Approaching an increase in speed limit

[AquaMatt]

Approaching an increase in speed limit earlier (30-50) as I left a village I was unsure of how to proceed and so I have come to ask advice based on the experience and training that resides in this section of the forum.

I had a car fairly close behind me for ~1 mile and I had been following another vehicle (travelling at speed limit, 2 sec gap) with nothing else in front of it. As we approached the end of the village the vehicle behind me closed up, uncomfortably close. I am local to the area and knew the speed limit increased significantly along with the nature of the road (more open, better sight lines, more rural), but I was unsure how to react to it. My options as I saw them:

1. Speed up before the sign - knowing that I would (for 100-200 yards be speeding but to fairly little apparent consequence as there are much better sight lines at this point)

2. Back right off and allow the car behind to overtake as was my interpretation of their intentions (I wanted to make progress a little further along the road and didn't fancy being held up by them if they just wanted to travel faster through the village though).

I chose option 1 just as the vehicle following me pulled out for an overtake, and the vehicle following close behind it closed on me. I backed off to allow space for what was a fairly borderline overtake, but this significantly shortened the following distance from the car behind to me. It turned out later that the vehicle that overtook wasn't looking to make faster progress, just didn't fancy doing 30 through the village. As a result I chose a different route to take as I didn't want to be overtaking them.

I feel I did the right thing as I couldn't have accelerated much prior as there is a junction etc. however the timing was awkward. As someone who is frequently tailgated through villages/towns through my following of speed limits in built up areas I find it difficult to draw more of an educated choice here.

Would anyone care to share advice/experience/ and tell me where/if I'm going wrong?

[HappyMidget]

Don't let people bully you into breaking the law. Had a similar conversation with the wife on the M25 earlier driving through a variable speed limit.

[Mattt]

An almost daily occurrence for me, due to the growing menace of the 40mph everywhere brigade.

[JakobusVdL]

The approach I'd like to think I'd take is to my guns (or belief that exceeding the speed limit in built up areas isn't responsible), keep a safe following distance, and let the tailgater pass if they want to.
As you note you'll often find you will be able to travel faster, and overtake safely when you are on the derestricted road.
In reality, probably exactly what you did ;-)

[titian]

"when you are on the derestricted road."

Sadly we lost them many years ago, perhaps you are referring to National Speed Limit roads?

[Ninja59]

Here is a good little guide on how to deal with these pillocks.

http://www.confused.com/car-insurance/articles/too...

Mostly from the IAM, but splits them nicely down into categories of tailgater.

If they had been tailgating me for more than a mile I would have pulled over when safe to do so.

[Nigel Worc's]

The law says the limit doesn't apply until you reach the signs, up or down.

Some of the speed limit extensions, where a low limit is held for an unreasonable distance cause these issues.

There isn't really an answer for you other than "the law says".

My one and only speeding ticket (so far), was obtained in one of these speed limit extensions, where I began to increase speed, so you make your choice and pay the fine if caught deciding you'll ignore the limit.

[akirk]

Carry on as you are and ignore them - if they are going to do something silly (such as overtake), then be prepared to stop suddenly if you have to...
other than that, they are probably expecting you to carry on as you are - certainly they are not expecting a car that has stuck to the speed limit all the way through to suddenly speed up before it finishes - making unexpected moves / changes is more of an issue than carrying on as you are...

Assuming they don't overtake before the limit be prepared for them to overtake at the limit and hold back slightly on accelerating up to the new limit - unless your car is far more powerful and you wish to embarrass them

[2gins]

If I were in that position and looking to make progress, I'd be moving out to the other side without increasing speed, even getting fully off side. This gives me the view ahead, deters the overtake from the drivet behind and fully shows your intention. Assuming the pass is on, the monent I'm at the nsl sign it's finsl check, signal, gone.

[SimonSh]

akirk said:

Carry on as you are and ignore them - if they are going to do something silly (such as overtake), then be prepared to stop suddenly if you have to...
other than that, they are probably expecting you to carry on as you are - certainly they are not expecting a car that has stuck to the speed limit all the way through to suddenly speed up before it finishes - making unexpected moves / changes is more of an issue than carrying on as you are...

Assuming they don't overtake before the limit be prepared for them to overtake at the limit and hold back slightly on accelerating up to the new limit - unless your car is far more powerful and you wish to embarrass them

This to me is the most sensible reaction to have. (1st paragraph not second of course ) Assuming you have ensured the gap you have in front of you accounts for both your braking distance and that of the following car then neither of your options 1 or 2 are helpful unless you intend on winding the other driver up.

[Spaceibiza]

You should stay at the 30mph limit until passing the national speed limit sign, then check your mirrors before accelerating incase someone decides to overtake just as you pass the sign. I have this happen quite regularly but why should I risk getting a fine and points for some idiot behind? The amount of times this happens and then the person who overtook then just stays at 40 on the NSL road afterwards! So annoying but what else can you do? As said before, part of the problem is where the speed limit changes. You get past the residential area and then quite often you get another 600 yards of nothing before you get to the NSL sign which makes drivers behind impatient to get past if you stick to the rules of the road!

[2gins]

I often feel the limit change point should be different for each direction of travel, the extended 30 (e.g.) zone is essentially a deceleration zone* for the traffic entering the 30 but serves as a frustration for those leaving.

• not required for those who drive correctly but of course... not many do

[watchnut]

or,

Check mirrors scan road ahead for oncoming traffic that may prevent tail gater overtaking, maybe moving carefully towards the crown of the road, but keeping your side of it, you will also be controlling his vision by not allowing him a safe view ahead of you therefore maybe preventing the over take, but real care because you don't want him to do a daft over take where it is not on, putting you,and on coming traffic at risk as well as the idiot, then at the at "gateway" sign to National speed limit.....increase speed to speed required, then select cruising gear......

If no on coming traffic, you could "clean your windscreen" I often find this is a great way to get tail gaters to "back off", as they tend to forget about the over take, and clean the water from your car off their screen, then check it is safe to increase speed and then do so as above. I find that a good long blast on the wiper arm does "hold them back!" you are not causing them any harm and the idiot might realise they are a little close!

Safest thing is to just let him overtake, moving to nearside of road allowing him a great view ahead, and let him bug the next poor bugger down the road

We all have these "37mph" drivers in all speed limits, where in a 30 they drive away from you, then back into the zones where you can speed up....you catch them, can't overtake because it is not safe, and see them drive off again in the next 30 mph zone......I think an 88mm gun mounted on the top of the car would be useful in these cases.

I am sometimes very immature when driving my big old diesel engined Volvo, and drop into 2 nd gear.....this tends to belch out a shed load of smoke straight into their air vents....again causing them to back off.......I know I should not do it....but one can't resist sometimes

[Esceptico]

A few months back had a similar situation. On my litre Superbike. Doing an indicated 33/34 (so true 30), waiting for the NSL sign to accelerate when an older woman in a Fiesta or something similar overtakes me. She had only just about completed the overtake when we hit the NSL sign and as the road was straight and clear I just popped straight past her (and left her driving on at 45). Just seemed odd to me that someone could have so little awareness. To be fair she is definitely in the minority as the majority of other drivers seem intimidated by big bikes and give me plenty of room.

[RobM77]

I encounter this a lot as I live in a rural area with 30 limits for villages and NSL everywhere else. It's fair to say that most people do as described by the OP: about 40-45mph through both 30 limits and NSLs. As above though, I wouldn't let myself be bullied into breaking the speed limit - only this morning I passed a camera van parked right next to a 50mph limit sign leaving a 30mph limit, and the only time I've ever been stopped for speeding by the police was years ago as a 30 changed to a 40 and they clocked me at 37mph whilst still in the 30 limit, but accelerating a touch early for the 40 (it was about 1am, so safe to do so, but I stupidly forgot about the chances of being caught doing it!). That is obviously the legal side of things - there's a safety aspect too, although it's fair to say that most 30 limits out-stay their welcome by a short stretch (I suspect to account for people who speed up early). The law's the law though and personally I won't be bullied into speeding up early, even if it does mean the person behind me overtakes me and holds me up afterwards - that's life sadly.

I started a thread a whilst ago on this and other issues; the topic concerned the times when advanced driving means you don't fit in with others around you, which ironically goes against a principle of advanced driving where you don't upset other drivers.

[Gazmiller]

When driving around the roads in County Durham the police LOVE catching people on actions like this. Never, ever let someone bully you into doing anything on the road. Keep one eye on them, but continue as normal. If they want to be a plank them let them be. Don't be dragged into their poor descision making

[Baryonyx]

Drive your own drive. Take note of what other drivers are doing but ultimately, you make your choice about when to speed up and slow down. I know on my local roads, these sections are never really policed. Elsewhere in the country, you may well find speed traps.

I usually wait until I reach the sign and then accelerate to a speed that is appropriate. It's an amusing gambit on a motorbike as the angry 40-mph-everywhere tailgaiter will typically not even have the power to get a sniff of your exhaust fumes once you open the throttle.

[caelite]

Esceptico said:

To be fair she is definitely in the minority as the majority of other drivers seem intimidated by big bikes and give me plenty of room.

Haha I wouldnt even say big bikes. I can remember numerous times going flat out on my little 125 at ~60-70 & coming up on traffic doing ~50, then seeing the guy in front move his car almost into the ditch so I can pass him. Its a really nice gesture but I just couldnt exploit it without sitting in oncoming traffic for a good 10 minutes trying to vmax . All I could do is give him a wave at his back window.

When I got the 500 (bloody A2) on the other hand... ^.^

[WJNB]

If being tailgated I stay EXCACTLY at the limit & come the de-limit sign VERY slowly accelerate.
Otherwise am wary of increasing speed too soon knowing how Plod just LOVES catching us out.

[pim]

I'm not intimidated by a big bike.

I will always give a biker plenty of room to pass.A big bike will always loose out against a small car when it comes to a crash.On a bike you tend to go flying.