Are slow drivers getting slower?

[Supercharged]

Are slow drivers getting slower? I have noticed that since the 50km/h for suburban areas came in some time ago many drivers in the noddy type of cars now travel at 50 and less in 60 and 70 km/h areas holding up the traffic flow more so than before and getting worse.
Out on the open roads they seem perfectly happy to travel at 60 or 70 in 100km/h zones and they often travel in packs requiring me to overtake 2 or more in one go travelling too close to allow another vehicle to overtake one at a time as they don’t leave enough room between them.
They travel so slowly that I wonder if they are driving with one eye on their litres per 100 kilometres to minimize their fuel usage with little regard for other road users.
The thing I find strange is if I am in the Falcon or Ranger they don’t pull to the left and let following drivers go even when the road side allows but when I am on the bike solo or more so in a group of bikes they just about jump out of the way to let you past.
I don’t drive as fast as I used to and now rarely exceed the speed limit but the amount of these slow drivers I come across in even the Ranger which is no sports car seem to me to be increasing.

[Mr Hardware]

No.

[TheInterceptor]

I think yes. I constantly see this happening...even on the highway, i have to negotiate morons going under 90.
Not to mention those who go 50 in a two way 60 zone.

Seriously, at least go the bloody limit. People are so damn scared.

[Supercharged]

Originally Posted by TheInterceptor

I think yes. I constantly see this happening...even on the highway, i have to negotiate morons going under 90.
Not to mention those who go 50 in a two way 60 zone.

Seriously, at least go the bloody limit. People are so damn scared.

Don't you just love them when in multi lane road and they travel side by side slowly.

[davocol]

I believe they are, quite often on eastlink I will check my speed as I am flying past cars only to notice I am actually doing under myself. Even worse is the tunnel where most cars drop to 50-60 it isn't happening overnight but it is happening.

[Ford_The_Win]

My theory is that we have an ageing population, and old people tend to drive slower. The traditional old biddy in the Toyota Crown has been supplemented by the retiree trying to change tracks on their Carpenters CD in the Camry Sportivo.

[xr62nv]

and i thought it was just me. Here in sydney it is getting that bad its beyond a joke, i am avery close to some serious rooad rage lately.

People are booked for doing 10km/h over when the idiots doing 40 in a 60 zone are actually causing much more of a hazard on the road. The speed limits in some areas are already very conservative and i can live with that, but people consistantly sitting 20 or so under the limit is getting very irratating.

i honestly think there should be something in place to minimise this. this may sound stupid but maybe officers booking those driving more then 10 under.

just for the record i drove down a street in Sydney's west about 20mins ago and sat behind a ford transit for 3km straight on 40-45km/h. It was a 60 zone 1 lane road

[uranium_death]

Originally Posted by Ford_The_Win

My theory is that we have an ageing population, and old people tend to drive slower. The traditional old biddy in the Toyota Crown has been supplemented by the retiree trying to change tracks on their Carpenters CD in the Camry Sportivo.

Please don't put The Capenters in the same class as a Toyota Camry.

Originally Posted by TAC Website

You must keep to the left on a multi-lane road where the speed limit is over 80 kilometres per hour. This is also the case where a Keep Left Unless Overtaking sign applies to the road on which you are driving.

I doubt most realise this. The number of times travelling on Citylink, Eastlink to Geelong etc. people crawl at 80km/h in the RHL and refuse to move to the left even with a car coming up behind them.

When they get blasted and/or flashed, they simply don't care.

Road etiquette is one thing going down the toilet.

[SB.1]

Originally Posted by xr62nv

i honestly think there should be something in place to minimise this

There is - the thing in the middle of your steering wheel. When I eventually pass the cause of the long line of traffic I am keen to let them know how inconsiderate they are being. I'm a firm believer that unless you call people out they'll keep doing it, whilst having to endure horns amongst other things is likely interfering with the little bubble they are living in.

Over here in WA, doing 20kmh or more under the limit is illegal (unless congested), but when did you ever hear of anyone getting booked for it? Much like the keep left rule.

[93EB_SXR6]

I'm tired of people not giving way, especially at bloody roundabouts.
It seems like everyday someone pulls out in front of me when I'm already on the roundabout.

Latest was a green VX Calais driven by a P plater who was doing the typical "I'm driving while playing with my chin or mouth" thing whilst being sort of hunched over the wheel, I don't understand it - maybe its a gangster type thing..?
I slammed on the brakes and hit the horn, he glared at me, later on up the road he slammed his brakes on and indicated to turn right, I passed him on the left (the road is made for it) and blared the horn on the way past... People need to learn how to drive safely.

Some old duck did the exact same thing on the same roundabout when my gf was driving in her little Charade...
We were turning right, this silly old duck wanted to go straight from the entrance directly ahead of us, we were almost right in front of her, she was the SECOND car back from the front of the line, therefore she mounted the curb and quickly pulled into the roundabout right in front of us.
GF slammed on the horn and I gave the old woman the signal to hurry up and move out of the way (politely I might add), she just stared at us as she drove forwards, did not even look in front of her.

Scary.

[2011G6E]

I want to say no...

...but when I was going to Brisbane to see the Top Gear show, I was on that appalling stretch of Highway One where it's now 90kph with "no overtaking allowed", stuck behind, of all things, a fairly new Audi A6 doing 70kph...for the entire length of the 90kph zone. The line of cars I could see behind me in the mirror was legendary...

[93EB_SXR6]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

I want to say no...

...but when I was going to Brisbane to see the Top Gear show, I was on that appalling stretch of Highway One where it's now 90kph with "no overtaking allowed", stuck behind, of all things, a fairly new Audi A6 doing 70kph...for the entire length of the 90kph zone. The line of cars I could see behind me in the mirror was legendary...

I love/hate those times when you look in your mirror and see a seemingly endless line of cars behind you, then you look in front of you again and realise that the person in front of you is holding up all of those people.
It really is odd when you think about it.

[Seduce XR6]

Originally Posted by FG Turbo Ute

Are slow drivers getting slower? I have noticed that since the 50km/h for suburban areas came in some time ago many drivers in the noddy type of cars now travel at 50 and less in 60 and 70 km/h areas holding up the traffic flow more so than before and getting worse.
Out on the open roads they seem perfectly happy to travel at 60 or 70 in 100km/h zones and they often travel in packs requiring me to overtake 2 or more in one go travelling too close to allow another vehicle to overtake one at a time as they don’t leave enough room between them.
They travel so slowly that I wonder if they are driving with one eye on their litres per 100 kilometres to minimize their fuel usage with little regard for other road users.
The thing I find strange is if I am in the Falcon or Ranger they don’t pull to the left and let following drivers go even when the road side allows but when I am on the bike solo or more so in a group of bikes they just about jump out of the way to let you past.
I don’t drive as fast as I used to and now rarely exceed the speed limit but the amount of these slow drivers I come across in even the Ranger which is no sports car seem to me to be increasing.

Firstly you sound just like me on this topic & how you react to slow drivers it annoys me no end & while I can see that if I stay behind them it may only cost me 5 minutes on my 20k daily journey it is so annoying just being behind slow drivers.

And then they go slower if they think your too close which you would not be if they were not so damm slow which makes it all worse.

So yes I think there are more slow drivers around these days who are going even slower (sometimes I wish I had a tank).

On another issue which is sort of related, yesterday I was stuck behind 4 or 5 clunkers blowing heaps of smoke/ Fumes (both diesel & petrol) & find that really annoying as well & bad for my health & they also tried to race me & others who wanted to pass them to get clear of all the fumes ... 1 was a hippy nissan van with all its pretty colours lol

These seem to be on the increase also & if they cant get them fixed or buy another cheap car they also should not be on the roads

[SEZ213]

Originally Posted by uranium_death

.
Road etiquette is one thing going down the toilet.

Agreed 100%.

But this is what bothers me...

Originally Posted by xr62nv

and i thought it was just me. Here in sydney it is getting that bad its beyond a joke, i am avery close to some serious rooad rage lately.

There was in incident out the front of my place last night were someone was actually doing 50 in the 50 zone (surprise, surprise). The tool behind him in the four wheel drive type ute was out the window screaming abuse at this person, chirping the tyres as he accelerated, VERY close to the rear end of the other car...now I can only imagine what the front car was thinking, and potentially how scared/p'd off at being tailgated while doing the right thing.

Yeah there are some people who go slow unnecessarily, but are they going at a speed they feel comfortable with? Conversely, the patience of the car behind them, leaves a lot to be desired in most instances.

I will say this though, and it might pay to keep in mind. Those who have had accidents through no fault of their own, will be much more cautious than others, and while that doesn't account for all the population that go slower than average, it does account for some.

My mum was in an accident a couple of years back, going around a bend in the Impreza, a four wheel drive coming the other way cut over the line, mum moved to the left and hit the gravel, the split second decision to 'correct' that action speared her across the road and the car rolled several times. Now, this is a woman who is incredibly independent, and who twenty years ago, would have been straight back behind the wheel. It took her six months to build her confidence back up enough to drive, and she now drives slower as a result, and is a lot easier to fluster in a car. But she now has to regain the confidence that she previously had...40+ years of driving.

The thing is, everyone seems to be in a hurry these days, patience is a virtue that so many seem to miss the point of completely. Yes, they're annoying, and at times dangerous, but at the end of the day, if you're sitting right up their sphincter, you're not helping the situation, as some people (particularly women), will actually slow down further if they feel that someone is too close.

Very rarely do we actually seriously consider why the person in front is going slow, it's all about us, and where we need to be.

Maintain your safe gap and be aware that their will be slower vehicles on the road, trucks going up hills, cars with caravans, cars with no caravans, elderly people, learner drivers. They all have as much right as we do to be on the roads, I don't like it anymore than you do...but if I can see I'm gaining on them, I slow down appropriately for the situation. Dual carriageway I overtake, single lane, I turn the music up and enjoy the drive until it's safe to overtake. If I really feel that their driving is bothering me, I'll pull over and have a coffee or something, let them have their accident somewhere else, and far away from me.

[pottery beige]

just overtake them.. i do whenever i can take them on the inside and give them a good blast of rocks and gravel.....

[OzJavelin]

Averaging out their speed a lot of drivers around here are fine .. they do 80km/h in 100km/h zones .. and they do 80km/h in 60km/h zones.

[SEZ213]

Originally Posted by OzJavelin

Averaging out their speed a lot of drivers around here are fine .. they do 80km/h in 100km/h zones .. and they do 80km/h in 60km/h zones.

We have the 90 brigade here, doesn't matter what the speed limit is...they're doing 90...

[LTDHO]

Slower is safer, or so I am lead to believe. [/sarcasm]

[ebxr8240]

SORRY ... Lol...

All better now ??

[Seduce XR6]

Originally Posted by Sezzy

if you're sitting right up their sphincter, you're not helping the situation, as some people (particularly women), will actually slow down further if they feel that someone is too close.

I have to ask how does slowing down help the situation?

Does it make you feel safer, does it make the car behind increase or decrease the gap, does it make the driver behind even more cranky than he or she was in the first place, are you more likely to have the driver behind go past you when they can & make sure they get even so to speak for your deliberate antagonising of them or worse pull you over & attack you.

Yes I have at times eased off a bit if I am being tailgated but only & this makes all the difference if I am at the time doing the speed limit or just above because in that case they have no justification for getting annoyed at me because I am going fast enough & as fast as you can anyway.

If though I come across a car doing 40 ish in a 50 zone with no cars in front of him & a non built up area & get a bit close as I am annoyed that they are not doing 50 only to have them slow to 30 just to be even more annoying my blood boils, so where as before they slowed even more I was just annoyed when they slow further just to annoy me I am then furious so is it really a good thing for them to do or a really silly thing?

On the HWY I don't get overly annoyed at cars doing 80 in a 100 zone though I will still pass them when I can as I can understand it if they are say old & don't feel safe doing 100 but if a driver cannot do 50 on an easy open road & only feels safe at 40 then in my opinion they need to hand in there license.

[just_pazz]

Originally Posted by FG Turbo Ute

Don't you just love them when in multi lane road and they travel side by side slowly.

The rolling road block so infuriating.

[2011G6E]

You ought to see the chaos out here on the Capricorn Highway as the Grey Nomads head inland out towards Longreach and destinations beyond. They lumber along with their simply massive caravans at 70 to maybe...very occasionally...90kph, but usually closer to 70.
The season will be starting again in a few months for the yearly migration.

You could perhaps excuse the slower speed when they are towing a 25 foot dual axle van with a smaller four wheel drive, but it annoys the hell out of people when you finally overtake and see a normal sized van being towed by a powerful vehicle like a new V8 Landcruiser or F250 or something, doing only 80kph at most.

Just no road ettiquite or manners at all. When we had an old pop-top camper caravan being towed by our XC Fairmont, we would attempt to stick to the speed limit as much as possible, but if it was hilly country and we started to drop back in speed, we would watch the mirrors carefully, and if we saw maybe three or four cars behind us and there were no overtaking zones around, we would start looking for places to pull over and let them by...it's just being polite.

[xpl0sive]

I've also noticed this, and general sh!tty driving in general by a lot of the public these days and total disregard for other drivers. It's become a pet hate of mine. Forget it if a few drops of rain hit the road, everyone sh!ts themselves and drives 30k's under the limit lol.

Amongst this, I also hate:

- people who turn onto a main road with other cars flying down, only to drive very slowly and force the on-coming car to hit their brakes to slow down in time. If you are going to cut people off, at least speed up and move along with the traffic

- people who drive in the middle of the road on a wide road instead of keeping to one side to allow others to overtake if need be, especially annoying when they are doing this AND driving very slow, and not moving out of the way when you beep/flash them. Have also seen people do this while indicating to turn left/right on a busy main road, having to wait for traffic to clear before they can turn, forcing you to sit behind them and also wait because they are too inconsiderate to keep to their appropriate side of the road and allow the cars behind them to keep moving

- people who take off extremely slowly when the lights turn green, especially in a turning lane, in an attempt to save their 2c worth of fuel. This gets really annoying on those lights that don't stay green for long

[Loonar]

Originally Posted by OzJavelin

Averaging out their speed a lot of drivers around here are fine .. they do 80km/h in 100km/h zones .. and they do 80km/h in 60km/h zones.

Spot on i reckon.....as to the topic, yes, generally it would seem so.....not only that, from my observations there seems to be a lot more of travelling too closely !! I try to repeat the mantra to myself.. care, consideration, and courtesy every time i drive.... doesn't always work however.. !!

[Supercharged]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

I want to say no...

...but when I was going to Brisbane to see the Top Gear show, I was on that appalling stretch of Highway One where it's now 90kph with "no overtaking allowed", stuck behind, of all things, a fairly new Audi A6 doing 70kph...for the entire length of the 90kph zone. The line of cars I could see behind me in the mirror was legendary...

One of the points I was trying to make there is why do they allow bikes to pass and not cars, perhaps they feel threatened by bikes. I wasn’t suggesting that they drive faster than they are comfortable but be more considerate of other road users.

[Seduce XR6]

Originally Posted by xpl0sive

I've also noticed this, and general sh!tty driving in general by a lot of the public these days and total disregard for other drivers. It's become a pet hate of mine. Forget it if a few drops of rain hit the road, everyone sh!ts themselves and drives 30k's under the limit lol.

Amongst this, I also hate:

- people who turn onto a main road with other cars flying down, only to drive very slowly and force the on-coming car to hit their brakes to slow down in time. If you are going to cut people off, at least speed up and move along with the traffic

- people who drive in the middle of the road on a wide road instead of keeping to one side to allow others to overtake if need be, especially annoying when they are doing this AND driving very slow, and not moving out of the way when you beep/flash them. Have also seen people do this while indicating to turn left/right on a busy main road, having to wait for traffic to clear before they can turn, forcing you to sit behind them and also wait because they are too inconsiderate to keep to their appropriate side of the road and allow the cars behind them to keep moving

- people who take off extremely slowly when the lights turn green, especially in a turning lane, in an attempt to save their 2c worth of fuel. This gets really annoying on those lights that don't stay green for long

I am with you Brother on all your points, I salute you

[GreenR]

Complete opposite where I live and traveling on the Hume Highway all the time. Nobody does under the speed limit of 110. Everybody drives at 120.
I am constantly overtaken when cruising at 110-115. And not to bring on any debate but it is rarely P platers but older generation (especially mum's in their 4wd!). I see it all the time some mother zooming past me at 120+ with a baby or kids in the back and one of those baby on board stickers on the back window.

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by OzJavelin

Averaging out their speed a lot of drivers around here are fine .. they do 80km/h in 100km/h zones .. and they do 80km/h in 60km/h zones.

Around Newcastle everyone seams to do 70 the whole time.
Bad spot for it is City Rd at Mereweather Heights. Towards the city there is a single lane 80 zone where everyone does 70.
Then the speed limit drops to 60 and widens up to 2 lanes and everyone still continues to do 70.

Yesterday I was doing 50 in a 70 zone and passed someone. It was not congested, I simply was pulling out from a side street and passed someone who seamed to be doing about 45 in that 70 zone.

My theory is if you cannot drive anywhere near the speed limit, hang up the keys and catch a bus.

I hate when people pull out onto high speed limit roads (70+) and then accelerate slowly up to the limit forces a number of cars traveling at the speed limit to slow down.
If the speed limit is on the higher side, get into it. Don't accelerate like you are leaving a crossing in a school zone!!!!

In normal driving I never take my RPM above 3000. But if I am pulling onto a high speed limit road with cars approaching I will take it up to 5000 RPM if I have to, just so I am not forcing everyone to slow down.

[|Nate]

I had one of my worst drives yet up to Ballarat yesterday.

Only around 15 minutes after leaving, I had this idiot try to "fast" lane change without even looking when I was right next to them, if I didn't softly swerve onto the gravel on the right side of the road (Moorooduc highway) and toot the crap out of them, we would've collided. Also considering it was ****ing down rain at that time would've made it a lot worse.

Then further up on Queens rd, when the 3 lanes turn into 2, I was in the 3rd lane as I saw a car up ahead doing 45 in the middle lane, and as I was about to overtake them, this idiot in a hilux came screaming up beside me and tried to push in front, me being me I don't allow that so I didn't let him in because it'd be dangerous, so he tailgates me and flashes me even though I was doing the speed limit. So after that I am already annoyed, I come up behind this Astra doing 55 in the right lane, and all of a sudden she puts her right indicator on to turn right and starts braking. For people who haven't been on Queens rd, it is illegal to turn right off the rd when you are city bound, as you would be crossing across 3 oncoming lanes of traffic. So I flashed her like 10 times really fast to say "DONT YOU BLOODY DARE" And she waved sorry and kept going luckily.

What also frustrates me like another AFF user said, is on 3 lane highways, you have people doing 60 in the 80 zone, and a rolling blockade. And when they take off from the lights, it takes them about 100m to get to bloody 40 km/h
Driving the beast ( Mum's 70kw 05' Barina) I can take off faster than them and get to the speed limit in no time.

[just_pazz]

Another favorite practice off the common driver which really riles me up is entering freeways at 60km/h. It's not dangerous at all.