Why do people pointlessly drive slowly?

alle said:
... This obviously isn't the same as 'muscling into the line of traffic' which I've never done and surprisingly never let anyone out that tries it by edging forward at junctions etc. ...
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This seems to suggest that if someone waits patiently at a busy junction without edging forward you will let them pull out . . . which makes you rather unusual in my experience :(
 
lovedaddy said:
So which is more selfish, the people that drive at cautious, yet reasonable pace, or the assclowns that get 1 inch from their bumper in a vain attempt to make them speed up, risking theirs and other road users lives.
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If the people driving stupidly slowly are holding up a big queue of traffic, it's them. If they drive at a reasonable speed people won't bunch up behind and tailgate and/or attempt risky overtakes. Unless you are driving a pre-war fossil then there is simply no excuse for this.
 
Dogbreath said:
If the people driving stupidly slowly are holding up a big queue of traffic, it's them. If they drive at a reasonable speed people won't bunch up behind and tailgate and/or attempt risky overtakes. Unless you are driving a pre-war fossil then there is simply no excuse for this.
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I rarely have issue with someone driving slowly.

What always gets me is the person who has no intention of overtaking them, yet sits inches from their bumper, preventing others overtaking.
 
Bug One said:
I rarely have issue with someone driving slowly.

What always gets me is the person who has no intention of overtaking them, yet sits inches from their bumper, preventing others overtaking.
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On the other hand, if you leave a sensible, safe distance between yourself and the vehicle in front . . .
you can always count on some nutter deciding to overtake and then barge his way back into lane . . .
forcing you to slow down to leave a sensible, safe distance between yourself and the vehicle in front . . .
and allowing another nutter to overtake and then barge his way back into lane . . .
forcing you to slow down to leave a sensible, safe distance between yourself and the vehicle in front . . .​
and so on and on and on and on :(


Driving on Motorways in the rush hour, I find it absolutely stunning how small a gap people will force their way into when overtaking; often as they weave between all three lanes in their endless struggle to save those few precious minutes . . . just because they had to have that extra slice of toast and marmalade.


Patience and courtesy are virtues :)
 
Dogbreath said:
If the people driving stupidly slowly are holding up a big queue of traffic, it's them. If they drive at a reasonable speed people won't bunch up behind and tailgate and/or attempt risky overtakes. Unless you are driving a pre-war fossil then there is simply no excuse for this.
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Thats the $1,000,000 question tho, whats the reasonable speed. The only guidance we have is that for a NSL road its a MAXIMUM of 60mph, there is no minimum. So the force of law/evidence is that the guy doing ANY speed at all, unto but not exceeding 60mph is correct, anyone doing more is incorrect.

One persons assessment of risk is different to anothers, so person A may assess the risk and think driving at 50mph is all thats safe, another may just accept that 60MPH is the absolute minimum hes going to try to achieve down said piece of road. Chances are neither is correct, but law will back the one doing less than 60mph.

Take a nice icy winters day, every single "accident" is no such thing, its a mis calculation of the conditions of that stretch of road. Typically these seem to happen to those most determined to "make good progress" and not drive to the conditions presenting themselves at that time on that stretch of road.

National Speed Limit simply mans that that road has not had cause to be limited to another speed for any reason, its in no way an indication that its safe to drive at 60mph in all condtitions in all weathers at all times.
 
robskinner said:
National Speed Limit simply mans that that road has not had cause to be limited to another speed for any reason, its in no way an indication that its safe to drive at 60mph in all condtitions in all weathers at all times.
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Whenever I see a speed limit I assume that it's the limit for every (weather) situation that can happen.
 
Dutch Guy said:
Rushing/stress isn't the issue, I just don't understand why you would want to drive slower than the limit holding up people that want to go faster, driving home after/to work isn't fun so why make it last longer.
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You're driving the wrong car if it isn't fun ;)

Dogbreath said:
If the people driving stupidly slowly are holding up a big queue of traffic, it's them. If they drive at a reasonable speed people won't bunch up behind and tailgate and/or attempt risky overtakes. Unless you are driving a pre-war fossil then there is simply no excuse for this.
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I'll bite, since I drive prewar cars which sometimes can't do the full whack on the straight bits. I'll get tailgated on the straights when I'm doing 55mph because I'm 'holding them up' but then they won't follow me round the bends at a speed I consider fun that any modern could do easily. I'm driving a 50+ year old upright car with a tiny engine, skinny tyres and drum brakes. People need to grow some balls.
 
ubersonic said:
no you just have to plan better for the manoeuvre, iirc the police guy on the advanced driving course said its best to imagine they are a long truck
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Indeed, i frequently overtake someone who is sat behind a slow moving object who they simply refuse to pass, i find it better if the person who's refusing to pass is close to the other vehical since it limits my time on the other side of the road.
 
Dutch Guy said:
Rushing/stress isn't the issue, I just don't understand why you would want to drive slower than the limit holding up people that want to go faster, driving home after/to work isn't fun so why make it last longer.
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You just need to chill out and go with it.

I drive pretty slowly these days, as i am rarely ever in a "rush", and i find it more relaxing and more economical in terms of general wear&tear on the car to simply drive smoothly and in a relaxed manner. I switch off, listen to R2/BBC breakfast or whatever and just autopilot my way around. That will sometimes result in me being under the speed limit. Work slightly faster in the day time, or whatever, so you can too enjoy simply wafting around at a slower pace. I find that if i dont waste any time during the day time, that getting there an hour later/leaving early, whatever, makes no difference to my productivity.

There really is no point stressing over it, driving in an agressive manner overtaking people will in reality impact very little on productivity.
 
I drive at a speed I feel comfortable at. If that means I have to over take people, I over take. If it means people need to overtake me, I let them over take me (or do my best to better facilitate their over take).
 
miniyazz said:
:confused:

Do you mean it's safe to drive up to that speed in any weather condition? Or that it's never safe to exceed that speed in any weather condition?
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I mean that on a road with a 50mph limit it will be safe to drive 50mph for 99% of the time when raining or windy, not that it's only safe to drive 50mph on a warm, clear day without wind or rain.

Obviously with snow or frozen road it's different.

I hate people that drive 70mph on the motorway and start tapping their brakes if they drive into a bit of rain.
 
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