Speedlimits and tailgaters

I see people doing this even through average speed camera zones, which seem to be popping up all over the place around here.

Something else I see often is people going 40 everywhere, but they leave the NSL and continue going 40 through the 30mph average speed cameras lol
 
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Doing the speed limit is not annoying, just ignore them and carry on. Tilt your rear view mirror so it doesn't distract you from your usual driving.

What is annoying, and I'm finding more and more common is drivers doing under the limit 20-25 in a 30. 30 in a 40, 35 in a 50 and 40 in NSL. Then they will pretty much come to a halt at every roundabout despite it being completely clear. This is annoying.
 
MooMoo444 said:
When people tailgate, I usually just slow down a little. It's quite passive aggressive but meh, not much else you can do.
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I do little things that annoy them. I'm usually sat at 1/2mph over, so anyone finding me slow is taking the ****.

Although I had someone religiously tailgate me the other day, when we came to NSL I think I left them at the sign. The traffic then began building behind them. 40MPH EVERYWHERE. :confused:

Idiots. Usually best to just ignore them.
 
I just ignore them but sometimes if they've been behind for a while they might get a touch of brake lights.
 
Ayahuasca said:
I once had a fella get out of his car in a traffic jam on the A1 to have a go at me about holding him up in the outside lane when I was doing 80. I asked him how much further ahead of me he would be now if I'd let him and he stuttered a bit, threw a few swearies out and stormed back off to his motor.
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It might not have gained him any ground in the situation you described, but had you not run into a traffic jam the obvious answer would be that he was ahead of you and able to maintain a higher average speed as a result.

Were you able to move left to the inside lane and let him pass, or do you mean you were also overtaking and had nowhere to go? I don't condone tailgaiting, but with so many people happy to use the overtaking lane in such a manner, I can see why it happens so frequently.
 
But also remember its a limit NOT a target. each driver should be driving to the road conditions. This WILL differ from driver to driver. So just because you think its ok to do the limit the driver in front may not.
 
mattyg said:
But also remember its a limit NOT a target. each driver should be driving to the road conditions. This WILL differ from driver to driver. So just because you think its ok to do the limit the driver in front may not.
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This. I always give slower drivers the benefit of the doubt. They could be elderly, a nervous driver, tired etc and are driving a little slower. It's not always the case they are doing it to spite the other road users, so I'll just hang back and wait patiently for the next dual carriage way or until they turn off.

Some drivers do get overly aggressive when they look at things black and white e.g. it's 30 they should be doing 30 or get off the road. I think this type of view is common and inconsiderate.
 
mattyg said:
But also remember its a limit NOT a target. each driver should be driving to the road conditions. This WILL differ from driver to driver. So just because you think its ok to do the limit the driver in front may not.
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This gets trotted out a lot in debates like this, and I don't think it's true.. I don't know anyone who was taught this...indeed, the guidance that I was given was the opposite; you should be aiming to drive as close to the speed limit as safely possible, but not to exceed it.

If on a driving test you were to drive at 25% under the speed limit without good reason and hold other traffic up as a result, you'd quite rightly be criticised as being discourteous to other road users. Simply not being confident enough to drive faster safely would probably not pass as a good reason either.
 
I think this is something especially common to London and M4 corridor towns/cities - it used to bug the life out of me when I first started driving, but over time you learn to be less anxious. Make sure you leave plenty of space to brake slowly to a stop when you need to, to prevent them rear ending you and carry on driving as you see fit.

Now when I am out on the motorbike, thats different - its still incredibly daunting to have someone 2ft of the back of the machine at 30mph. I am not ashamed to admit i will regularly use the throttle at safe moments (coming off roundabouts/junctions) to open the best gap I can - and sometimes find myself pulling over to let the moron past. Not worth dicing with accidents and injury!
 
Meh, do what you like so long as it's legal and leave everyone else to it.

Unfortunately the car you drive tends to have an impact on how other road users treat you when driving slowly(and legally). Anything either quick or perceived by Joe public as quick and you're left well alone, drive a small hatch and people think they can bully away.
 
I just slow down, how some people get so angry i don't know. Commuting is much more tolerable if you just do it calmly. Give way to people and be nice. The ones bumper to bumper so no one can get in really winds me up. Many accidents with them just going in to the back of someone through trying to leave no gap.
 
I get a lot of people right up my chuff in 20mph limits. Besides most of those streets have huge bumps and I'm not damaging my car by flying over them at silly speeds.

Some get cross, some overtake, but I don't really care, I let them get on with it, and I don't try and police the road. As long as they do not place me in danger I just ignore it. If they do place me in danger, I try and get out of the situation if possible (pulling over, slowing down or similar). Not point in antagonising the situation.
 
As an Audi driver, I think anyone who doesn't drive at least 10mph over the speed limit just isn't paying attention. They clearly need to be reminded that there's other traffic, by me driving as close to them as possible, filling up their rear-view mirror.

Kidding aside, drive the speed you're comfortable at, don't let idiots push you around. Don't do the passive-aggressive slowing down thing either - I know it's tempting, so sorely tempting, but deliberately increasing another driver's rage level doesn't help anyone.
 
Conscript said:
This gets trotted out a lot in debates like this, and I don't think it's true.. I don't know anyone who was taught this...indeed, the guidance that I was given was the opposite; you should be aiming to drive as close to the speed limit as safely possible, but not to exceed it.
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You've reworded what was already said? :confused:

It's the limit but not necessarily the target based on conditions.
 
If they want to risk themselves overtaking you etc, its their license they are risking, don't let them force you into risking yours.

You only do the speed limit if it is safe to do so also. If you feel only doing 40 in a 50 when the roads are dark and wet is the safest option, then don't feel pressured to push toward the limit.
 
Conscript said:
This gets trotted out a lot in debates like this, and I don't think it's true.. I don't know anyone who was taught this...indeed, the guidance that I was given was the opposite; you should be aiming to drive as close to the speed limit as safely possible, but not to exceed it.

If on a driving test you were to drive at 25% under the speed limit without good reason and hold other traffic up as a result, you'd quite rightly be criticised as being discourteous to other road users. Simply not being confident enough to drive faster safely would probably not pass as a good reason either.
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Thats just another version of what I wrote. But with your interpretation of what is safe.. However were not discussing 15mph in a 30 limit (which unless they are transporting a goldfish bowl full of fish and water is daft)people are complaining at 25 in a 30 limit.

I was stuck behind a car doing 25 in a 30 limit once. Then a kid ran out from a driveway....Had we been doing 30 the kid would have been hit. I have a different outlook now. I'll take it easy round towns and residential. But will make up time on the country roads, Dual carriageways and M/ways.


Edit: I type too slow
 
Ryan-3 said:
You've reworded what was already said? :confused:

It's the limit but not necessarily the target based on conditions.
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mattyg said:
Thats just another version of what I wrote. But with your interpretation of what is safe.. However were not discussing 15mph in a 30 limit (which unless they are transporting a goldfish bowl full of fish and water is daft)people are complaining at 25 in a 30 limit.

I was stuck behind a car doing 25 in a 30 limit once. Then a kid ran out from a driveway....Had we been doing 30 the kid would have been hit. I have a different outlook now. I'll take it easy round towns and residential. But will make up time on the country roads, Dual carriageways and M/ways.


Edit: I type too slow
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Apologies, I should have worded my response better and made it clear I was talking in the context of earlier posts which mentioned people driving well under the limit on NSL roads and the like :)
 
rossk26 said:
What is annoying, and I'm finding more and more common is drivers doing under the limit 20-25 in a 30. 30 in a 40, 35 in a 50 and 40 in NSL. Then they will pretty much come to a halt at every roundabout despite it being completely clear. This is annoying.
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For the extra mpgz or because they cannot cope with the increased traffic on the roads these days? It is annoying.
 
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