Cycling UK Forum

mjr wrote:

Bonefishblues wrote:Why is overtaking an issue for you though, providing it is done with suitable skill and courtesy?

I suspect the issue is that it's usually done fecklessly and recklessly.

I have known it done like that on occasion. I have known most things on the road to be done thus on occasion. I'd not use the term 'usually' though.

Bonefishblues wrote:

mjr wrote:

Bonefishblues wrote:Why is overtaking an issue for you though, providing it is done with suitable skill and courtesy?

I suspect the issue is that it's usually done fecklessly and recklessly.

I have known it done like that on occasion. I have known most things on the road to be done thus on occasion. I'd not use the term 'usually' though.

Usually is the right word here unfortunately, being overtaken when one is doing 1km under the maximum is very usual

Cyril Haearn wrote:

mjr wrote:

Bonefishblues wrote:Why is overtaking an issue for you though, providing it is done with suitable skill and courtesy?

I suspect the issue is that it's usually done fecklessly and recklessly.

As described above, the motrons exceed the maximum speed limit to get by, for example when I am doing 1 kmh below the maximum limit they overtake, or undertake , they cross unbroken centre lines too etc etc
Big crime problem, -99

You said (my bold)
"Keeping comfortably below the maximum is often more trouble than help, motrons are then more likely to overtake, whether my little car or your big van"

I'm still puzzled.

Cyril Haearn wrote:

Bonefishblues wrote:

mjr wrote:I suspect the issue is that it's usually done fecklessly and recklessly.

I have known it done like that on occasion. I have known most things on the road to be done thus on occasion. I'd not use the term 'usually' though.

Usually is the right word here unfortunately

See my post above, I don't think that you may be being entirely objective.

pwa wrote:Can't you simply plug the belt in and sit on it?

Not the action of someone who has just forgotten to belt up though.

There is some evidence emerging that the seat belt alarms were disabled by land rover as the Royals have been advised not to wear seat belts as a security issue to allow them to escape quicker in the event of a hijack or worse. Wait and see how this develops.

Bonefishblues wrote:

Cyril Haearn wrote:

mjr wrote:I suspect the issue is that it's usually done fecklessly and recklessly.

As described above, the motrons exceed the maximum speed limit to get by, for example when I am doing 1 kmh below the maximum limit they overtake, or undertake , they cross unbroken centre lines too etc etc
Big crime problem, -99

You said (my bold)
"Keeping comfortably below the maximum is often more trouble than help, motrons are then more likely to overtake, whether my little car or your big van"

I'm still puzzled.

Driving through town I keep comfortably below the maximum for safety reasons. Good in theory, in practice motrons are more likely to overtake me than if I go faster
Overtaking typically involves breaking the law: exceeding the maximum speed limit, crossing unbroken lines

Cyril Haearn wrote:

Bonefishblues wrote:

Cyril Haearn wrote:As described above, the motrons exceed the maximum speed limit to get by, for example when I am doing 1 kmh below the maximum limit they overtake, or undertake , they cross unbroken centre lines too etc etc
Big crime problem, -99

You said (my bold)
"Keeping comfortably below the maximum is often more trouble than help, motrons are then more likely to overtake, whether my little car or your big van"

I'm still puzzled.

Driving through town I keep comfortably below the maximum for safety reasons. Good in theory, in practice motrons are more likely to overtake me than if I go faster
Overtaking typically involves breaking the law: exceeding the maximum speed limit, crossing unbroken lines

I don't agree. Much as we might think otherwise, the overwhelming majority of motoring takes place safely and respecting the law.

I was overtaken by hundreds of people today, having had to do a long journey of 200+ miles. I can tell you that only two overtaking drivers caused me any issues, and those issues were not being able to pull out into lane 2 because they weren't thinking ahead.

Bonefishblues wrote:

Cyril Haearn wrote:

Bonefishblues wrote:You said (my bold)
"Keeping comfortably below the maximum is often more trouble than help, motrons are then more likely to overtake, whether my little car or your big van"

I'm still puzzled.

Driving through town I keep comfortably below the maximum for safety reasons. Good in theory, in practice motrons are more likely to overtake me than if I go faster
Overtaking typically involves breaking the law: exceeding the maximum speed limit, crossing unbroken lines

I don't agree. Much as we might think otherwise, the overwhelming majority of motoring takes place safely and respecting the law.

I was overtaken by hundreds of people today, having had to do a long journey of 200+ miles. I can tell you that only two overtaking drivers caused me any issues, and those issues were not being able to pull out into lane 2 because they weren't thinking ahead.

90%+ of the time the vehicles are parked, often legally
Did the overtakers exceed the maximum speed limit? How fast were you going?
Most drivers commit offences/crimes on every trip
I bet some vehicles followed you too close on your long journey, right?

Anyone else got an opinion?

The main time I get overtaken "with suitable skill and courtesy" is when there's two or more lanes in my direction and even then, some of them pull back in too soon and make me brake. On one-lane-each-way roads, I'd say "usually" feckless or reckless is probably correct. Good overtakes there are very rare now. More unmarked police cars, please!

The Guardian reports that the Prince apologised

Cyril Haearn wrote:The Guardian reports that the Prince apologised

He'll probably get a slap on the wrist from his insurance company now

Cyril Haearn wrote:

Bonefishblues wrote:

Cyril Haearn wrote:As described above, the motrons exceed the maximum speed limit to get by, for example when I am doing 1 kmh below the maximum limit they overtake, or undertake , they cross unbroken centre lines too etc etc
Big crime problem, -99

You said (my bold)
"Keeping comfortably below the maximum is often more trouble than help, motrons are then more likely to overtake, whether my little car or your big van"

I'm still puzzled.

Driving through town I keep comfortably below the maximum for safety reasons. Good in theory, in practice motrons are more likely to overtake me than if I go faster
Overtaking typically involves breaking the law: exceeding the maximum speed limit, crossing unbroken lines

I don't know where you're driving Cyril Haearn (Germany?), but I don't recognise your description and my work regularly takes me across some busy parts of UK. Tailgating- yes, that's common when driving below the speed limit but that can be managed and TBH in the big work van tailgaters are much less of an issue. But unsafe overtakes on single carriageway roads are exceedingly rare in my experience, the only time I see much overtaking is on the M-way or dual carriageway. Then there is always the minority who cut in too tight, but you can usually see them coming (literally) and take evasive action before needing to jam on the brakes.

I don't actually see that much speeding, maybe because my routes use a lot of "managed M-ways" with a lot of speed cameras and the alternative A-road on one route is not known as "speed camera alley" for nothing. My question here is whether the UK "National Speed Limit" is appropriate for modern conditions.

I know you're very anti-car Cyril Haearn, whilst I sympathise not everyone is practically in a position where they can give up the car- long term and major society change will be needed for that. Housing prices and concentration of employment into fewer big centres are a major driver of car use I reckon, along with the poor rail services which in some parts of UK have spectacularly failed to respond to demand.

TPO

The desire for speed is the biggest issue, and the biggest danger

The last "close call" I had was in Lane 1 of the A1(M)

I was in lane 1 when I noticed the car 100 yards in front of me in Lane 2 was starting to slow and drive erratically. Noted he had had a puncture, so put on hazard warning lights, slowed down to allow him to cross to the hard shoulder.

Guy behind took exception, flashing lights and horn, then pulled out and almost ran into the back of the vehicle in Lane2, cutting between the two of us, missing by inches and blocking the punctured car's access to the hard shoulder.

TPO:
Anti-car? Moi?
Forget to mention, I drive a small car at the bottom of the pecking order. Small, but three seats are usually empty

Actually I quite like driving sort of in theory, on the motorway, did a thread about this a while ago, with a poll

Plenty of people could plan their lives to do without a vehicle, in London many do but also in smaller places if one lives near station, shops etc

I am planning my retirement now, without a car, in a small town with trams

Perhaps tailgaters inevitably concentrate totally on the vehicle in front because they instinctively know that the big danger is that they will shunt it. When driving on single carriageway roads, especially narrow ones. I always try to pull over to let tailgaters overtake, which generally involves stopping. That's not always possible if somebody is right up your exhaust, but often, they just pull in behind, presumably because they are not looking beyond my car. The weird thing is, the most likely time for a stupid overtake is if I've pulled over for an emergency vehicle coming the other way, which must surely be a sign of not looking beyond the vehicle being tailgated