Safe Speed Forums

Ah, not exactly.
By 'limit' you mean 'posted speed 'limit' right?

By my definition of 'the limit', I would be traveling in such manner that most other drivers couldn't follow to begin with, thus I couldn't prevent them from passing.

I almost never drive at that limit ... almost.

However, I almost never drive under the posted speed 'limit' either, except when traffic density reaches critical mass. Until that time, the posted speed 'limit' is always low enough that I am driving under my definition of 'the limit', thus I should have enough reserve driving ability to allow the other driver to pass me as soon as I find enough space to allow it.

Driving in any other manner is antagonistic, which is a waste of time, among many other things.

I understand that, generally, there is less excess space - not to mention time - available in the U.K. than in Amerika. I would probably find that very frustrating, and I don't see why others wouldn't find it frustrating as well.Your posted speed 'limits' are low enough. If you can get out of the way, do so. If you don't, you aren't doing your part to avoid others' traffic tantrums.

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The Rules for ALL ROAD USERS:
1) No one gets hurt
2) Nothing gets hit, except to protect others; see Rule#1
3) The Laws of Physics are invincible and immutable - so-called 'laws' of men are not
4) You are always immediately and ultimately responsible for your safety first, then proximately responsible for everyone's
Do not let other road users' mistakes become yours, nor yours become others
5) The rest, including laws of the land, is thoughtful observation, prescience, etiquette, decorum, and cooperation

If you maintained that philosophy when driving the back roads or my territory you, or your estate, would have some expensive repair bills and insurance claims to meet 60mph really isn't sustainable on a seven foot wide road with hair pin bends and animals.

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

Did you say seven feet wide? As in 84 inches?

My car is 79 inches wide, Amerikan roads are at least eight feet wide, and we get a warning whenever a lane or road is less than nine feet wide.

If I drove a Honda Jazz in the U.K., I'm sure the statement I made above would need further amendment. I didn't know that the roads were that slim.
Then again, I usually don't drive in conditions where animals are a concern. If I did, and the road were only seven feet wide, even if I were driving a Honda Jazz, then yeah, 60MpH might even be unattainable.

I also tend to slow down near schools, hospitals, shopping districts, Manhattan, etc, y'know, wherever pedestrians tend to congregate and [in many cases] start acting like they have nothing to lose by playing chicken.

I actually miss driving through villages and countrysides ...

_________________
The Rules for ALL ROAD USERS:
1) No one gets hurt
2) Nothing gets hit, except to protect others; see Rule#1
3) The Laws of Physics are invincible and immutable - so-called 'laws' of men are not
4) You are always immediately and ultimately responsible for your safety first, then proximately responsible for everyone's
Do not let other road users' mistakes become yours, nor yours become others
5) The rest, including laws of the land, is thoughtful observation, prescience, etiquette, decorum, and cooperation

British roads aren't usually that narrow but if you are visiting some out of the way farms they can be. And animals don't read the Highway Code



That rather modifies you statement that "I almost never drive under the posted speed 'limit' either, except when traffic density reaches critical mass." and is rather more in keeping with the image I have of you

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

Interesting one there.

If you are driving at the limit, should you make an effort to let someone past?

I don't agree with blocking them, that can only lead to stupidness of some sort.

But should you deliberatly slow down, or even make room for someone wanting to pass you when doing the limit?

Obviously, lets not bring in emergency vechicles, or go on about motorways.

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If you think everyone else around you is driving badly, perhaps it's time to examine your own driving.

Or to put it another way: should you assist another person to commit a crime?

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

Interesting point, you certainly must never prevent someone from passing you. The responsibility of the driver is to drive his own vehicle in the safest manner possible, not to enforce traffic law to other motorists.

No, not at all.

Personally, unless it's an emergency vechicle, I will not make any effort to let anyone past if I am doing the limit.

However, I certainly will not block them either. As soon as that happens, you risk creating an idiot in charge of big bit of metal driving at speed. Behind you.

Equally, if someone starts trying to 'bully' their way ahead, I let them. Even though this really, really annoys me and quite frankly I'd like to get out and bop them on the nose for such behaviour, I let them go.

It's totally irrisponsible of someone to create - or further enhance - a dangerous situation on the road.

And as I said before, it's not like you will 'teach them a lesson.' If someone is driving agressively, what exactly do you think deliberatly holding them up will do to their mood?

Don't get me wrong, they are entirely in the wrong and should not even be driving if they are so dispositioned. But that doesn't mean you should exabberate the situation, and very possibly endanger other people as well as yourself.

I know exactly how you feel at the time as well - 'Why the f*** should I let someone like that get their way? They will do it again!'

But just realise that there is absoloutly no good that will come out of blocking them.

An irate fast driver is far more dangerous than a fast one.

At a court case I recently sat in on, one such driver did get done for actions just like that.

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If you think everyone else around you is driving badly, perhaps it's time to examine your own driving.

Indeed they may do it again, but next time it might be an unmarked traffic car that they do it to.

Even if you are driving at the posted limit you should not impede someone who wishes to overtake.
1 Unless you have recently calibrated your speedometer how do you know that you are actually at the posted limit?
2 You are not an authorised enforcement agent
3 You do not know why the vehicle behind wishes to overtake. It may be a "boy racer", or someone who is just a little quicker (with a calibrated speedometer ), or an unmarked emergency vehicle, a doctor on an urgent call, a blood or organ delivery. It might be an unmarked traffic car who could find a nice cell for you or at least make your life miserable by doing a thorough check on your vehicle and licence etc. If you were unlucky it could be an armed robber who may just deliver the contents of his gun into your right ear!

It is very rare that someone catches up to me and wants to overtake but I always try to make it easy for them. It is not a challenge to me or my manhood; I know that I could out perform almost all of them but I do not have to prove a thing.

I never get tail gated; I never suffer from "road rage". Am I doing something wrong?

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The only thing that should be prohibited is prohibition.

If only. I live in hope!

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If you think everyone else around you is driving badly, perhaps it's time to examine your own driving.

On saturday, I was in a serious hurry as my dog was having a 'funny turn' and needed to get to the vet pronto. The car in front of my seemed intent on preventing me from passing. Thankfully my dog survived, but it made a stressful journey worse. Still, as long as the farmer boy in the red Peugeot knew he had the moral high ground...

The person behind you may have a genuine reason to go fast (most likely they don't) so if they want to, let them. Lose the passive aggressive thing, it's the worst bit of the British character.

Was he actually trying to stop you passing, or just driving normally?

Always interesting how people give situations which are very rare. Although I myself have been in that situation (though it was a cat, who didn't survive).

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If you think everyone else around you is driving badly, perhaps it's time to examine your own driving.

Driving slowly, then speeding up and moving to the middle of the road in any viable overtaking spot and grinning at me in his mirror.

That could be considered "normal" driving to some "not normal people"....lol...

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

You're right, it does.

Realistically, I try not to break 'The Rules'. While so doing, I also try to 'make good time', without breaking the rules. That's how I got my radio handle.

[If I'm being redundant, forgive me, but ...] I often drive above the posted speed 'limit', but I almost never drive at my personal limit. I always allow for the possibility of the unexpected, otherwise the odds of breaking 'The Rules' would exceed my personal limit.

By never driving at my personal limit, I make it much easier to notice what's behind me. If I'm driving at ten over the posted 'limit', and someone behind me wants to pass, I have no good reason to block them, so I let them pass if at all possible - even if that means I put on my hazards, and maybe even put two tires briefly off the road - as long as I can do so safely.
So, yes, if someone seems to be in a greater rush than I, I will try. I certainly appreciate it when I get such consideration. It's not my business if they wish to commit a traffic infraction - nor is it anyone else's if I wish to do the same.

However, the speeds at which I tend to drive reduce the possibility that I will be in someone's way; it also becomes more obvious, as that one vehicle stands out as it closes in while every other car recedes.

_________________
The Rules for ALL ROAD USERS:
1) No one gets hurt
2) Nothing gets hit, except to protect others; see Rule#1
3) The Laws of Physics are invincible and immutable - so-called 'laws' of men are not
4) You are always immediately and ultimately responsible for your safety first, then proximately responsible for everyone's
Do not let other road users' mistakes become yours, nor yours become others
5) The rest, including laws of the land, is thoughtful observation, prescience, etiquette, decorum, and cooperation

How far do you go with that philosophy? Do you apply it to all laws or just traffic? I would say it was everyone else's concern if, for example, you choose to drive on the left side of the road

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

Perhaps the line should be:

It's not my business if they wish to commit a traffic infraction that does not affect me- nor is it anyone else's if I wish to do the same.

If someone drives consistently on the wrong side of the road, then I may drive straight in to them.

If someone chooses to drive on the wrong side of the road when they can see it to be safe to do so, then moves bck to the correct side when necessary to avoid conflicts with other traffic, why should I care?

I see, but that's a blatent deliberate block.

Does anyone have any input about if you should slow down or even pull over for someone whom wants to get past? This is assuming you are doing the limit, and they are going faster.

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If you think everyone else around you is driving badly, perhaps it's time to examine your own driving.

If it's night, the trick is to keep your main beam on until they start to overtake, that assists them to see the road ahead is clear, dipping your lights doesn't help them see the road ahead as well.

I wouldn't slow specifically but may use my left indicator to let them know that there is a clear field of view ahead and I am willing for them to overtake and slow down, if need be, if something comes into field of view.

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.