Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms How slow is too slow?

What I have discovered over the years is that individuals are blissfully unaware of their own driving standards and the effect it is having on following traffic. It is quite true that for most people, getting in their car is a matter of traveling from A - B with no real pleasure or skill involved. I remember a few years ago, traveling at an indicated 35 in a 30 limit, being followed by a builder in a 1 ton pickup truck, literally 6' from the back of my car, for around 3 miles, before having to stop at road works traffic lights. I got out to speak to him about his following distance, only to find out he was blissfully unaware that he was following so closely and wondered why I was upset about it.

So all these 'slow' people, don't think they are going slow at all, and in fact, think anybody who wants to travel faster, even if they do notice, are all driving dangerously or shouldn't be doing so.

What is needed is more driver education, so the sooner everybody is retested every 5 years the better. (Dare I say, particularly under 25's and over 60's?)

What annoys me with "slow" driving - are the drivers that sit at 40mph regardless of what the speed limit is or the road conditions!

There is a lady who sits on the A49 each and every morning (single track A Road). And regardless of a 30 - 40 - 50mph speed limit does 40mph...everywhere!

That was a brave move, stopping & telling a builder he was driving like a knobber..! You could have been walking with an RSJ zimmer by now..

Hope you made him a cuppa with fifteen sugars..

I actually thought of this thread yesterday, as I made my down The Fosse heading towards the NYD meet at Bibury. Red Fiesta max speed 40mph, three cars and then me. Light traffic coming the other way, but no-one overtaking.

We travelled for several miles, and missed a few good overtakes so it was clear the car directly behind the Fiesta wasn't going to make an effort, nor were the others.

For me to take all of these safely was possible, but I wasn't happy given a damp road and as I was alway taught, if in doubt - don't. Frustrating, but then I had a lightbulb moment. No-one was bothered about going any faster..! Only me, and what would that have a achieved..? Arrive five minutes earlier, maybe. Or not of course.

I just backed off a distance and hunkered down in the heaters waft. No-one overtook me, and the cars behind just topped up the queue.

Several miles later, most had turned off ahead and behind, including everyone ahead of me, so upped the pace again.

It's just a mindset, isn't it..? I enjoy the driving but the only one making me rush is me, so I just fine tuned.

Then a builders flatbed jammed the brakes on and shouted tell your mate next time, I'll deck him..

To those who drive the Fosse at 40, it's a lovely drive. Always a clear road ahead, just relax and enjoy the drive.............

I find it hard to sit behind, although I wouldn't take four cars, I value my skin too much.

I would do two, or maybe three at a push, if the road is clear.

But sometimes you get a warning......and the Fosse is good at dishing out warnings. We had the emergency stop in front of us last year. That was gut wrenching.

Before that one day I was following a Club40 member up the Fosse. We come onto a slight downhill stretch with a right kink at the bottom which went into trees so was blind from that point.

I could have overtaken (Roadster), but didn't. Half way down the straight a motorbike came round that corner cranked right over in the middle of the road at about seventy............

I would have been towards the middle of the road at that point and we would have collided..............

I always drive with you on my right shoulder, Dave. Trouble is, I usually have KevFitz on the other..

I spent a lot of time driving around the Borders. If I'm driving something slow and somebody appears behind me, I will flick a left indicator to show them its safe to pass. I'd hate to think I was holding somebody up.

The flip side to this is that in Scotland, a safe straight to overtake invariably has a speed camera on it. THE BASTARDS. So if theres no motorist co-operation, and you need to get past, its mighty difficult to do it 'legally' if not safely.

No, some are simply saying that if a driver is so slow that he/she is causing a massive queue of traffic by pottering along for miles at 30mph in a 60mph zone, that he should consider pulling over. Nothing about going 'way above' the speed limit.

It is just possible that the slow driver is being inconsiderate or, worse still, has absolutely no idea of the dozens of frustrated drivers behind him.

Unfortunately we do live in a world where "if it's OK for me - then it's OK for everyone else".

Exactly. The Highway Code asks slow moving vehicles to pull in when safe to allow traffic to pass.

Rule 169:“Do not hold up a long queue of traffic, especially if you are driving a large or slow-moving vehicle.“Check your mirrors frequently, and if necessary, pull in where it is safe and let traffic pass.”

Failure to pull over when there is a long queue of traffic behind can constitute an offence of inconsiderate driving, which can be punished with three to nine points on a driver’s licence and a fine of up to £5,000.

I believe that the speed limits on public roads are speed LIMITS, not the required speed you MUST travel at, the roads and cars are a means of getting from A to B, if you are driving a high performance car and wish to travel at the speed limit and the car in front is "holding" you up overtake when it is safe to do so, you will invariably catch up the next car and have to go through the process again, our roads are now so choked up it is rare to be able to travel at the speed limit. I can understand where drivers frustration comes from, I enjoy driving and can not see the point in overtaking car after car just to get one minute further down the road. For those of you who wish to travel fast and use the cars performance book a track session, I thought the reason behind a Morgan was to enjoy the driving not to drive as fast as possible from A to B.
There are enough Audi and BMW drivers around taking risks and driving poorly I wouldn't want to meet one travelling in the opposite direction at speed.

Don't get me wrong on this topic though, having been brought up on bikes, owned several Morgans including an Aero I enjoy an enthusiastic drive as much as the next person but I simply waited until the time and place was "right" but with speed bumps and cameras we are running out of "right" times and places.

I guess that there is always a danger when quoting parts of a post! My original point was about the predicament that one finds oneself in when already travelling at the designated speed limit and a frustrated queue forms behind. This seems to be a regular occurrence on roads that were once national speed limit and are now peppered with 50mph limits.