darthvander Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 That was an eye opener! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annoni_mouse Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 Uneccessarily slow driving causes danger on the roads. Statistically accidents are far more likely to occur during overtaking. The slower you drive, the more people are going to overtake you. It's not rocket science. It has been mentioned several times that if people only overtake when it is completely safe, then it isn't dangerous. What about the fact that it is rarely 'completely safe' to overtake? So what you slow drivers are actually saying is that you have the god given right to dictate what speed everyone unfortunate enough to be caught behind you should go at, and if this egocentric behaviour causes an accident, that is nothing to do with you? A more rational view is, if you don't feel safe to drive at, or near to the speed limit, when there are no obstructions on the road, this indicates some impairment on your part, and you should not actually be on the road at all. Nothing in driving is 'completely safe' and it never will be, but there are very few roads which have a higher speed limit which don't have at least a section which is safer to overtake (taking into account road/weather conditions etc.). If you can't overtake safely, you don't overtake end of. The responsibility falls on the overtaker, not the person being overtaken. All this talk of drivers getting frustrated and being forced to overtake in a rash maneuver is just bunkum. It's bad driving, plain and simple and if you value a few minutes off your driving time more than the safety of yourself and critically other road users, then it's pretty easy to see who's being egocentric... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alchresearch Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 Indeed. Doesn't it say in the highway code "if in doubt, do not overtake". And I'd imagine that most people thing the roads are far more congested and faster than before so probably don't take the risk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L00b Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 And I'd imagine that most people thing the roads are far more congested and faster than before so probably don't take the risk.Corrected for accuracy more congested = generally slower (hence the problem in the OP) Add to that, more congested = less overtaking 'landing spots' (between cars ahead in the same lane, i.e. those between you and the slow driver at the font, who daren't overtake) more congested = less overtaking opportunities (more oncoming traffic) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DT Ralge Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 You need to read BluePolo's post again, methinks I overtook 3 this morning on the A57 (Worksop > Jct 31). 17t lorry, catering van, silver C4. All at 40 or less, on a 50-limited, wide, clean, mostly straight, clear road in clear weather. What is wrong with people? At least, for once, it wasn't a Kia Picanto, Toyota Aygo, Vauxhall mini-box-on-wheel-thingymajig or Nissan Micra If it's to get better MPG, just leave the car at home and use public transport This, presumably, would be the bits of "the road of death" that are littered with floral tributes and that suffer from hidden dips/dead ground, road-narrowing (for traffic calming) and Wacky Races junctions on which you managed to get away with an overtaking manoeuvre? Still, you managed to get where you were going much sooner, of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert_Baehr Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 Speed limits in the UK are already far too high. Speed should be limited to 20mph, until drivers can be persuaded to: 1. Look out of the windows (not just the one at the front - you're allowed to look out of the windows on the side too (that's why they're there.) 2. Use their turn signals. (exercising them by leaving them on for half an hour does not count as 'use'. 3. Use their mirrors. (Even if they don't wear lipstick/aren't worried whether they need a shave or whether that zit is about to pop.) Slow drivers are a pain in the arse, but the accidents are caused by those who either don't see them or who can't pass them safely because they lack basic driving skills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annoni_mouse Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Speed limits in the UK are already far too high. Speed should be limited to 20mph, until drivers can be persuaded to: 1. Look out of the windows (not just the one at the front - you're allowed to look out of the windows on the side too (that's why they're there.) 2. Use their turn signals. (exercising them by leaving them on for half an hour does not count as 'use'. 3. Use their mirrors. (Even if they don't wear lipstick/aren't worried whether they need a shave or whether that zit is about to pop.) Slow drivers are a pain in the arse, but the accidents are caused by those who either don't see them or who can't pass them safely because they lack basic driving skills. Think that pretty much sums it up nicely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcoblog Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 I got done for speeding a few years ago ... it was a 40 MPH limit and I got stuck behind a car doing 20 MPH (!?) for quite some time. When there was no oncoming traffic I sped up to overtake. As I was overtaking I got clocked by a camera at 48 MPH (I was fully intending to slow down again once I'd overtaken) This resulted in 3 points and a £60 fine! There's no way I'd have exceeded the limit if it weren't for the slow driver ... it was my regular route to work and I'd no intention to gather points. I wasn't late for work or anything ... I just wanted to drive at more than 20 MPH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anywebsite Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Whereas a factor in about 20,000 accidents a year is breaking the speed limit or driving too fast for the conditions. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-407521/Only-20-road-accidents-caused-breaking-speed-limit.html "The 'contributory factors to road accidents report', the first of its kind, showed a total of 147,509 accidents last year. Of these five per cent, or 7,314, had breaking the speed limit as a factor. This rose to 12 per cent, or 325, for accidents which ended in a fatality. The police deciding the driver was going too fast for the conditions was a factor in a further 10 per cent of all accidents, or 15,436, and in 14 per cent of those ending in a death, or 357" Going too fast causes many thousand times more accidents. They always blame every accident on 'excessive speed', because you can't crash if you're not moving. You also need to check your maths 150 doesn't equal many thousands. Also, your Daily Fail article is from 2006. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcoblog Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 They always blame every accident on 'excessive speed', because you can't crash if you're not moving. You also need to check your maths 150 doesn't equal many thousands. Also, your Daily Fail article is from 2006. I was just going to say the same thing! You could also argue that because only 5% of the accidents are caused by speeding its obviously safer! Figures mean nothing! (not that I'm condoning speeding) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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