It's not your job to be the speed police - if someone is coming up faster than 70 and you force them to slow down that's careless driving..
The person you just forced to avoid you could even be an unmarked police car legitimately driving faster than the limit..
There aren't two wrongs, only one, the person speeding.
In my scenario I haven't forced anyone to avoid me. I've checked my mirrors and pulled out when safe. If the speeding motorist can't see my car some distance ahead, continues towards my car at speed continually closing the gap and is forced to avoid me, they're not a particularly competent driver.
And you're right, it's not my job to be the speed police. It's my job to use the roads in a safe and legal manner. Similarly it's not the impatient tosser speeding towards me's job to be the speed police and try to force me to drive at 80+ mph just because they want to.
But if there's several vehicles, and you know that the road is where you typically get tailgated, then why on earth would you put yourself and other drivers at risk by taking longer than is necessary to complete the task? If you have to do 80 or 85 for a short spell then do it. It's what the Police teach.
The road is a 30 mile stretch of dual carriageway so at any given time there are bound to be people driving above the speed limit. That doesn't preclude me from EVER entering the right hand lane for fear of causing any of them to slow down.
No-one is at risk as I've said numerous times now, I overtake when it's clear, not when someone is zooming up the right hand lane. The only risk is that they'll have to slow down to the speed limit, and I'm not doing that to force anyone and 'police' their speed, I'm doing it because that's the speed I've chosen to travel at, i. e. the speed limit. If you want to speed, fine, if the road's clear then crack on. But if you're speeding and you encounter a slower moving vehicle, don't be a prick and try and intimidate them out if your way.
I have ordered a cracking sticker from ebay which will not stop the tailgater's but will give me the satisfaction of seeing there face after reading it. Obviously when stuck at lights or in traffic.
There's a comic road race movie from years ago.... possibly "It's a mad mad mad mad world". Anyway, one of the racers is a slick Italian playboy type who gets in his car, rips off the rear view mirror, slings it out the window and exclaims " whatsa behind-a me duzzan-a bother-a me!". He had it right.
Well for a start, any dual carriageway with "lorries" will include a mix of rigids and articulated vehicles. Since articulateds are restricted to 50mph max on British dual carriageways (and this is recorded by the tacho) then there's every possibility that the right lane is either occupied by rigids overtaking at a maximum of 60mph (their enforced maximum speed) or a constant line of cars. More often it will be mixed traffic. So you're pulling out in to an existing flow of traffic. If you don't keep up with the flow of the traffic then I am afraid you're as much to blame as the tailgater. If the road is relatively quite then your closing speed should allow you to observe behind to make sure it is clear and then execute the manouever quickly and efficiently before returning to the driving lane.
Drive with consideration for other road users. Make your manouever quickly and safely before returning to the normal driving lane. Go talk to the traffic cops. They'll tell you straight. Going over the speed limit for a short time while completing a overtaking manouever is permitted so long as the road conditions are safe. It is permitted because it aids road safety. You minimise the time you and others are "at risk". If you take the piss then they'll do you. But none of the Police I have worked with have ever pulled someone for executing a smart manouever with consideration for other road users. On the other hand, they will pull someone for driving like a **** because they pull out in to faster traffic and then dawdle along taking all day when the vehicle is capable of more.
So pick your poison. Being Mr Righteous-Driver and generally getting in everyone's way or drive with consideration, use good observation and develop a pragmatic and safe driving style. It's your choice.
Great post mate. Sadly it probably won't get through to most of those who could do with understanding it the most (the likes of TrollHunter).
It seems to me that the overall standard of driving is getting poorer and poorer by the year, particularly when it comes to consideration and sheer bone-idleness. Not bothering to indicate, making turns out of the wrong lane, not observing good lane discipline, not observing proper discipline at roundabouts, paying no attention to what is an appropriate speed for the road. The list goes on.
Comments
There aren't two wrongs, only one, the person speeding.
In my scenario I haven't forced anyone to avoid me. I've checked my mirrors and pulled out when safe. If the speeding motorist can't see my car some distance ahead, continues towards my car at speed continually closing the gap and is forced to avoid me, they're not a particularly competent driver.
And you're right, it's not my job to be the speed police. It's my job to use the roads in a safe and legal manner. Similarly it's not the impatient tosser speeding towards me's job to be the speed police and try to force me to drive at 80+ mph just because they want to.
The road is a 30 mile stretch of dual carriageway so at any given time there are bound to be people driving above the speed limit. That doesn't preclude me from EVER entering the right hand lane for fear of causing any of them to slow down.
No-one is at risk as I've said numerous times now, I overtake when it's clear, not when someone is zooming up the right hand lane. The only risk is that they'll have to slow down to the speed limit, and I'm not doing that to force anyone and 'police' their speed, I'm doing it because that's the speed I've chosen to travel at, i. e. the speed limit. If you want to speed, fine, if the road's clear then crack on. But if you're speeding and you encounter a slower moving vehicle, don't be a prick and try and intimidate them out if your way.
Great post mate. Sadly it probably won't get through to most of those who could do with understanding it the most (the likes of TrollHunter).
It seems to me that the overall standard of driving is getting poorer and poorer by the year, particularly when it comes to consideration and sheer bone-idleness. Not bothering to indicate, making turns out of the wrong lane, not observing good lane discipline, not observing proper discipline at roundabouts, paying no attention to what is an appropriate speed for the road. The list goes on.