Driving in Caithness

[ducati]

You do realise this thread is related to the standards of driving don't you?

So I'm not allowed to save petrol? I drive at about 60 on the motorway for the same reason. Haven't been told off by a policemen yet.

I'll tell you what, I drive to Wick, about 10 miles, cruise set at 50mph, someone overtakes me and I catch them on every bend and arrive right behind them. So what was the point?

[ducati]

Austin 1300 =90bhp???? i wish!

No...that wasn't 14 years ago. Do try to keep up!

[Koi]

So I'm not allowed to save petrol? I drive at about 60 on the motorway for the same reason. Haven't been told off by a policemen yet.

I'll tell you what, I drive to Wick, about 10 miles, cruise set at 50mph, someone overtakes me and I catch them on every bend and arrive right behind them. So what was the point?

I try and tell my partner this sometimes when he's getting hot headed about slower drivers. He does however drive my car at 50 when i ask him to as at the end of the day its the fuel i put in the car and not him.

I totally agree with you and won't be put of driving the way I do. Its a reasonable speed so why not

My car is actually on the motorway better at 70mph on cruise than 60 mph She loves being on the motorway She was made to be driven down south really.

The speed limit is not a target and just because the speed limit is 60 mph doesn't mean you have to do it. I do feel that 50 mph is quite reasonable and isn't too slow at all. If it was 40 however then that would be a different matter.

When I was learning to drive I had to show I could drive at 60mph but my instructor told me it wasn't a target but a limit. Nowhere in the high way code does it say 50mph is too slow.

[ducati]

I try and tell my partner this sometimes when he's getting hot headed about slower drivers. He does however drive my car at 50 when i ask him to as at the end of the day its the fuel i put in the car and not him.

I totally agree with you and won't be put of driving the way I do. Its a reasonable speed so why not

My car is actually on the motorway better at 70mph on cruise than 60 mph She loves being on the motorway She was made to be driven down south really.

The speed limit is not a target and just because the speed limit is 60 mph doesn't mean you have to do it. I do feel that 50 mph is quite reasonable and isn't too slow at all. If it was 40 however then that would be a different matter.

When I was learning to drive I had to show I could drive at 60mph but my instructor told me it wasn't a target but a limit. Nowhere in the high way code does it say 50mph is too slow.

I wonder what the impact on the planet and carbon emissions, price of fuel etc. would be if we all drove on average 10mph slower?

[pat]

On a recent trip down to Cairnryan to get ferry to N Ireland - in a long line of traffic tottling along at around 50ish with plenty of time to get to ferry, along comes this eejit with 2 bikes on roof rack, starts overtaking and passes about 30 vehicles in total that we can see, taking many risks and making many motorists in both directions brake due to this eejit driving. He pulls up in queue for ferry as the vehicle in front of ours.
He risked many lives, had many drivers jamming on brakes and taking avoiding action - what for - 10 feet further on and to wait longer in the queue? He nearly ended up 6ft down a few times, driving like that it won't be long in my estimation before he is 6ft down.
Feel sorry for whoever is there when he does end up crashing, he was driving as if everyone had to give way to him, it was his personal road and nobody else should be on his road.
Was going to approach him and comment on driving ability but decided otherwise (thought I would have been on the end of a fist or two), did pass on the number of the vehicle and description of his driving to police at Cairnryan, other passengers in vehicle also logged issues. A few drivers after that were having chats with police!

[Koi]

I wonder what the impact on the planet and carbon emissions, price of fuel etc. would be if we all drove on average 10mph slower?

Aye i often wonder this myself.

[Alrock]

I wonder what the impact on the planet and carbon emissions, price of fuel etc. would be if we all drove on average 10mph slower?

I wonder what the impact on the planet and carbon emissions, price of fuel etc. would be if we all drove on average twice as fast?
OK, those cars would use more fuel but there would be less of them on the road as many would be to scared to venture out... lol

[poppett]

If the homeaid driver could park the lorry right into the shop.....trust me, he would. No thought for other road users, just swings across and double parks on a regular basis. OK for the locals who know this happens, but it must be risky for tourists.

[Alrock]

If the homeaid driver could park the lorry right into the shop.....trust me, he would. No thought for other road users, just swings across and double parks on a regular basis. OK for the locals who know this happens, but it must be risky for tourists.

It's not just the Homeaid van, I quite often see vans double parked all along that road. If these was room to single park I'm sure they would, maybe the problem is people using a shopping street as a longstay carpark, the solution would be to make the areas outside shops loading/unloading zones only during business hours.

[sids]

the solution would be to make the areas outside shops loading/unloading zones only during business hours.

That might close some shops down.

[billmoseley]

As i drive for a living i get to see all sorts of driving. To the driver who potters along at 40 in a 60mph limit it as dangerous as a speeder. They cause frustration and thus faster drivers become impatient and take risks to get past. A lot don't use their mirrors so are unaware what's behind them. Then you have the arrogant ones who seem to get pleasure from holding people up. (tourists are worse for this) But on the whole up here slower cars do usually let you past.

[ducati]

As i drive for a living i get to see all sorts of driving. To the driver who potters along at 40 in a 60mph limit it as dangerous as a speeder. They cause frustration and thus faster drivers become impatient and take risks to get past. A lot don't use their mirrors so are unaware what's behind them. Then you have the arrogant ones who seem to get pleasure from holding people up. (tourists are worse for this) But on the whole up here slower cars do usually let you past.

This post is typical of a speeder. Blaming others for your own dangerous driving.

[billmoseley]

This post is typical of a speeder. Blaming others for your own dangerous driving.

Speeder? lolol on my bus i think not but very funny.

[pmcd]

Whether you're a speeder, a slower, a boy racer, a ditherer, or - in most cases - the best driver on the road today and a total expert on anything to do with driving - what's coming over is a very strong sense of "I'm the only one driving properly: the rest are idiots who got their licences off the back of a cornflakes packet". This tells us a lot about drivers as a tribe. Please tell me (apart perhaps from brain surgery) which other activity bestows such infallibility and total lack of humility amongst its adherents? Given that there ARE so many incidents resulting in culpable death, injury and destruction on the roads, how can drivers claim to be perfect in every way?

[billmoseley]

Whether you're a speeder, a slower, a boy racer, a ditherer, or - in most cases - the best driver on the road today and a total expert on anything to do with driving - what's coming over is a very strong sense of "I'm the only one driving properly: the rest are idiots who got their licences off the back of a cornflakes packet". This tells us a lot about drivers as a tribe. Please tell me (apart perhaps from brain surgery) which other activity bestows such infallibility and total lack of humility amongst its adherents? Given that there ARE so many incidents resulting in culpable death, injury and destruction on the roads, how can drivers claim to be perfect in every way?

Now i never said i was the best driver in the world on the contrary i see myself as average but hey in the the bed room i'm a sex god

[sids]

As i drive for a living i get to see all sorts of driving. To the driver who potters along at 40 in a 60mph limit it as dangerous as a speeder.

What speed do you think heavy goods drivers should drive at on the open road in Caithness?

[Alrock]

What speed do you think heavy goods drivers should drive at on the open road in Caithness?

Whatever is appropriate to the road conditions...

[billmoseley]

Whatever is appropriate to the road conditions...

well said. Most professional drivers drive to the road conditions and to what they are transporting. None are going to risk their own lives by driving too fast

[sids]

well said. Most professional drivers drive to the road conditions and to what they are transporting. None are going to risk their own lives by driving too fast

Are "professional drivers" the ones who are paid to drive, or do you count bus driving among the learned professions such as medicine, divinity and law?

So how do you feel about lorries which never exceed 40mph? Frustrated?

[billmoseley]

Are "professional drivers" the ones who are paid to drive, or do you count bus driving among the learned professions such as medicine, divinity and law?

So how do you feel about lorries which never exceed 40mph? Frustrated?

Bus driving is a job just like any other and if a lorry is doing 40mph then have you thought there might just be a reason for it? heavy load? live stock? fragile?