Safe Speed Forums

Hello,

Im new to this place, seems the right place to be to ask this question.

What is it with drivers constantly doing 40mph? no matter the speed limit.

It seems to me that these drivers are more dangerous than excessive speeding, as they cause frustration for starters, and they cant possibly be paying enough attention.

Is there anything being done about this?

And I have to ask, how do people like this pass a driving test?

Similar topic has already been discussed...

http://www.safespeed.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7289&highlight=everywhere

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Mike

thankyou

In most everyday cars, 35-40 mph is a comfortable speed in 4th gear. Therefore many drivers are happy to amble along at that kind of speed - it's the path of least resistance

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

Drivers who can't adjust their speed to the conditions are a real hazard, you can absolutely guarantee that these drivers will be the worst at everything, such as signalling, lane discipline, general awareness etc....

Its stange when you think about it, because these 40mph drivers on NSL A roads are the people the 'speed kills' lobby actively encourage and they unbelievably think are the safer drivers, when anyone who drives knows differently.

Road safety is in an absolute mess.

40MPH is probably a good speed if you don't know the road and are unable to judge that maximum speed based on the distance you can see.

Of course under the highway code you would have to pull over to allow other cars to pass.

This driving at 40 mph thing annoys me because most ( not all) A roads you can drive them at 60 mph. Some if you are lucky, you do not have to break for coners. On my way home from work there is an NSL single lane bit which you can drive ~55-75. And there is ALWAYS ALWAYS some one doing 40 . Yesterday I was in a que of about seven cars behind a car doing 30 mph. It was a suzuki swift ironicly enough

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Oct 11 Birmingham Half Marathon. I am running for the British Heart Foundation.
http://www.justgiving.com/Rob-Taylor

Says a lot about the run of the mill driver - troll along in 4th at 40 - but hey - don't you think you could save a bit of fuel at 45/50 in 5th???

Too much to ask??? - at least at 40 , they're easier to pass safely.

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

not for us they arent. i hate them especially when i have cars up my arse blaming me for it. who is the bigger problem, the trucker sticking to the law or the car driver driving at 2/3rds of the speed limit?

the irritating thing is that this is far more dangerous than 10MPH over the speed limit (conditions permitting) and yet which would get prosecuted?

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Richie

SSAFA supporter
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=126025031585

Not necessarily, and you're assuming that the bimbling driver knows that there's traffic behind them.

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

Huh? I'm in 5th at 30 and above (and 6th at 40+ in the other car). The last time I drove around at 35/40 in 4th was in a 4 speed Fiesta and my driving test!!

I believe the 40 in a 30 drivers are just chancers...30 feels soooo slooow so knocking it up a bit gives greater satisfaction.

The 40 on an NSL B-road is just incompetence pure & simple. Strange that when you FINALLY get the chance to overtake...they waken from their slumber & put their foot down as you're half way past.

Shooting's too good for some people!!

It's all a matter of common sense and courtesy - unfortunately the current focus on speed limits has rather kicked that into touch.

The other day I had to drive to Barnstaple along the B3227 - NSL, quite twisty, but a perfectly safe road for an average 50mph. Needless to say I got stuck behind some moron doing 30-35 mph throughout (down to 20 on some bends!). Botach says that "at least at this speed they are easy to overtake safely"; not on this road they're not - too many corners. But despite collecting a tail of 3 cars - on a very quiet road - did the cretin pull over?

On my way back - again very little traffic - I was doing an average 50-55 and a car behind (third hand BMW, sunglasses, shaven head, you know the type) came roaring up, obviously wanting to go faster than I was. Give him his due, he didn't tailgate me, so at the first safe opportunity I pulled over and waved him past. Didn't bother me at all, and saved us both much hassle - so why couldn't the w****r on the outward journey do the same?

Could it be that he was "well within the speed limit" and was therefore - in his own opinion - a safe driver and a good one?

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Save a cow - eat a vegetarian

On a slightly related note I just want to get something off my chest.

I have to confess to doing 35-40 in a NSL on the way home on Monday....becuause it was HAMMERING IT DOWN!! Unfortunately the dopey bint behind me seemed to think that it was safe to do 60mph still and insisted on tailgating me for about 5 miles!!!!! (There isn't anywhere safe to pull over anyway on that stretch.

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

I have to be honest, when this happens to me (and there's nowhere to pull over), if touching my brake pedal doesn't get them to back off, I slow down gently until I'm virtually at a standstill. Then when they've backed off a sufficient distance, I resume my journey, but I will repeat the tactic if I need to.

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus

Its amazing how they don't get the point though, isn't it?

I sware on my next car I'm going to paint 'I slow down for Tailgaters' in 6" high letters on the back window

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.