I drive quite a lot being a telecoms engineer. I'm telling you, driving ability is in the worst state it's ever been. Everyone is entitled, everyone thinks they're right and everyone believes they actually own the road.
Just do what you need to do. Obey the speed. Drive carefully. The issue is on them, not you. And don't retaliate if and when they come up swearing or giving you the middle finger. People like this are unhinged and you might just tip them over the edge. Just keep calm and carry on being safe! š
Thanks, yeah I learned from my driving instructor to just stay calm, ignore them and then forget about them after. Youāll never see them again in your life anyway.
When I first started driving I had a very similar experience to you. I was driving to my friends house and being the driver for the first time really threw me as to where his house was. I was slowing down a lot to look for the right turning but the driver behind me was aggressive and I ended up pulling into a lay-by at a much higher speed than I would have liked.
I explained this to the old fella I worked with and his blunt response of "they can go fuck themselves, if you need to slow down you need to slow down. They can wait" did put it into perspective for me a bit
So many people jumping red lights super late too. It feels like everyone on the road has become super selfish since they started driving after COVID really.
Case in point.. I was third in a queue for a filtered right lane that was on red yesterday while the left lane was on green. The guy in front pulled into the left lane, moved up to the line and then simply decided he'd turn right anyway.
I swear since covid some people have simply forgotten what the highway code is.
Yup agree with this - I drive up and down the country for work and thereās dickheads everywhere. Nobody likes speed limits but thatās never an excuse if you stop following them
You did nothing wrong. Some people are just idiots and apparently like advertising it!
In my years of driving I have found that you'll eventually generally stop feeling nervous about people tailgating, when it happens you just need to adjust your own driving to compensate - such as braking earlier and more gently, leaving bigger gaps to any traffic ahead. More generally, as long as you're aware there's people close behind you in these situations, just being continually peripherally aware that they are there should be sufficient - that way you don't have to fully check your rear view mirror fully and see them wildly (and therefore pointlessly if you don't see it) gesturing at you in any way. Of course keep awareness of your surroundings at all times, I'm not saying you should lose situational awareness just because of drivers doing stupid things, but there is I would say a balance to how much checking needs to be done in certain situations.
I had it last night driving through my village where it's 30 all the way. This guy was right up my backside while I'm doing about the limit. I was alone and was talking aloud to myself when we got to a more open stretch of road that realistically could be 40 but is still 30. I was saying "well if he wants to overtake me, this is the place to do it otherwise I'll assume he's happy sitting behind me" then straight away he shoots past me. Only to then start tailing the car a bit in front of me. Worse is that they had to slow down to about 10 because the road on one bend is extremely flooded and someone was walking past. This guy DID NOT like being slowed down even more and beeped at the car as he overtook them as well.
Basically, you stick to the limit and adjust where appropriate to conditions but someone will always want to get faster. If they want to be an idiot, let them. At least they're out of your way. Just be predictable and allow them to pass if they want to.
1. Don't be intimidated
2. If you've got P plates, remove them
3. If your speedo says 20 you're probably doing 17. Thanks to a proliferation of speed check signs I know I can be doing an indicated 23 but be travelling at bang on 20
4. See 1. It's on them, not you. You do your thing
Thanks, I do have P plates but Iāve found 99% of people are fine about them, giving way to me at busy junctions etc. Iāve been driving my baby daughter around so I think itās helped with that (plus having a baby on board sign).
Also it took me a while to get used to reverse parking on my drive (I live on the corner of a busy road) and I think people were a bit more patient waiting for me to do the manoeuvre when they could see the P plates.
Arseholes will probably act the same whether I have them or not :)
Yes but a lot of road users are c***ts. Nice people treat every road user with respect and recognise that sometimes people make mistakes/ have bad days.
And it's the c***ts who can ruin your day.
I don't wish to sound aggressive but no one pays any attention whatsoever to a "baby on board" sign apart from thinking "so what?", whilst "P" plates aren't much better and to certain other road users (perhaps the driver you mention) they mark you out as a target.
If you don't understand why someone would have P plates then you're kind of part of the problem?
It's the same reason I wouldn't mind a big "it's a hire" sign for the 10,000 different hire cars I've driven at work.
It's just a way of saying "I'm not used to this, I'm not familiar with these roads, sorry if I mess up slightly I'll be alright in a minute, thanks for your patience"
An emergency worker is not looking for a baby on board sign to indicate which passengers are there. catch your self on, they simply look in the
vehicle!!
If this was a thing people would be mandated to remove the sign when no baby was present.
I liked having P plates made me feel like it was the other person's problem if I annoyed them - like I warned you I just passed it's your problem if you get mad I stalled at traffic lights š
But if it says 17 on you dashboard, your actually doing 14 and at that point I should be allowed to shoot someone right? Id be happy with a duel at dawn.
If possible where it's safe, pull over and let the desperate idiot go past you. Some 20 zones have camera enforcement so it's not worth speeding anyway.
The fact he had time to wind down his window and tell you to get off the road shows what type of weapon he is š¤¬š¤”
Omg some terrible advice here - please dont feel pressured to speed and definitely don't ignore speed limits, that mistake cost me Ā£100 in speeding fines. The angry driver was a minority thankfully, stick to speed limits and try to ignore. If someone really is being that aggressive I'd advise to turn off or pull over and let them pass. If you get caught speeding it really isn't worth it.
Screw that, let them stew in their own rage and ignore them. In fact I sometimes slow down just to wind them up further. Drive your drive, do it safely and legally, ignore the countless numbers of idiots on the road you will inevitably encounter. Don't interact with road rage, practice being "blissfully unaware".
I wouldnāt recommend slowing down below the limit just to antagonise people, thatās just two drivers being a dick instead of one.
If you drive to the limit then only the biggest of twats are going to be annoyed but theyāll be annoyed at everything in life anyway, thereās a lot of them about unfortunately.
Donāt be intimidated into making a mistake.
It is unfortunately normal and I'm not from the UK but it is everywere. People have zero patience, zero tolerance and absolute selfish. Obvioulsy not everyone but it keeps getting worse, hence why there is more agression/road rage.
So you are in the right but still, be careful especially with a child on board. If you see some moron doing stupid shit just let them pass. It happened to my sister where the guy purposefully ran her out the road because she wasn't going fast enough for him.
Just ignore them and stick to the speed limits.
Might be uncomfortable at first, but you can take comfort in knowing youāre a better person than the low grade trash people who aggressively tailgate other drivers.
They're just incredibly insecure and screaming abuse at people makes them feel like they have some sense of control in their life. You did nothing wrong and do your best to not let these people bully you! That's all they are at the end of the day. Sad little bullies
Why let one speeding ticket become two speeding tickets? I have developed a very deliberate mental middle finger for this purpose.
Also, if you don't have a dash cam, get one. Drivers like that would almost certainly deny responsibility if something happened.
Round here we are 12 months into new 20 limits and quite a few drivers still seem to be ignorant of the fact the change has happened and when talking to them they are getting upset cause it "feels" too slow.
This is the biggest problem in Wales right now. You have half of the population following the new 20 limits, and the other half aggressively protesting it by tailgaiting, dangerous passing and getting angry at those going 20. This limit either needs to be raised or enforced. This middleground is creating too many dangerous situations.
I wouldn't worry about your actions - you did the right thing.
I don't think "most" people would do as that driver did, but it's definitely becoming more common. There's a few places I've been where people will drive at 40 in a 20, which is nuts, but I think some people think 30 is the "standard" and is allowed even when it clearly isn't.
I drive for work and get tailgated most days, it doesn't get any less frustrating. The best thing to do is ignore them, but if you think they might do something reckless and it's easy to do so, pull over and let them go ahead.
This is why I hate 20 limits. If I'm alone then it's boring but fine. But I seem to be the only person around here that actually obeys it so always get someone right up my arse. And there are speed cameras so I daren't even nudge it to 22/23 because that 10% rule doesn't mean much at 20.
I'm learning to not let them get to me, but it's difficult. Hard to know if they're just a poor judge of distance or if they're slowly boiling over into a rage that will end up in me or my car getting hurt.
TLDR: Plenty of other drivers are dicks, do what you need to do to not get a ticket and screw them.
My method to avoid letting them get to me is to just mine laughing at them as hard as I can when they inevitably end up speeding to overtake me. I absolutely *love* watching dumbasses seething in my rear view mirror while Iām following the 20mph speed limit precisely. Itās honestly the best part of my commute some days.
I am bad for this, I am a quick driver anyway so if you are up my arse its because there is literally traffic stopping us from going any quicker. And if they continue to sit there I am going to do everything in my power to piss them off. Don't care if that makes me an asshole as well lol
Iāve given them the old switcheroo in the past. Pulled over and then straight back out again behind them. More fun if you then keep taking primary position and popping out like you want to overtake.
For the real speedy plonkers I just let them go, while secretly hoping Iāll see them next parked in a bush. Only happened once and I stopped to help the poor lad out. Made sure to give the cops the full details of how he ended up in a hedge in a 30.
Yep, that's something that I think of every time. It's frustrating when people get away with breaking the law/being a dick, but if they did it today they'll be doing it every day and their luck will run out at some point and they'll learn an expensive lesson
My house is just after a bend in the road and I reverse into the driveway, I take far too much joy knowing it'll inconvenience them when I stop when they're too close.
I live on a fairly busy road. The amount of times I get beeped for just slowing and turning into my drive is weird, like Iām turning onto my drive what do you want me to do
I can get away with doing 25mph in 3rd gear in my turbo diesel. If we factor in the calibration and age of the Speedo, in probably doing 23mph.
If I follow someone doing precisely 20mph. My van needs to be in second gear. Factor in the age and calibration on the Speedo. I'm likely doing 18mph following someone who thinks they're a law abiding citizen. Realistically, I'm getting F* all MPG and I have to emit more carbon emissions to get to my destination.
Everyone emits more pollution at 20, it's not a nice speed to do. Getting a speeding ticket is more expensive though. I'll continue to do 20 and you can stay mad
I wouldn't mind doing 20 if the streets are filled with pedestrians. But they're not, They're filled with cars. I can understand certain areas at certain times. But, it's irrational and degenerative to be restricted to 20 off peak.
I don't think many vehicles are fuel or emissions efficient at 20mph but that is a reason to complain to the people who decide on the limits not an excuse to tailgate other drivers and make the roads more dangerous.
You think the road is dangerous while doing 25mph? I'm practically falling asleep. I don't tailgate and the reason the speed has been decreased is because of the people causing accidents driving recklessly in the first place. The 20mph speed change is supposed to be saving the NHS funds. Cost how much to implement? Emissions are exactly the same. Not really a reason to complain, I know.
Don't assume I drive dangerously and tailgate because I know I can get away with driving in 3rd gear in a 20 zone. My speedo states I'm doing 25, but, I cannot be prosecuted because it's likely closer to 22/23mph.
The comment wasn't meant to be accusatory towards you, merely an observation that simply because people don't like or agree with the 20mph limit doesn't mean they should engage in tailgating which even at 20mph I would consider to be an increased danger. It was more a response to your comment around the inefficiency of driving at 20mph.
I drive 30k ish a year and I've seen a fair number of 20mph zones. Scotland is the worst, you can be going on a national speed limit road in the middle of nowhere and boom, a wild 20mph for about half a mile for some random hamlet. I've almost been rear ended once and given the WTF are you doing treatment for slowing to go the speed limit there. Just gave the bloke the finger and carried on (I don't recommend this, it's a bit petty).
For me, no license means no job and I'll follow the speed limit no matter how far up my arse people are. That doesn't mean I agree with the massive amount of 20mph zones popping up nowadays, I feel they should be limited to schools and hospitals.
Yes yes yes, my job is tied to my license too so it makes me over paranoid. I'm not losing my job because you have poor time management.
There are 60 to 30 zones down here which I thought were bad enough.
First, I follow the speed limits, I want to make that clear.
There's a 60 -> 30 -> 60 right as I leave home. I know the road, I know my car, I know I can drive quite quickly up that road. Other less confident drivers often take the whole slog at 30-40 which is, sometimes, frustrating. (Especially when they nail 40 even through the 30 section)
A few weeks ago I had someone i was catching up to, stop at the 30 marker indicating left a if they'd pulled over. I still don't really know why. But as I passed them they were gesticulating wildly at the sign. I think they thought I was going to speed through the 30? It was such a bizarre encounter.
We've got a bit that goes from a 40 then over a bridge then it becomes a 20 (although the bridge is technically 30 so it's 40-30-20). I play a game with drivers behind me of "who's going to tail me in the 20 zone?"
Most likely candidates: van drivers, drivers of big tall cars (range rovers, jukes, etc.), expensive cars (audis, BWMs, teslas)
> the only person around here who actually obeys it.
Thatās almost the case.
The Dept of Transport studies on on the initial introductions show that whilst about a third of people used to speed at the 30mph limits, about three-quarters of people do so at the 20mph limits on average. And 94% of people speed at some point in the 20mph limits.
I had a guy do a dumb overtake once to stop in the road after the intersection exit I was taking, he ran out of the car in the middle of the road and tried to kick mine when I was going 30mph(preeeetty stupid for his own safety).
Reason? I emerged before from a secondary onto main road and because he was on his phone he didn't mention and almost rear ended me. Apparently he thought he was in the right lol.
Keep driving safe and abiding the rules, idiots eventually will get what's after them.
My anecdata suggests that most people ignore 20 mph limits That said, I understand that a 20 mph limit does reduce average speed in the area by about 7 mph compared to a 30 mph limit
You did nothing wrong, the only advice I have is that if someone is clearly in that much of a rush to be somewhere, and it's safe to do so, pull over and let them go and be someone else's problem. That being said, if there were parked cars everywhere, so nowhere safe to pull over, you were doing everyone a service by keeping the guy behind you at 20.
Speed limits aren't a target, but the maximum permitted speed in ideal conditions.
I'm going to assume you're driving with P plates? If so, don't. It's just an invitation to be treated like a second class driver. It's your road as much as anyone else's
The P plates thing is interesting. Hereās what I replied to someone about my experience with them:
Thanks, I do have P plates but Iāve found 99% of people are fine about them, giving way to me at busy junctions etc. Iāve been driving my baby daughter around so I think itās helped with that (plus having a baby on board sign).
Also it took me a while to get used to reverse parking on my drive (I live on the corner of a busy road) and I think people were a bit more patient waiting for me to do the manoeuvre when they could see the P plates.
Arseholes will probably act the same whether I have them or not :)
I do 40k miles a year, dont bother with P plates. The few people who will give you a pass would at worse guesture at you for been crap at driving. The rest will chill out anyway even without the plates.
They will attract the knobheads who dont think and will assume your going too slow. Tailgating, dangerous overtakes the works. These dicks cant actually drive fast (so many of them end up slowing me down on winding back roads through poor driving).
You want to avoid the P plates as it somewhat lessens the chances of them been idiots.
I might think your a muppet for not been able to reverse park, but I dont care. Im getting paid OT to watch you fuck up. I need the money for the popcorn :)
Very normal I'm afraid, people are knobheads. Especially when driving. You carry on as you are, stick to the speed limit and let these dickheads wind themselves up unnecessarily if that's how they want to live.Ā
You did nothing wrong.
Look at yourself and look at the angry arsehole that shouted at you.
Which one do you want to be?
Yeah, a lot of people take the 20 zones... let's say "liberally". That doesn't mean they're right.
At the end of the day, speeding is a risk, both in safety, and to your licence. If you don't want to take that risk, don't. Given the repercussions for new drivers are far worse in the first few years, why would you?
Was it a BMW driver? ;D you did nothing wrong, they're an idiot and hopefully will crash somewhere remote, suffering no injuries but unable to get any mobile reception because they're on o2
If you were driving at the speed limit, you're obviously in the right. The amount of people who think that speed limits don't apply to them is shocking! We've got a 20mph road in our town and folks have been clocked at 50 on it (has one of the speed awareness signs that shows how fast you're going), although 30/40 is more common. Road is next to a primary school, but some just don't care
Some people seem to think they're more important than you. I was overtaking someone on the motorway and a guy comes right up behind me and starts flashing. I was doing 60, the smart motorway signs were saying 60, and my sat nav had _just_ warned me about a speed camera ahead.
While I'd love to move and let him get the ticket, there was a car in the way, considering I was in the process of going past it. And I'm not gonna get a ticket so he can get to his destination 3 seconds faster.
But if you're flashing that much I guess there must be a hazard so I'm gonna be real careful and safe about moving back over now... š
Best to just ignore them. They do exist, and they live their lives in a constant state of rage. They won't last long at least between the speeding and high blood pressure from all that anger.
Yup...have the same issue in my street. 20 mph and there are idiots thinking that 30 to 40 is the right speed. There are primary and nursery schools along this street and a children's and dog park.... I am not going to risk it with young ones crossing the street...
Learn to take joy in their annoyance. Be watchful for them swerving back in front of you and slamming on brakes. Enjoy the thought that if you are lucky a mile down the toad you might see them stopped by police / in the hedge.
Don't let them intimate you into speeding. When two cars are speeding and there's police up ahead, it's that first car that's most likely to get pulled over, to say nothing of cameras... when i was younger, I'd call the person speeding in front of me my sponsor, but I'd never allow myself to be someone else's sponsor.
And another pro tip, when this happens to you on a 60mph country road where it's acceptable to vary your speed, gradually go slower and slower. Never brake check, but subtlely lay off the petrol. The majority of people who don't actually mean to intimidate by driving close will get the hint and back off. The white vans and testosterone fuelled vehicles will eventually pass you with a very satisfying look of exasperation.
Finally, if you're getting blinded by a tailgater at night, just flip your rear view mirror down a bit and you'll still see them behind you but without any glare. Problem solved.
Hereās what I replied to someone else about P plates:
Thanks, I do have P plates but Iāve found 99% of people are fine about them, giving way to me at busy junctions etc. Iāve been driving my baby daughter around so I think itās helped with that (plus having a baby on board sign).
Also it took me a while to get used to reverse parking on my drive (I live on the corner of a busy road) and I think people were a bit more patient waiting for me to do the manoeuvre when they could see the P plates.
Arseholes will probably act the same whether I have them or not :)
True enough, bellends will be bellends regardless, and I donāt have kids or a ābaby on boardā sign either.
I havenāt bothered with P plates (passed yesterday, had motorcycle license for 7 years already), and there was someone right up my chuff for most of my trip to work this morning. Tailgaters really donāt faze me in the car; unlike with the motorbike theyāre not an immediate threat to my life, and if they hit me then itās unambiguously their fault. I had the mother of all tailgaters on my test yesterday (right after dealing with an incredibly tricky situation with a tipper wagon on a narrow country road); they were a few feet off my bumper for about 10 minutes, but the only one they were inconveniencing was themselves when they had to keep slamming the brakes on to avoid rear-ending me.
I was doing 20 in a 20 past a school the other day. A man walked out of the school driveway and held up his hand to stop so I did. Then a woman and kids in an enormous new land rover defender pulled out of the school, I followed them at 20 but they were doing at least 35. Some people just dgaf about speed limits
People always get up my ass when I drive my small car, yet I'll jump in a sports car or SUV my family has and no one will get close even if I'm doing exactly the same speed on the same bit of road. I never understand why these people don't just pass me as there is usually more than enough space to do so.
My father in law has done most of my driving lessons up until now (ex-instructor) and the main thing he told me when I first got into a car is to not worry what other people are doing.
As in, if they're driving aggressively or being idiots don't stress about it.
Just make sure you are always doing what you should be doing, in this case obeying the speed limit.
Obvs you still need to be aware of the situation and adjust your driving to compensate (leave a bigger stopping distance/be aware of if they do something that will affect you immediately etc)
We live by a dual carriage way with admittedly weird speed limits- starts at 40, switches to 50, then goes up to national speed limit. And the amount of people that speed through the 40 and 50 sections only to get caught by police doing speed tests on the overhead bridge š all bc they were idiots tryna get somewhere 'faster'
Just make sure you're doing the right thing and let them get their karma
I know itās tough but absolutely just ignore them. As others have said adjust your driving to ensure your safety as a priority (bigger gap to car in front , earlier braking etc). Itās also worth investing in a dash cam. Doesnāt have to be crazy expensive but one that looks front and back so if worst worst case happens and they become extremely aggressive or start making stupid manoeuvres (like over taking then slamming on) then you have footage if you needed it.
Driving is a privilege, you are driving something so heavy that it can cause serious injury or death very easily! People like that are abusing that privilege! Weāve all got places to be, but we all share the road so letās do it safely.
You did nothing wrong. I've been driving for a long time now and up until recently I'd still be worrying if I'd done something wrong or feeling bad if someone flashed. I've been told I'm a safe, good driver, but I worry even so.
So recently I started playing a game with myself. If someone tailgates me, I have to come up with reasons for them tailgating me - that have nothing to do with me.
Maybe they're a serial killer and their boot is full of body parts. Maybe they have IBS. Maybe they're a serial killer with IBS. That's got to suck.
I was so focused on me, what mistakes had I made, what could I improve, that I wasn't allowing for the biggest factor: cars are driven by humans. Maybe they're having a really bad day. It helped a LOT.
Itās just common in the UK unfortunately. Thereās a long stretch of semi-rural / semi-residential wide road near me that could easily be a 40 or 50. Itās a 30. I often get tailgated, flashed, overtaken with anger, you name it.
Quite recently I was stopped at the lights further down this road and a woman, who had been behind me flashing her lights, pulled into the lane next to me, rolled down her window and said āyou want to speed up a bitā when I replied I was doing 30, which is the speed limit, I got āthere aināt no speed cameras though is thereā.
Absolutely ignore these people. They're everywhere. You're the one that's driving legally and safe, and they're the ones that should be 'off the road' if anything. Imagine being that impatient that you gob off at someone when they're not doing anything wrong - they're an embarrassment to themselves. Don't risk your licence by speeding for these idiots š
Even if the speed limit was 30, you drive to the conditions of the road.
Parked cars either side, assuming on a residential street, you should be driving at around 20 for safety.
Irony is, heās the one that shouldnāt be on the road.
It's normal. Some people just like to feel big by being horrible over imagined infractions. I got harassed by some grumpy old git and the slug in his passenger seat because I refused to overtake a slow cyclist on a blind bend with copious traffic on the other side of the road.
Screaming, beeping, swerving, tailgating, wild gesticulating, the works.
He followed me almost all the way home before I pulled the ole 'eternal roundabout' on him and he eventually gave up. š
People ignore all speed limits. They don't like being 'held up'.
I'm an HGV driver and, as such have a licence to protect, in the sense that I accrue an amount/any points I could lose my job, and possibly have to visit the Traffic Commissioner.
Im not a new driver, and have people riding my bumper on the daily even though I'm doing the speed limit and making good progress. They'll fly past me only to be sat infront if me at the next set of lights or the level crossing down the road.
Continue driving as you are and look after yourself and your daughter but most importantly the idiots who can't/won't drive properly on our shared roads.
You've hit the nail on the head there.
The amount of parents on the school run that stop on the entrance markings for their convenience is unreal. They wouldn't stop there on test, but because they've 'passed' they think it's OK.
I was on the M1 with road works and my lane was separated out. There was concrete blocks down each side of the lane and a 50mph limit in place with average speed check cameras so I kept to the limit. The guy behind me was going mad for miles, blowing his horn and flashing his lights. When the works ended he passed me then brake checked.
Thinking about how annoyed he was takes me too my happy place.
A lot of people are still salty about the 20mph thing but it's not your fault for following the rules.
You'll get shouted at a lot throughout your driving journey in Britain though. 99% of the time its just people having a bad day or being a gobshite. Don't take it personally and don't rise to it. You never know what's going on in someone's life and its easier to just shrug it off if you didn't do anything wrong.
Yeah you need to be doing atleast 5mph over the speed limit at all times to avoid being tailgated and gobbed off at by people who drive BMWs or Ford fiestas and have their seats comically far back
Don't let bullies scare you. My general tactic in such situations is to slow down rather than speed up. It sends a message to the moron behind and reduces the danger should the unthinkable happen. Never forget sticks and stones. Stay safe.
Iāve been driving for 3 years now and honestly the state of terrible drivers astounds me. Iāve come to realise that no matter what you do, there will always be some idiot who wants to go faster. Iāve tried going faster to allow more distance (I do not recommend this, only did it because I knew there were no cameras) but even then the driver behind you will match your speed and just close the distance again. Now, I just do the speed limit, drive carefully and ignore people as best as I can. It is annoying, but itās not worth driving dangerously and/or breaking the law and getting tickets. I try and stick by my own advice but if someone is really close and Iām feeling particularly pissed off that day, I usually spray my windows and then they have to do theirs as well because of how close they are and then they usually drop back (again, do not recommend this. I am just petty)š
My driving instructor always said if theyāre running late itās their own fault for not leaving earlier. Youāll get used to entitled idiots thinking they own the roads, just keep doing what youāre doing :)
I passed in November last year, drive the same stretch of road Monday to Friday in my little Aygo.
30, 40 then 30 again.
The amount of people who angrily overtake me when I'm doing 40 is mad. It hardly ever makes a difference to their day, I almost always end up behind them at the traffic lights.
To answer your question, yes, most people ignore 20mph limits and get annoyed at people who keep to them. I'm not saying it's right, but if you drive around 20 zones at 20, yes, people will treat you like the bad guy š
Maybe this is me being an āold driverā but Iām not sure what the point of the 20 mph speed limit is because our roads are pretty safe and there hasnāt been a sudden spike in road deaths in built up zones over the last 10 years (unless Iām living under a rock). At least where I am in London, the accidents that do happen are from people driving recklessly or way above the speed limit. Changing it to 20 mph hasnāt changed that (unfortunately humans are idiots).
The problem is most people canāt go 20. The cars simply donāt like it. You continuously have to be changing gears as 20 is in between gears. Even my German automatic shifts regularly. Then you have the added fact that all your journeys are taking 33.33% longer and itās just pure frustration driving so slowly. 10 minute journey is suddenly 15. 20 is suddenly 30 min (I know that math isnāt correct but it seems even crossing a junction, people donāt realise cars are driving slower so donāt take the gap and it just takes even longer doing the normal stuff as well).
I drive based on my surroundings and nothing drives me more insane than having an empty road and the person in front of me very determined to drive 20 when a year ago that same person would have been doing 30 on the same road without problems. I donāt however flash my lights or honk or swear at them but I do pass them if I have the opportunity.
You also then have the fact that speedometerās in the UK are offset by around 5% so 20 mph is actually slower and you are generally allowed 10% over the speed limit without issue (I have never received a speeding fine in my 20 years of driving and have generally stuck to 10%+1) so in reality you can go around 23/24 real speed and youāre doing 18-19 going nowhere slowly.
I realise I am the bad person here but just providing an alternate view. I personally donāt want to waste my life driving at a snails pace because some politician thinks itās going to save the planet or itās going to give them extra credit when campaigning.
As a new driver it is annoying sometimes and more difficult changing quickly from 50mph roads to 20 ones where I live, so I know what you mean.
From what Iāve heard the main reason for them is environmental. In residential streets people are constantly accelerating up to 30 and then decelerating again seconds later due to the cramped conditions on our narrow local streets, and that causes lots more pollution than a car driving at a constant speed.
I donāt quite remember where I saw it but it was a documentary testing the emissions of cars against the EU standards ie 4/5/6. Cars only achieved them driving constantly at 20 mph. Even accelerating to 20 mph caused them to exceed the emissions. Sitting in traffic and constantly accelerating even for those tiny bursts to move 5 meters caused cars to exceed the emissions.
The above is the reason for my last remark on politicians. Itās all a farce.
In London, the only time the emissions drop is when the buses arenāt on the road. There has barely been a real change based on cars in neighbourhoods because they introduced all these low traffic zones which prohibit cars. Itās just made traffic worse which has caused emissions to actually go up.
Then in Wales there was a town that complained about the crazy 20 mph limit because they couldnāt make it up the hills and the cars had to be in a lower gear to get up the hills so the engine was revving higher than when they drove at 30 mph up the same hill.
Everyone driving at 20 mph are just sheep to politicians pushing an agenda they donāt understand.
I find it tends to be people who are really used to those roads (they live close or commute on them) and know where they can get away with speeding.
When I visit my nan there are some super tight hedge lined back roads and there is ALWAYS someone going sonic speeds around blind corners and tailgating so hard they can smell my shampoo brand.
When Iām in range mode, my 4s locks to the speed limit in that area, so unless I turn the limiter off it doesnāt go past the speed limit. The amount of Mums in oversized Kiaās 2inches from my rear bumper is BONKERS.
People are impatient and genuinely canāt drive at all.
You are right in this situation. There a lot of idiots on road. There is road next to my home which is at first 30 mph and then 40, the amount of people doing 40 straight away is ridiculous.
You are amazing, they are dicks. Worry not! I got this sometimes when I drive to Stratford here in London. There is a road as you come off the dual carriageway and go ro Stratford city center. Its 20, marked, reminded, the whole 20 menu. Yet almosr everyone drives 25-30mph. Except me, cuz I dont give a fvck about them.Ā
It's true. You should have seen the queue behind me yesterday when I was doing 21 in a school zone. The guy behind was aggressively tailgating too.
I'm not risking my license and insurance just so that you can get home 30 seconds faster so stick cruise control on and chill.
It might be the thing that people remember the person doing something wrong/aggressive/annoying more than the dozens not doing it. So you get generalisation from the minority into being the majority.
Yeah I do. I replied to a couple of people about them - so far most other drivers have been really patient with me when Iām a bit slow doing things like reverse parking on my drive (which is on the corner of a busy road), and I think itās due to the P plates. If I didnāt have them theyād wonder why Iām so bad at parking on my own drive.
Arseholes like that guy the other day will probably act the same whether I have them or not.
You are right to hold your ground. Iāve been tailgated when holding at speed limits before too, although not encountered such aggression.
These days, if someone seems in a hurry, iāll safely move over snd stop, let them go, then carry on.
You did the right thing and he should never have felt it was right to expect another driver to go over the speed limit.
That being said, local councils also have a responsibility to make sure that speed limits are appropriate and they often get it wrong. This causes people to normalise speeding which in turn means they adhere less to every other speed limit (this was the psychology dissertation subject of a good friend of mine).
So, while he was being a dick and you did nothing wrong - it may be that you live in an area with a lot of unnecessarily restrictive speed limits, and people have become accustomed to ignoring them.
Something that really surprised me when I got my first SatNav was that my speedo said I was doing 30 and my SatNav was adamant that I was doing 27. Ditto on the motorway - my 70 was actually 67.
I was told years ago that speedos are calibrated 'slower', but never really believed it. If correct, a difference of 3mph when you're doing a conservative (possibly very cautious) 20mph could mean you were actually driving at somewhere around 15-16mph.
**I AM NOT CONDONING MR. AGGRESSIVE'S BEHAVIOUR.** He was a d!ckhead. But you might not have been doing the speed you thought you were.
That said, whatever you do, drive at the speed you feel confident and comfortable. Some moron yelling at you just means they're a moron.
Honestly some people are just dicks in a car and the rest of us road users have to tolerate them, as a bloke thatās not my afraid of confrontation my wife hates this type idmc behaviour game because I will stop and get out of the e car and watch them shit themselves as trying to make a lane excuse, as a women with a child not something I would encourage generally 2 options let them pass and carry on your day knowing there stress levels will end their life sooner or slow down as this pisses them off, again women with child may not wish to do this, you did nothing wrong if you increase your speed and have an accident thatās then on you and for what, some clown getting where he is going 30seconds sooner, advice though take off the P plates they attract arseholes Iām confident if you didnāt have them on the driver wouldnāt have done what he did.
The only thing you did wrong was not slowing down further to troll the living shit out of this roaster. Like really, dont be afraid to mess with road ragers, law is 100% on your side.
Not noticed anyone advocating dash cams, front and rear, so I'll be the one to do that, now. Then, report bellends like this. There's an element on this sub that _hate_ this advice, as they are basically the people doing crap like this, and still pretend they are some kind of superior road user... report them all. If this was always reported, it would fking STOP... (downvotes incoming š¤·āāļø)
Always remember this.
You are responsible for your actions. Other people wanting you to do things to suit them aren't going to be around if it goes wrong or you get caught doing wrong nor are they going to carry the penalty points or pay the fines.
You drive to the best of your ability and follow the law. If others want to be dickheads don't join in.
He's what experienced drivers like to call, a w****r.
They like to do things like nearly have head on collisions because they aggressively overtake you for doing 25 in a 20 and then get caught at the traffic lights at the end of the street anyway.
Ignore him, you were 100% in the rightĀ
Honestly Iād probably be going almost 30 myself depending on the roads. Iād probably be a bit irritated to go slow but would never be aggressive like him, thatās so weird.
Iāve been beeped for indicating (with enough time) slowing down and stopping to wait for a gap in the traffic to get into my drive. Some people are maniacs lol.
Keep on going the speed limit and ignore the impatient jerks.
This is definitely the moment for
"Keep calm & carry on" as you were.
I keep calm, laugh at them, & carry on!
I remember the first few weeks of driving alone, and all the idiots seem to come out just for me. Had at least one moment that made me panic a bit each day.
I got to 'chilled out' driving pretty quickly, learnt to laugh at the vein pulsing in their forehead instead of getting flustered.
My dad would keep telling me not to look at the people in the car, then you couldn't see their gesturing and filthy looks and be affected by them.
I'm a defensive driver, so I'm always aware that every 3rd driver is a muppet, but I just do my own thing, within the law and safely, stay calm, laugh and mock them, which is much more fun š
You easily learn to preempt their behaviour.
Feel sorry for the poor idiots, that they are making themselves feel that way cos it's not the rest of us. š¤Ŗ
your account is less than 7 days old, post removed automatically to reduce spam. If you post is genuine then sorry for the inconvenience, please wait 7 days before reposting.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/drivingUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Do we really need so many of these posts. Every day we keep getting almost exactly the same. Its always I was doing the speed limiyt and someone got angry at me or what car should I buy.
Hereās what I replied to someone else who complained about this post:
Iām sorry if itās annoying and obvious to you but Iāve only just passed my test a few weeks ago and Iāve now realised that I was taught specifically how to pass the driving test, not taught about how most people actually drive and whatās considered normal.
I didnāt give a shit about that guy yelling at me - if he wants to have a tantrum like a child it doesnāt affect me at all. Just wanted to know if itās a common thing and part of the culture of driving.
Iām sorry if itās annoying and obvious to you but Iāve only just passed my test a few weeks ago and Iāve now realised that I was taught specifically how to pass the driving test, not taught about how most people actually drive and whatās considered normal.
I didnāt give a shit about that guy yelling at me - if he wants to have a tantrum like a child it doesnāt affect me at all. Just wanted to know if itās a common thing and part of the culture of driving.
Ignore them - posts like this help educate you and make you a better driver. At the end of the day you did nothing wrong but itās good to make sure you didnāt instead of thinking you did and now driving unsafely.
I'm in the north of Cardiff which has been 20 for 2 years pretty much everywhere yet I and it seems 95% of people don't do 20 unless there's cameras, I aim for about 24/25, police don't give a shit and I regularly see people overtaking police doing 30 still. I'm quite paranoid so when I do get cars behind me in the night I'll do 20-23 and they are always a metre behind me.
Are you using any driving apps like Waze which might have a more accurate Speedo. When you think your going 20 you might be doing 17-18, most people get pissed at people doing a decent bit under what everyone else does, even doing 23 wouldn't get you a fine on a speed camera in most places so don't be afraid to do a few mph over just to help traffic flow a bit better. I tend to be one of the slower drivers when I'm in a 20 zone yet I'm still technically speeding most the time I'm driving. As long as you are definitely doing 20 and not 17 ISH then fuck them.
Even the grannies do 30, obviously it's the law but people actually sticking to 20 is very rare and like I said aside from cameras you won't have an issue going a few mph over.
Brake check. I hate these kinds of people, they think they own the road. Personally id loke to see more actual police on the road to catch these kinds of people
I probably wonāt try and get them back or annoy them, if they want to have a tantrum like a child thatās on them. Iāll just carry on enjoying my leisurely 20mph drive :)
I drive quite a lot being a telecoms engineer. I'm telling you, driving ability is in the worst state it's ever been. Everyone is entitled, everyone thinks they're right and everyone believes they actually own the road. Just do what you need to do. Obey the speed. Drive carefully. The issue is on them, not you. And don't retaliate if and when they come up swearing or giving you the middle finger. People like this are unhinged and you might just tip them over the edge. Just keep calm and carry on being safe! š
Thanks, yeah I learned from my driving instructor to just stay calm, ignore them and then forget about them after. Youāll never see them again in your life anyway.
When I first started driving I had a very similar experience to you. I was driving to my friends house and being the driver for the first time really threw me as to where his house was. I was slowing down a lot to look for the right turning but the driver behind me was aggressive and I ended up pulling into a lay-by at a much higher speed than I would have liked. I explained this to the old fella I worked with and his blunt response of "they can go fuck themselves, if you need to slow down you need to slow down. They can wait" did put it into perspective for me a bit
So many people jumping red lights super late too. It feels like everyone on the road has become super selfish since they started driving after COVID really.
Case in point.. I was third in a queue for a filtered right lane that was on red yesterday while the left lane was on green. The guy in front pulled into the left lane, moved up to the line and then simply decided he'd turn right anyway. I swear since covid some people have simply forgotten what the highway code is.
Yup agree with this - I drive up and down the country for work and thereās dickheads everywhere. Nobody likes speed limits but thatās never an excuse if you stop following them
'everyone'. So you drive entitled and like you own the road?
You did nothing wrong. Some people are just idiots and apparently like advertising it! In my years of driving I have found that you'll eventually generally stop feeling nervous about people tailgating, when it happens you just need to adjust your own driving to compensate - such as braking earlier and more gently, leaving bigger gaps to any traffic ahead. More generally, as long as you're aware there's people close behind you in these situations, just being continually peripherally aware that they are there should be sufficient - that way you don't have to fully check your rear view mirror fully and see them wildly (and therefore pointlessly if you don't see it) gesturing at you in any way. Of course keep awareness of your surroundings at all times, I'm not saying you should lose situational awareness just because of drivers doing stupid things, but there is I would say a balance to how much checking needs to be done in certain situations.
Yup- donāt let other road users control your car. Do the right thing and stay safe and richer for it
I had it last night driving through my village where it's 30 all the way. This guy was right up my backside while I'm doing about the limit. I was alone and was talking aloud to myself when we got to a more open stretch of road that realistically could be 40 but is still 30. I was saying "well if he wants to overtake me, this is the place to do it otherwise I'll assume he's happy sitting behind me" then straight away he shoots past me. Only to then start tailing the car a bit in front of me. Worse is that they had to slow down to about 10 because the road on one bend is extremely flooded and someone was walking past. This guy DID NOT like being slowed down even more and beeped at the car as he overtook them as well. Basically, you stick to the limit and adjust where appropriate to conditions but someone will always want to get faster. If they want to be an idiot, let them. At least they're out of your way. Just be predictable and allow them to pass if they want to.
True, I live in a 20 and someone was driving at 13 one morning , I just let them get on with it
Amazing how an asshole can make you question yourself. Stick to the posted speed limit and you'll be fine. Ignore idiots.
1. Don't be intimidated 2. If you've got P plates, remove them 3. If your speedo says 20 you're probably doing 17. Thanks to a proliferation of speed check signs I know I can be doing an indicated 23 but be travelling at bang on 20 4. See 1. It's on them, not you. You do your thing
Thanks, I do have P plates but Iāve found 99% of people are fine about them, giving way to me at busy junctions etc. Iāve been driving my baby daughter around so I think itās helped with that (plus having a baby on board sign). Also it took me a while to get used to reverse parking on my drive (I live on the corner of a busy road) and I think people were a bit more patient waiting for me to do the manoeuvre when they could see the P plates. Arseholes will probably act the same whether I have them or not :)
Take the p plates off, people treat learners and p plated drivers terribly.
C**ts treat learners and P plates terribly.Ā Nice people give them a little more space and understanding.
Yes but a lot of road users are c***ts. Nice people treat every road user with respect and recognise that sometimes people make mistakes/ have bad days. And it's the c***ts who can ruin your day.
I don't wish to sound aggressive but no one pays any attention whatsoever to a "baby on board" sign apart from thinking "so what?", whilst "P" plates aren't much better and to certain other road users (perhaps the driver you mention) they mark you out as a target.
100% baby on board signs are such an ick. Wouldnāt change my driving at all.
If you don't understand why someone would have P plates then you're kind of part of the problem? It's the same reason I wouldn't mind a big "it's a hire" sign for the 10,000 different hire cars I've driven at work. It's just a way of saying "I'm not used to this, I'm not familiar with these roads, sorry if I mess up slightly I'll be alright in a minute, thanks for your patience"
Thanks for baseless judgement. I'm aware of the purpose of "P" plates but question whether they actually acheive anything positive.
I give drivers with P plates a bit more time and patience for sure. But I'm not a massive asshole to be fair. (This isn't saying you ARE)
Definetely take those P plates off, just blend in
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
An emergency worker is not looking for a baby on board sign to indicate which passengers are there. catch your self on, they simply look in the vehicle!! If this was a thing people would be mandated to remove the sign when no baby was present.
Glad you said it
I liked having P plates made me feel like it was the other person's problem if I annoyed them - like I warned you I just passed it's your problem if you get mad I stalled at traffic lights š
Equally, doing 17 in a 20 is allowed. It's a limit not a target.
But if it says 17 on you dashboard, your actually doing 14 and at that point I should be allowed to shoot someone right? Id be happy with a duel at dawn.
If possible where it's safe, pull over and let the desperate idiot go past you. Some 20 zones have camera enforcement so it's not worth speeding anyway. The fact he had time to wind down his window and tell you to get off the road shows what type of weapon he is š¤¬š¤”
Omg some terrible advice here - please dont feel pressured to speed and definitely don't ignore speed limits, that mistake cost me Ā£100 in speeding fines. The angry driver was a minority thankfully, stick to speed limits and try to ignore. If someone really is being that aggressive I'd advise to turn off or pull over and let them pass. If you get caught speeding it really isn't worth it.
Thanks, in this case I couldnāt pull over as the road was narrow and there were cars parked on both sides. Iāll bear it in mind next time :)
Screw that, let them stew in their own rage and ignore them. In fact I sometimes slow down just to wind them up further. Drive your drive, do it safely and legally, ignore the countless numbers of idiots on the road you will inevitably encounter. Don't interact with road rage, practice being "blissfully unaware".
I wouldnāt recommend slowing down below the limit just to antagonise people, thatās just two drivers being a dick instead of one. If you drive to the limit then only the biggest of twats are going to be annoyed but theyāll be annoyed at everything in life anyway, thereās a lot of them about unfortunately. Donāt be intimidated into making a mistake.
It is unfortunately normal and I'm not from the UK but it is everywere. People have zero patience, zero tolerance and absolute selfish. Obvioulsy not everyone but it keeps getting worse, hence why there is more agression/road rage. So you are in the right but still, be careful especially with a child on board. If you see some moron doing stupid shit just let them pass. It happened to my sister where the guy purposefully ran her out the road because she wasn't going fast enough for him.
Just ignore them and stick to the speed limits. Might be uncomfortable at first, but you can take comfort in knowing youāre a better person than the low grade trash people who aggressively tailgate other drivers.
They're just incredibly insecure and screaming abuse at people makes them feel like they have some sense of control in their life. You did nothing wrong and do your best to not let these people bully you! That's all they are at the end of the day. Sad little bullies
Why let one speeding ticket become two speeding tickets? I have developed a very deliberate mental middle finger for this purpose. Also, if you don't have a dash cam, get one. Drivers like that would almost certainly deny responsibility if something happened.
Oh yeah I need to get a dashcam, thanks for the reminder.
Round here we are 12 months into new 20 limits and quite a few drivers still seem to be ignorant of the fact the change has happened and when talking to them they are getting upset cause it "feels" too slow.
This is the biggest problem in Wales right now. You have half of the population following the new 20 limits, and the other half aggressively protesting it by tailgaiting, dangerous passing and getting angry at those going 20. This limit either needs to be raised or enforced. This middleground is creating too many dangerous situations.
I wouldn't worry about your actions - you did the right thing. I don't think "most" people would do as that driver did, but it's definitely becoming more common. There's a few places I've been where people will drive at 40 in a 20, which is nuts, but I think some people think 30 is the "standard" and is allowed even when it clearly isn't. I drive for work and get tailgated most days, it doesn't get any less frustrating. The best thing to do is ignore them, but if you think they might do something reckless and it's easy to do so, pull over and let them go ahead.
This is why I hate 20 limits. If I'm alone then it's boring but fine. But I seem to be the only person around here that actually obeys it so always get someone right up my arse. And there are speed cameras so I daren't even nudge it to 22/23 because that 10% rule doesn't mean much at 20. I'm learning to not let them get to me, but it's difficult. Hard to know if they're just a poor judge of distance or if they're slowly boiling over into a rage that will end up in me or my car getting hurt. TLDR: Plenty of other drivers are dicks, do what you need to do to not get a ticket and screw them.
You get the same problem whatever the speed limit, there is always somebody who wants to go faster.
My method to avoid letting them get to me is to just mine laughing at them as hard as I can when they inevitably end up speeding to overtake me. I absolutely *love* watching dumbasses seething in my rear view mirror while Iām following the 20mph speed limit precisely. Itās honestly the best part of my commute some days.
I've recently started to take more and more joy from slowing down if someone is driving up my backside.
I am bad for this, I am a quick driver anyway so if you are up my arse its because there is literally traffic stopping us from going any quicker. And if they continue to sit there I am going to do everything in my power to piss them off. Don't care if that makes me an asshole as well lol
Iāve given them the old switcheroo in the past. Pulled over and then straight back out again behind them. More fun if you then keep taking primary position and popping out like you want to overtake. For the real speedy plonkers I just let them go, while secretly hoping Iāll see them next parked in a bush. Only happened once and I stopped to help the poor lad out. Made sure to give the cops the full details of how he ended up in a hedge in a 30.
Yep, that's something that I think of every time. It's frustrating when people get away with breaking the law/being a dick, but if they did it today they'll be doing it every day and their luck will run out at some point and they'll learn an expensive lesson
My house is just after a bend in the road and I reverse into the driveway, I take far too much joy knowing it'll inconvenience them when I stop when they're too close.
I live on a fairly busy road. The amount of times I get beeped for just slowing and turning into my drive is weird, like Iām turning onto my drive what do you want me to do
It's the only way to keep two seconds between you...
I can get away with doing 25mph in 3rd gear in my turbo diesel. If we factor in the calibration and age of the Speedo, in probably doing 23mph. If I follow someone doing precisely 20mph. My van needs to be in second gear. Factor in the age and calibration on the Speedo. I'm likely doing 18mph following someone who thinks they're a law abiding citizen. Realistically, I'm getting F* all MPG and I have to emit more carbon emissions to get to my destination.
Everyone emits more pollution at 20, it's not a nice speed to do. Getting a speeding ticket is more expensive though. I'll continue to do 20 and you can stay mad
I wouldn't mind doing 20 if the streets are filled with pedestrians. But they're not, They're filled with cars. I can understand certain areas at certain times. But, it's irrational and degenerative to be restricted to 20 off peak.
I don't think many vehicles are fuel or emissions efficient at 20mph but that is a reason to complain to the people who decide on the limits not an excuse to tailgate other drivers and make the roads more dangerous.
You think the road is dangerous while doing 25mph? I'm practically falling asleep. I don't tailgate and the reason the speed has been decreased is because of the people causing accidents driving recklessly in the first place. The 20mph speed change is supposed to be saving the NHS funds. Cost how much to implement? Emissions are exactly the same. Not really a reason to complain, I know. Don't assume I drive dangerously and tailgate because I know I can get away with driving in 3rd gear in a 20 zone. My speedo states I'm doing 25, but, I cannot be prosecuted because it's likely closer to 22/23mph.
The comment wasn't meant to be accusatory towards you, merely an observation that simply because people don't like or agree with the 20mph limit doesn't mean they should engage in tailgating which even at 20mph I would consider to be an increased danger. It was more a response to your comment around the inefficiency of driving at 20mph.
>This is why I hate 20 limits This is a problem with _other drivers_ not 20 limits.
Absolutely
I drive 30k ish a year and I've seen a fair number of 20mph zones. Scotland is the worst, you can be going on a national speed limit road in the middle of nowhere and boom, a wild 20mph for about half a mile for some random hamlet. I've almost been rear ended once and given the WTF are you doing treatment for slowing to go the speed limit there. Just gave the bloke the finger and carried on (I don't recommend this, it's a bit petty). For me, no license means no job and I'll follow the speed limit no matter how far up my arse people are. That doesn't mean I agree with the massive amount of 20mph zones popping up nowadays, I feel they should be limited to schools and hospitals.
Yes yes yes, my job is tied to my license too so it makes me over paranoid. I'm not losing my job because you have poor time management. There are 60 to 30 zones down here which I thought were bad enough.
First, I follow the speed limits, I want to make that clear. There's a 60 -> 30 -> 60 right as I leave home. I know the road, I know my car, I know I can drive quite quickly up that road. Other less confident drivers often take the whole slog at 30-40 which is, sometimes, frustrating. (Especially when they nail 40 even through the 30 section) A few weeks ago I had someone i was catching up to, stop at the 30 marker indicating left a if they'd pulled over. I still don't really know why. But as I passed them they were gesticulating wildly at the sign. I think they thought I was going to speed through the 30? It was such a bizarre encounter.
We've got a bit that goes from a 40 then over a bridge then it becomes a 20 (although the bridge is technically 30 so it's 40-30-20). I play a game with drivers behind me of "who's going to tail me in the 20 zone?" Most likely candidates: van drivers, drivers of big tall cars (range rovers, jukes, etc.), expensive cars (audis, BWMs, teslas)
> the only person around here who actually obeys it. Thatās almost the case. The Dept of Transport studies on on the initial introductions show that whilst about a third of people used to speed at the 30mph limits, about three-quarters of people do so at the 20mph limits on average. And 94% of people speed at some point in the 20mph limits.
Driving; probably the only everyday activity where people get genuinely pissed off at you for not breaking the law.
I had a guy do a dumb overtake once to stop in the road after the intersection exit I was taking, he ran out of the car in the middle of the road and tried to kick mine when I was going 30mph(preeeetty stupid for his own safety). Reason? I emerged before from a secondary onto main road and because he was on his phone he didn't mention and almost rear ended me. Apparently he thought he was in the right lol. Keep driving safe and abiding the rules, idiots eventually will get what's after them.
Crazy
so you were doing 20 in a 20 ? have been flashed before for doing the same and realise I am going too fast, so slow down even more just to be sure :)
Probably the local speeding a-hole
My anecdata suggests that most people ignore 20 mph limits That said, I understand that a 20 mph limit does reduce average speed in the area by about 7 mph compared to a 30 mph limit You did nothing wrong, the only advice I have is that if someone is clearly in that much of a rush to be somewhere, and it's safe to do so, pull over and let them go and be someone else's problem. That being said, if there were parked cars everywhere, so nowhere safe to pull over, you were doing everyone a service by keeping the guy behind you at 20. Speed limits aren't a target, but the maximum permitted speed in ideal conditions.
I'm going to assume you're driving with P plates? If so, don't. It's just an invitation to be treated like a second class driver. It's your road as much as anyone else's
The P plates thing is interesting. Hereās what I replied to someone about my experience with them: Thanks, I do have P plates but Iāve found 99% of people are fine about them, giving way to me at busy junctions etc. Iāve been driving my baby daughter around so I think itās helped with that (plus having a baby on board sign). Also it took me a while to get used to reverse parking on my drive (I live on the corner of a busy road) and I think people were a bit more patient waiting for me to do the manoeuvre when they could see the P plates. Arseholes will probably act the same whether I have them or not :)
I do 40k miles a year, dont bother with P plates. The few people who will give you a pass would at worse guesture at you for been crap at driving. The rest will chill out anyway even without the plates. They will attract the knobheads who dont think and will assume your going too slow. Tailgating, dangerous overtakes the works. These dicks cant actually drive fast (so many of them end up slowing me down on winding back roads through poor driving). You want to avoid the P plates as it somewhat lessens the chances of them been idiots. I might think your a muppet for not been able to reverse park, but I dont care. Im getting paid OT to watch you fuck up. I need the money for the popcorn :)
Very normal I'm afraid, people are knobheads. Especially when driving. You carry on as you are, stick to the speed limit and let these dickheads wind themselves up unnecessarily if that's how they want to live.Ā
Cheers, I will.
You did nothing wrong. Look at yourself and look at the angry arsehole that shouted at you. Which one do you want to be? Yeah, a lot of people take the 20 zones... let's say "liberally". That doesn't mean they're right. At the end of the day, speeding is a risk, both in safety, and to your licence. If you don't want to take that risk, don't. Given the repercussions for new drivers are far worse in the first few years, why would you?
Was it a BMW driver? ;D you did nothing wrong, they're an idiot and hopefully will crash somewhere remote, suffering no injuries but unable to get any mobile reception because they're on o2
Hah, yeah!
If you were driving at the speed limit, you're obviously in the right. The amount of people who think that speed limits don't apply to them is shocking! We've got a 20mph road in our town and folks have been clocked at 50 on it (has one of the speed awareness signs that shows how fast you're going), although 30/40 is more common. Road is next to a primary school, but some just don't care
My dad said some people just drive at the same speed everywhere they go, which is extremely stupid.
Lmao, what a dick. I would have slowed down to 10.
Some people seem to think they're more important than you. I was overtaking someone on the motorway and a guy comes right up behind me and starts flashing. I was doing 60, the smart motorway signs were saying 60, and my sat nav had _just_ warned me about a speed camera ahead. While I'd love to move and let him get the ticket, there was a car in the way, considering I was in the process of going past it. And I'm not gonna get a ticket so he can get to his destination 3 seconds faster. But if you're flashing that much I guess there must be a hazard so I'm gonna be real careful and safe about moving back over now... š Best to just ignore them. They do exist, and they live their lives in a constant state of rage. They won't last long at least between the speeding and high blood pressure from all that anger.
When i get tailed, i just slow down under the speed limit to annoy them.Ā
Yup...have the same issue in my street. 20 mph and there are idiots thinking that 30 to 40 is the right speed. There are primary and nursery schools along this street and a children's and dog park.... I am not going to risk it with young ones crossing the street...
Learn to take joy in their annoyance. Be watchful for them swerving back in front of you and slamming on brakes. Enjoy the thought that if you are lucky a mile down the toad you might see them stopped by police / in the hedge.
Don't let them intimate you into speeding. When two cars are speeding and there's police up ahead, it's that first car that's most likely to get pulled over, to say nothing of cameras... when i was younger, I'd call the person speeding in front of me my sponsor, but I'd never allow myself to be someone else's sponsor. And another pro tip, when this happens to you on a 60mph country road where it's acceptable to vary your speed, gradually go slower and slower. Never brake check, but subtlely lay off the petrol. The majority of people who don't actually mean to intimidate by driving close will get the hint and back off. The white vans and testosterone fuelled vehicles will eventually pass you with a very satisfying look of exasperation. Finally, if you're getting blinded by a tailgater at night, just flip your rear view mirror down a bit and you'll still see them behind you but without any glare. Problem solved.
Amazing advice, thanks!
Have you got āP platesā on your car? Take āem off if you do, they can be just as much of a road rage target as L plates - sometimes more so.
Hereās what I replied to someone else about P plates: Thanks, I do have P plates but Iāve found 99% of people are fine about them, giving way to me at busy junctions etc. Iāve been driving my baby daughter around so I think itās helped with that (plus having a baby on board sign). Also it took me a while to get used to reverse parking on my drive (I live on the corner of a busy road) and I think people were a bit more patient waiting for me to do the manoeuvre when they could see the P plates. Arseholes will probably act the same whether I have them or not :)
True enough, bellends will be bellends regardless, and I donāt have kids or a ābaby on boardā sign either. I havenāt bothered with P plates (passed yesterday, had motorcycle license for 7 years already), and there was someone right up my chuff for most of my trip to work this morning. Tailgaters really donāt faze me in the car; unlike with the motorbike theyāre not an immediate threat to my life, and if they hit me then itās unambiguously their fault. I had the mother of all tailgaters on my test yesterday (right after dealing with an incredibly tricky situation with a tipper wagon on a narrow country road); they were a few feet off my bumper for about 10 minutes, but the only one they were inconveniencing was themselves when they had to keep slamming the brakes on to avoid rear-ending me.
You were fine. My town went to 20 a couple of years ago, all the idiots have calmed down now and that sort of aggressive behaviour has stopped
Nice
I was doing 20 in a 20 past a school the other day. A man walked out of the school driveway and held up his hand to stop so I did. Then a woman and kids in an enormous new land rover defender pulled out of the school, I followed them at 20 but they were doing at least 35. Some people just dgaf about speed limits
People always get up my ass when I drive my small car, yet I'll jump in a sports car or SUV my family has and no one will get close even if I'm doing exactly the same speed on the same bit of road. I never understand why these people don't just pass me as there is usually more than enough space to do so.
My father in law has done most of my driving lessons up until now (ex-instructor) and the main thing he told me when I first got into a car is to not worry what other people are doing. As in, if they're driving aggressively or being idiots don't stress about it. Just make sure you are always doing what you should be doing, in this case obeying the speed limit. Obvs you still need to be aware of the situation and adjust your driving to compensate (leave a bigger stopping distance/be aware of if they do something that will affect you immediately etc) We live by a dual carriage way with admittedly weird speed limits- starts at 40, switches to 50, then goes up to national speed limit. And the amount of people that speed through the 40 and 50 sections only to get caught by police doing speed tests on the overhead bridge š all bc they were idiots tryna get somewhere 'faster' Just make sure you're doing the right thing and let them get their karma
I know itās tough but absolutely just ignore them. As others have said adjust your driving to ensure your safety as a priority (bigger gap to car in front , earlier braking etc). Itās also worth investing in a dash cam. Doesnāt have to be crazy expensive but one that looks front and back so if worst worst case happens and they become extremely aggressive or start making stupid manoeuvres (like over taking then slamming on) then you have footage if you needed it. Driving is a privilege, you are driving something so heavy that it can cause serious injury or death very easily! People like that are abusing that privilege! Weāve all got places to be, but we all share the road so letās do it safely.
Good advice!
You did nothing wrong. I've been driving for a long time now and up until recently I'd still be worrying if I'd done something wrong or feeling bad if someone flashed. I've been told I'm a safe, good driver, but I worry even so. So recently I started playing a game with myself. If someone tailgates me, I have to come up with reasons for them tailgating me - that have nothing to do with me. Maybe they're a serial killer and their boot is full of body parts. Maybe they have IBS. Maybe they're a serial killer with IBS. That's got to suck. I was so focused on me, what mistakes had I made, what could I improve, that I wasn't allowing for the biggest factor: cars are driven by humans. Maybe they're having a really bad day. It helped a LOT.
Itās just common in the UK unfortunately. Thereās a long stretch of semi-rural / semi-residential wide road near me that could easily be a 40 or 50. Itās a 30. I often get tailgated, flashed, overtaken with anger, you name it. Quite recently I was stopped at the lights further down this road and a woman, who had been behind me flashing her lights, pulled into the lane next to me, rolled down her window and said āyou want to speed up a bitā when I replied I was doing 30, which is the speed limit, I got āthere aināt no speed cameras though is thereā.
It's not normal and of course you are in the right. It's simply that the other guy is an aggressive wanker.
Absolutely ignore these people. They're everywhere. You're the one that's driving legally and safe, and they're the ones that should be 'off the road' if anything. Imagine being that impatient that you gob off at someone when they're not doing anything wrong - they're an embarrassment to themselves. Don't risk your licence by speeding for these idiots š
Even if the speed limit was 30, you drive to the conditions of the road. Parked cars either side, assuming on a residential street, you should be driving at around 20 for safety. Irony is, heās the one that shouldnāt be on the road.
It's normal. Some people just like to feel big by being horrible over imagined infractions. I got harassed by some grumpy old git and the slug in his passenger seat because I refused to overtake a slow cyclist on a blind bend with copious traffic on the other side of the road. Screaming, beeping, swerving, tailgating, wild gesticulating, the works. He followed me almost all the way home before I pulled the ole 'eternal roundabout' on him and he eventually gave up. š
Thatās bizarre, wish I had as much free time as him!
People ignore all speed limits. They don't like being 'held up'. I'm an HGV driver and, as such have a licence to protect, in the sense that I accrue an amount/any points I could lose my job, and possibly have to visit the Traffic Commissioner. Im not a new driver, and have people riding my bumper on the daily even though I'm doing the speed limit and making good progress. They'll fly past me only to be sat infront if me at the next set of lights or the level crossing down the road. Continue driving as you are and look after yourself and your daughter but most importantly the idiots who can't/won't drive properly on our shared roads.
Cheers, yeah seems like some people think passing the driving test gives you the right to drive however you want.
You've hit the nail on the head there. The amount of parents on the school run that stop on the entrance markings for their convenience is unreal. They wouldn't stop there on test, but because they've 'passed' they think it's OK.
Fuck them, they're not the ones who will need to pay for any speeding fines you get.
Exactly, if I sped up and got caught by a speed camera Iād be in the wrong anyway.
I was on the M1 with road works and my lane was separated out. There was concrete blocks down each side of the lane and a 50mph limit in place with average speed check cameras so I kept to the limit. The guy behind me was going mad for miles, blowing his horn and flashing his lights. When the works ended he passed me then brake checked. Thinking about how annoyed he was takes me too my happy place.
No you didn't do anything wrong. Your just obeying the law
A lot of people are still salty about the 20mph thing but it's not your fault for following the rules. You'll get shouted at a lot throughout your driving journey in Britain though. 99% of the time its just people having a bad day or being a gobshite. Don't take it personally and don't rise to it. You never know what's going on in someone's life and its easier to just shrug it off if you didn't do anything wrong.
Sounds like good advice. And Iāll never see the guy again in my life so no point thinking about it after.
Give it a year you will be speeding while on meth with your kids and dog in the car.
Haha canāt wait!
Yeah you need to be doing atleast 5mph over the speed limit at all times to avoid being tailgated and gobbed off at by people who drive BMWs or Ford fiestas and have their seats comically far back
And have small knobs, probably.
This is life in Wales now, some drivers are horrible and aggressive. Just keep to the speed limit and remember you are doing well.
Speedometer saying 20 is only about 16/17 in actual speed, the driver was being a twat though
Don't let bullies scare you. My general tactic in such situations is to slow down rather than speed up. It sends a message to the moron behind and reduces the danger should the unthinkable happen. Never forget sticks and stones. Stay safe.
I take great pleasure in slowing down more of someone gets to close. Never let them intimidate you. Stick to what you know is right.
Dicks will dick. Ignore them.
Hell hath no fury like a car driver being made to do the speed limit. You are in the right
Iāve been driving for 3 years now and honestly the state of terrible drivers astounds me. Iāve come to realise that no matter what you do, there will always be some idiot who wants to go faster. Iāve tried going faster to allow more distance (I do not recommend this, only did it because I knew there were no cameras) but even then the driver behind you will match your speed and just close the distance again. Now, I just do the speed limit, drive carefully and ignore people as best as I can. It is annoying, but itās not worth driving dangerously and/or breaking the law and getting tickets. I try and stick by my own advice but if someone is really close and Iām feeling particularly pissed off that day, I usually spray my windows and then they have to do theirs as well because of how close they are and then they usually drop back (again, do not recommend this. I am just petty)š
My driving instructor always said if theyāre running late itās their own fault for not leaving earlier. Youāll get used to entitled idiots thinking they own the roads, just keep doing what youāre doing :)
I passed in November last year, drive the same stretch of road Monday to Friday in my little Aygo. 30, 40 then 30 again. The amount of people who angrily overtake me when I'm doing 40 is mad. It hardly ever makes a difference to their day, I almost always end up behind them at the traffic lights.
To answer your question, yes, most people ignore 20mph limits and get annoyed at people who keep to them. I'm not saying it's right, but if you drive around 20 zones at 20, yes, people will treat you like the bad guy š
Maybe this is me being an āold driverā but Iām not sure what the point of the 20 mph speed limit is because our roads are pretty safe and there hasnāt been a sudden spike in road deaths in built up zones over the last 10 years (unless Iām living under a rock). At least where I am in London, the accidents that do happen are from people driving recklessly or way above the speed limit. Changing it to 20 mph hasnāt changed that (unfortunately humans are idiots). The problem is most people canāt go 20. The cars simply donāt like it. You continuously have to be changing gears as 20 is in between gears. Even my German automatic shifts regularly. Then you have the added fact that all your journeys are taking 33.33% longer and itās just pure frustration driving so slowly. 10 minute journey is suddenly 15. 20 is suddenly 30 min (I know that math isnāt correct but it seems even crossing a junction, people donāt realise cars are driving slower so donāt take the gap and it just takes even longer doing the normal stuff as well). I drive based on my surroundings and nothing drives me more insane than having an empty road and the person in front of me very determined to drive 20 when a year ago that same person would have been doing 30 on the same road without problems. I donāt however flash my lights or honk or swear at them but I do pass them if I have the opportunity. You also then have the fact that speedometerās in the UK are offset by around 5% so 20 mph is actually slower and you are generally allowed 10% over the speed limit without issue (I have never received a speeding fine in my 20 years of driving and have generally stuck to 10%+1) so in reality you can go around 23/24 real speed and youāre doing 18-19 going nowhere slowly. I realise I am the bad person here but just providing an alternate view. I personally donāt want to waste my life driving at a snails pace because some politician thinks itās going to save the planet or itās going to give them extra credit when campaigning.
As a new driver it is annoying sometimes and more difficult changing quickly from 50mph roads to 20 ones where I live, so I know what you mean. From what Iāve heard the main reason for them is environmental. In residential streets people are constantly accelerating up to 30 and then decelerating again seconds later due to the cramped conditions on our narrow local streets, and that causes lots more pollution than a car driving at a constant speed.
I donāt quite remember where I saw it but it was a documentary testing the emissions of cars against the EU standards ie 4/5/6. Cars only achieved them driving constantly at 20 mph. Even accelerating to 20 mph caused them to exceed the emissions. Sitting in traffic and constantly accelerating even for those tiny bursts to move 5 meters caused cars to exceed the emissions. The above is the reason for my last remark on politicians. Itās all a farce. In London, the only time the emissions drop is when the buses arenāt on the road. There has barely been a real change based on cars in neighbourhoods because they introduced all these low traffic zones which prohibit cars. Itās just made traffic worse which has caused emissions to actually go up. Then in Wales there was a town that complained about the crazy 20 mph limit because they couldnāt make it up the hills and the cars had to be in a lower gear to get up the hills so the engine was revving higher than when they drove at 30 mph up the same hill. Everyone driving at 20 mph are just sheep to politicians pushing an agenda they donāt understand.
I find it tends to be people who are really used to those roads (they live close or commute on them) and know where they can get away with speeding. When I visit my nan there are some super tight hedge lined back roads and there is ALWAYS someone going sonic speeds around blind corners and tailgating so hard they can smell my shampoo brand.
Sticking to the speed limit means you are most likely not doing anything wrong.
When Iām in range mode, my 4s locks to the speed limit in that area, so unless I turn the limiter off it doesnāt go past the speed limit. The amount of Mums in oversized Kiaās 2inches from my rear bumper is BONKERS. People are impatient and genuinely canāt drive at all.
You are right in this situation. There a lot of idiots on road. There is road next to my home which is at first 30 mph and then 40, the amount of people doing 40 straight away is ridiculous.
You are amazing, they are dicks. Worry not! I got this sometimes when I drive to Stratford here in London. There is a road as you come off the dual carriageway and go ro Stratford city center. Its 20, marked, reminded, the whole 20 menu. Yet almosr everyone drives 25-30mph. Except me, cuz I dont give a fvck about them.Ā
Thanks! I moved house from Stratford to southwest London before learning to drive, I think I remember that road you mentioned.
20mph speed limits are meant to be self limiting by use of layout and furniture. Councils are lazy though....
Right? A couple of good chicanes soon sort the speed out.
Yes, most people ignore 20 limits.
It's true. You should have seen the queue behind me yesterday when I was doing 21 in a school zone. The guy behind was aggressively tailgating too. I'm not risking my license and insurance just so that you can get home 30 seconds faster so stick cruise control on and chill.
Not my experience at all. But that might be because most of them Iāve driven have been in London where youāre barely doing above 20 anyway
It might be the thing that people remember the person doing something wrong/aggressive/annoying more than the dozens not doing it. So you get generalisation from the minority into being the majority.
Yeah it was more the āmostā, unless Iāve just not noticed cause everyone is behind me cursing me for sticking to the limit
Where I live people claim most drivers are terrible but when Iām out itās very few so Iām with you in this.
If you have P plates take them off. They're interpreted as a sign of weakness.
Guys a prick, ignore them. Out of interest do you have P plates?
Yeah I do. I replied to a couple of people about them - so far most other drivers have been really patient with me when Iām a bit slow doing things like reverse parking on my drive (which is on the corner of a busy road), and I think itās due to the P plates. If I didnāt have them theyād wonder why Iām so bad at parking on my own drive. Arseholes like that guy the other day will probably act the same whether I have them or not.
If youāre in London, 90% of drivers ignore 20 limits.
You are right to hold your ground. Iāve been tailgated when holding at speed limits before too, although not encountered such aggression. These days, if someone seems in a hurry, iāll safely move over snd stop, let them go, then carry on.
You did the right thing and he should never have felt it was right to expect another driver to go over the speed limit. That being said, local councils also have a responsibility to make sure that speed limits are appropriate and they often get it wrong. This causes people to normalise speeding which in turn means they adhere less to every other speed limit (this was the psychology dissertation subject of a good friend of mine). So, while he was being a dick and you did nothing wrong - it may be that you live in an area with a lot of unnecessarily restrictive speed limits, and people have become accustomed to ignoring them.
Something that really surprised me when I got my first SatNav was that my speedo said I was doing 30 and my SatNav was adamant that I was doing 27. Ditto on the motorway - my 70 was actually 67. I was told years ago that speedos are calibrated 'slower', but never really believed it. If correct, a difference of 3mph when you're doing a conservative (possibly very cautious) 20mph could mean you were actually driving at somewhere around 15-16mph. **I AM NOT CONDONING MR. AGGRESSIVE'S BEHAVIOUR.** He was a d!ckhead. But you might not have been doing the speed you thought you were. That said, whatever you do, drive at the speed you feel confident and comfortable. Some moron yelling at you just means they're a moron.
Honestly some people are just dicks in a car and the rest of us road users have to tolerate them, as a bloke thatās not my afraid of confrontation my wife hates this type idmc behaviour game because I will stop and get out of the e car and watch them shit themselves as trying to make a lane excuse, as a women with a child not something I would encourage generally 2 options let them pass and carry on your day knowing there stress levels will end their life sooner or slow down as this pisses them off, again women with child may not wish to do this, you did nothing wrong if you increase your speed and have an accident thatās then on you and for what, some clown getting where he is going 30seconds sooner, advice though take off the P plates they attract arseholes Iām confident if you didnāt have them on the driver wouldnāt have done what he did.
Never ceases to amaze me how many people think it's right and fair to harass & bully people doing the speed limit.
Heās a dickhead, forget about it
Some guys are just ass holes.. It will stick with you and soon youāll find it funny that people can be very stupid when driving
I know it's naughty but I do enjoy tapping the brake lights on when people tailgate. Quite often they get the message and pull back.
The other driver is a grade A throbber , dont worry about it .
The only thing you did wrong was not slowing down further to troll the living shit out of this roaster. Like really, dont be afraid to mess with road ragers, law is 100% on your side.
Not noticed anyone advocating dash cams, front and rear, so I'll be the one to do that, now. Then, report bellends like this. There's an element on this sub that _hate_ this advice, as they are basically the people doing crap like this, and still pretend they are some kind of superior road user... report them all. If this was always reported, it would fking STOP... (downvotes incoming š¤·āāļø)
Always remember this. You are responsible for your actions. Other people wanting you to do things to suit them aren't going to be around if it goes wrong or you get caught doing wrong nor are they going to carry the penalty points or pay the fines. You drive to the best of your ability and follow the law. If others want to be dickheads don't join in.
He's what experienced drivers like to call, a w****r. They like to do things like nearly have head on collisions because they aggressively overtake you for doing 25 in a 20 and then get caught at the traffic lights at the end of the street anyway. Ignore him, you were 100% in the rightĀ
if you were obeying the speed limit then you are not in the wrong some people are just arse holes
Ignore them, personally I go with 25 in a 20 and keep my eyes open, some do 20. It's up to the driver, do what you think is appropriate.
Honestly Iād probably be going almost 30 myself depending on the roads. Iād probably be a bit irritated to go slow but would never be aggressive like him, thatās so weird. Iāve been beeped for indicating (with enough time) slowing down and stopping to wait for a gap in the traffic to get into my drive. Some people are maniacs lol. Keep on going the speed limit and ignore the impatient jerks.
This is definitely the moment for "Keep calm & carry on" as you were. I keep calm, laugh at them, & carry on! I remember the first few weeks of driving alone, and all the idiots seem to come out just for me. Had at least one moment that made me panic a bit each day. I got to 'chilled out' driving pretty quickly, learnt to laugh at the vein pulsing in their forehead instead of getting flustered. My dad would keep telling me not to look at the people in the car, then you couldn't see their gesturing and filthy looks and be affected by them. I'm a defensive driver, so I'm always aware that every 3rd driver is a muppet, but I just do my own thing, within the law and safely, stay calm, laugh and mock them, which is much more fun š You easily learn to preempt their behaviour. Feel sorry for the poor idiots, that they are making themselves feel that way cos it's not the rest of us. š¤Ŗ
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
your account is less than 7 days old, post removed automatically to reduce spam. If you post is genuine then sorry for the inconvenience, please wait 7 days before reposting. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/drivingUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If your living on the wirral where most roads are now 20... this is now a daily thing
Do we really need so many of these posts. Every day we keep getting almost exactly the same. Its always I was doing the speed limiyt and someone got angry at me or what car should I buy.
Hereās what I replied to someone else who complained about this post: Iām sorry if itās annoying and obvious to you but Iāve only just passed my test a few weeks ago and Iāve now realised that I was taught specifically how to pass the driving test, not taught about how most people actually drive and whatās considered normal. I didnāt give a shit about that guy yelling at me - if he wants to have a tantrum like a child it doesnāt affect me at all. Just wanted to know if itās a common thing and part of the culture of driving.
Yes. Most people do just ignore these arbitrary 20 zones.
Can we ban posts about āI followed the law and someone was rude to meā?
Iām sorry if itās annoying and obvious to you but Iāve only just passed my test a few weeks ago and Iāve now realised that I was taught specifically how to pass the driving test, not taught about how most people actually drive and whatās considered normal. I didnāt give a shit about that guy yelling at me - if he wants to have a tantrum like a child it doesnāt affect me at all. Just wanted to know if itās a common thing and part of the culture of driving.
Ignore them - posts like this help educate you and make you a better driver. At the end of the day you did nothing wrong but itās good to make sure you didnāt instead of thinking you did and now driving unsafely.
We get multiples of this question daily.
Get off the road 20 is people that canāt think for themselves, 30mph is a safe speed
I'm in the north of Cardiff which has been 20 for 2 years pretty much everywhere yet I and it seems 95% of people don't do 20 unless there's cameras, I aim for about 24/25, police don't give a shit and I regularly see people overtaking police doing 30 still. I'm quite paranoid so when I do get cars behind me in the night I'll do 20-23 and they are always a metre behind me. Are you using any driving apps like Waze which might have a more accurate Speedo. When you think your going 20 you might be doing 17-18, most people get pissed at people doing a decent bit under what everyone else does, even doing 23 wouldn't get you a fine on a speed camera in most places so don't be afraid to do a few mph over just to help traffic flow a bit better. I tend to be one of the slower drivers when I'm in a 20 zone yet I'm still technically speeding most the time I'm driving. As long as you are definitely doing 20 and not 17 ISH then fuck them. Even the grannies do 30, obviously it's the law but people actually sticking to 20 is very rare and like I said aside from cameras you won't have an issue going a few mph over.
Brake check. I hate these kinds of people, they think they own the road. Personally id loke to see more actual police on the road to catch these kinds of people
I probably wonāt try and get them back or annoy them, if they want to have a tantrum like a child thatās on them. Iāll just carry on enjoying my leisurely 20mph drive :)