 cars plus a HGV - the HGV +1 would have been doable with my current steed though.

[GC8]

Rovinghawk said:

The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us. Voltaire.

Corrected.

Still relevant even though it doesn't quite fit in now.

Edited by GC8 on Thursday 23 January 15:54

[AngryPartsBloke]

patmahe said:

AngryPartsBloke said:

What I like to do Is drive about4cm off the bumper of the offending plonker, then drop back, then swerve between the OS and NS mirrors and then back up agains the bumper.

Oh, don't forget to flash your lights every 2 seconds

+1

Only safe thing to do, usually calms them right down and makes them drive so much better

Got to remember to scream c**t out of the window when they turn off too, just to let them know you're satisfied with the improvment.

[Sonic]

Hatchoo said:

Moonhawk said:

Part of the problem IMO is the message "slow driving = safe driving" seems to have settled into many drivers minds. Doesn't matter that their speed is inconsistent and unpredictable, that they have poor lane discipline, make poor decisions holding up traffic flow and that they make poor use of mirrors and signals......the fact that they are driving well below the speed limit makes their driving safe.....and that's all they need to know.

Hardly a day goes by these days where I don't see people driving like this - and even what should be a straight forward journey on relatively clear roads is punctuated by having to deal with such drivers.

As long as the speed kills drum is still being beaten and poor driving of the kind mentioned above goes unpunished - there is no incentive to change. You just have to accept it - getting wound up will do you no good and could lead to you making a mistake - further reinforcing the idea in these peoples minds that they are the good safe drivers - and you are the evil, speeding maniac.

You speak the truth.

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

Couldn't agree with the above further.

Just to add some positivity to the thread, they've recently cut back the hedges along a slightly curved section of road with reduced visibility on the way to/from work. As a result this allows for clear visibility and overtaking opportunities over a 1km section

[AlfaJohn]

Moonhawk said:

Part of the problem IMO is the message "slow driving = safe driving" seems to have settled into many drivers minds. Doesn't matter that their speed is inconsistent and unpredictable, that they have poor lane discipline, make poor decisions holding up traffic flow and that they make poor use of mirrors and signals......the fact that they are driving well below the speed limit makes their driving safe.....and that's all they need to know.

Hardly a day goes by these days where I don't see people driving like this - and even what should be a straight forward journey on relatively clear roads is punctuated by having to deal with such drivers.

As long as the speed kills drum is still being beaten and poor driving of the kind mentioned above goes unpunished - there is no incentive to change. You just have to accept it - getting wound up will do you no good and could lead to you making a mistake - further reinforcing the idea in these peoples minds that they are the good safe drivers - and you are the evil, speeding maniac.

Absolutely spot on

[goldblum]

GC8 said:

Rovinghawk said:

The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us. Voltaire.

Corrected.

Still relevant even though it doesn't quite fit in now.

I'm not sure it's even applicable. When Voltaire described 'misfortunes' I doubt he meant the regular trivial occurrences which the poster here knows of as such and which leave him "frustrated". In fact by sharing his frustration it could be argued the poster is trying to stop dwelling on it through airing his views.

[Dr Doofenshmirtz]

Laser Sag said:

Dr Doofenshmirtz said:

This - absolutely 100%. It is the ONLY way...or walk, or take the train (but then people still get in your way).
Motorcycles really are the only way. Unless it's snowing, or forecast to snow, I'll be on the bike. Completely stress free and overtaking all you poor sheep who haven't discovered the better way.

20 years ago I would have agreed with this but I see too many idiots in cars/vans etc that don't have any awareness of what is going on around them that I just wouldn't contemplate a return to two wheels

I hear this argument a lot...but honestly, it's not an issue.
You can usually spot them a mile off.

[Muzzer79]

When I was taught to drive, I was encouraged to get up to the speed limit, providing the conditions allowed of course.

60mph limit? Then drive at 60, where safe to do so.

30 mph limit? You know what to do.

I was actively castigated by my instructor for dawdling.

I don't see that now. I see people on 60mph dead-straight roads doing 35-40mph. I see people doing 50mph on the motorway.
This is either due to ignorance of the speed limit or an "I'm-not-in-a-hurry-so-neither-must-you-be" attitude to everyone around them.

Massively frustrating, and don't even get me started on people slowing down when cars approach on the other side of the road.

[Gandahar]

jools182 said:

I know I need to chill out, but I'm getting so frustrated these days, even on short journeys

This morning for example. Bin truck was down the street. He saw me getting in the car, and starting it up and as soon as I started setting off he moved and blocked me in the drive, so admittedly I was already not in the best frame of mind

Next junction a Discovery pulled out, and then proceeded to do a fluctuating speed of between 18 and 25. I tried to remain calm as he was weaving all over the road, braking for no apparent reason etc

I eventually got a safe overtaking opportunity only to be met by a Defender who was at a standstill in the road with no traffic in front of him. No idea what he was doing, looking at the scenery perhaps? He started moving off, then eventually pulled over in a layby

Then I was behind a 206, who was again doing between 20-30 in a 40 zone, braking for puddles (?), braking when a car came in the other direction

So I arrive at work feeling so wound up

I know people will say set off earlier, relax, etc

I'm not saying anyone should race around with their arse on fire, or break speed limits, but the driving standards here are shocking. People don't pay attention to anything around them, drive at the same 25mph in 30 and 40 zones, there is no flow to traffic at all, just constant start stop

I've driven in Europe quite a lot and this problem just doesn't seem to exist there. You actually feel like you are getting to your destination rather than feeling like you're being held up. I just wonder what it is about this country that makes people drive like that.

The problem here Jools is that to me you are one of the people who slow me down. I actually do race about like "me ass" is on fire, so I find most people slow and frustrating.

So if I popped up behind you would you move over and let me pass or think I am a nutter and should be driving at the same speed as you.

As some wise sage wrote once on these very pages

"Anyone driving slower than me is a dawdler"
"Anyone driving faster than me is a nutcase"


Here endeth the lessen

Amen

[Mr Will]

Everyone faster than me is a reckless lunatic and everyone slower than me is a dawdling imbecile. Strangely though, all groups agree this is true...

[Gandahar]

Mr Will said:

Everyone faster than me is a reckless lunatic and everyone slower than me is a dawdling imbecile. Strangely though, all groups agree this is true...

Great minds eh?

[Gandahar]

PS This rule does not apply to Nissan Micra drivers. I once got into a two vehicle traffic jam behind one of those mofo's.

Whilst doing a 3 point turn.

[GC8]

goldblum said:

GC8 said:

Rovinghawk said:

The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us. Voltaire.

Corrected.

Still relevant even though it doesn't quite fit in now.

I'm not sure it's even applicable. When Voltaire described 'misfortunes' I doubt he meant the regular trivial occurrences which the poster here knows of as such and which leave him "frustrated". In fact by sharing his frustration it could be argued the poster is trying to stop dwelling on it through airing his views.

It depends on how much youre squinting as you look at it. Yes it isn't really applicable, but if you opt for a more general interpretation then it broadly applies.

With a little lateral thinking Im sure that the OP can take something from it.

[goldblum]

GC8 said:

goldblum said:

GC8 said:

Rovinghawk said:

The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us. Voltaire.

Corrected.

Still relevant even though it doesn't quite fit in now.

I'm not sure it's even applicable. When Voltaire described 'misfortunes' I doubt he meant the regular trivial occurrences which the poster here knows of as such and which leave him "frustrated". In fact by sharing his frustration it could be argued the poster is trying to stop dwelling on it through airing his views.

It depends on how much youre squinting as you look at it. Yes it isn't really applicable, but if you opt for a more general interpretation then it broadly applies.



With a little lateral thinking Im sure that the OP can take something from it.

Hmm. Leaving a little earlier might be more worthwhile.