Could equally well be entitled, "Why do people do this?"!
On a nice new 4-lane stretch of the A1(M) near Peterborough, I've repeatedly noticed the following behaviour during a daily commute:
Driving at a steady 70 (on cruise control) in lane 2, passing trucks etc., a nice orderly line of maybe half a dozen cars will all diligently follow me - even though traffic is light and lanes 3 and 4 are virtually empty.
After maybe a mile or so, lane 1 will become empty as far as the eye can see, allowing me to move over into that lane - without altering speed one jot or tittle. So why, then, do the cars that have been following for the last mile or more now decide they want to go past??
Is it just an "I'm not driving in the 'slow lane'" mentality?
Just curious.
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You don't happen to drive a white Omega with disco lights on the roof do you?
:-)
Chad
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"Is it just an "I'm not driving in the 'slow lane'" mentality?"
Very likely. A corollary to this is that when the traffic gets congested, the quickest moving lane is often the left-hand one, as it has the fewest cars in it!
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Perhaps they perceived that 70 mph was slow for the prevailing conditions and decided to hoof it....must say I'd be tempted.
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"Perhaps they perceived that 70 mph was slow for the prevailing conditions and decided to hoof it...."
That's fine, but why not do it earlier - in those same prevailing conditions??
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or they assumed that because you were moving over they should pass, as you were about to do something to impede their progress?
I must say I'm often guilty of what you describe, for instance sitting behind a car quite happily at his speed in the outside lane, but when he moves over I pass instead of pulling in behind. Not sure why I do it, but one thought is that I don't want him to think I'm deliberately tailing him.
What I don't like is the idiots who speed up to an unacceptable speed as you are overtaking...(and unacceptable is fairly high for me...). Now, why do they do that?
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I'd guess they can't be bothered to overtake but to speed up slightly without changing lanes is much easier.
I have been known to do it because I hate following cars, I will speed up and overtake them and pull back infront and do about 0.1mph faster than them...
Did it coming back from Bath today...
Kev
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Wasn't you in the 03 reg Astra behind me was it Kev? If it was...it's not as quick as you think, is it ;-)
I was following a van in lane 3 at a little under 100 for many miles today. I really DIDN'T want to travel faster. I just wanted to be in front of the van, and have a clear view of the road ahead. But when the opportunity presented itself....
I can't explain why, I'm usually OK with 90-ish tops...
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What about the type that decides to follow you for miles when there is nothing else on the road?.
You speed up, you slow down, and there they are still tucked in nicely behind you. It has happened to me on a few occasions,is it the herding instinct?, I find it very threatening. Worst occasion for me was being followed by a 4WD at night and the only way I lost him was by pulling into a layby which then prompted him to put his foot down and disapear into the distance!.
Mal.
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Overtaking is a dangerous manoeuvre and some people don't like doing it. On a single carriageway I rarely overtake without a very good reason. I don't worry if the car in front is only slightly slower than I'd like to be. If its speed fluctuates, I just assume that the driver has seen something I haven't and am all the more wary of overtaking. If a slow car in front suddenly turned off I probably would increase my speed. I realise I'm not probably not typical.
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It's exactly how I drive Welliesorter. Overtaking is always risky. Even in apparently perfect circumstances there is always the possibility of something going wrong, so if the gain is only a few mph, why bother?
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And in a kind of reverse demonstration;
My daily 10 miles on the A5 regularly includes being overtaken by assorted nutters who take their own and others lives in their hands to be just three cars ahead in the queue for the lights at the bypass.
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Overtaking is a dangerous manoeuvre and some people don't like doing it. On a single carriageway I rarely overtake without a very good reason.
>>
But this was on a dual carriageway as well as single on the A1 north of Newcastle where it is a dangerous mix of both.
Mal.
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I was driving back from Scotland a month or so ago, with a quiet motorway and cruise set to a steady 78. Over the 200-odd mile stretch of the M6 I must have passed this particular Granada about 6-7times.
Same every time - I'm approacing steadily from behind, pull out in plenty of time to overtake, pull back in at a good distance in front of him and half a minute later he's overtaking me again. This has happened on other occasions on the same route.
Either he's not watching his speed properly and probably not concentrating on his driving enough anyhow, or the back-end of a Vectra really is that bad to look at. I favour the former explaination...
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Don't ignore the insane. As I mentioned in a recent Bournemouth/Dorset thread, driving from Bournemouth to Sturminster Newton last year I was followed by a nutter with his main beam on in full daylight and he stuck to my tail, even when I went off the main road and around a roundabout twice to try to shake him off. I hadn't overtaken him; he had caught up with me. I was driving up to the speed limit the whole route. Some people do these things just to annoy others.
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I have to say that on the midnight drive back to Manchester from visiting friends in Wolverhampton, I entertain myself by doing something similar to the above.
I will pootle along at a nice steady 80 in lane 1 until someone comes belting up from behind. I will then match their speed and lane, but at a sensible distance.
It is amazing that you can get someone to slow down to just below 70 when they think that a police vehicle is behind them!
Well, it makes the boring journey more bearable.
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Entertaining is it? For those you follow, it's anything from at least irritating to at worst threatening. I hope you reflect on that.
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Either he's not watching his speed properly and probably not concentrating on his driving enough anyhow, or the back-end of a Vectra really is that bad to look at. I favour the former explaination...
Alas I have to tell you it is the latter.
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I wish it was, oh to have the money to get an 03 Astra [still buy a Focus though].
I have the same idea, it's easier to follow someone doing a nice speed and copy where they go. [Someone says it in another post]. I followed a Merc about 100 miles on the A1, they were doing about 85 all the way, driving very safely and observantly. I was quite sad when he pulled off, but adopted a Audi who followed me the rest of the way, which was nice as I was getting lonely.
It's quite a compliment [I think] to be followed [making sure it's not a white/silver? Volvo] as it suggests they think you're doing a decent speed and driving well, otherwise they would keep well away.
Kev
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Re the new 4 lane stretch on the a1.
Having driven it quite a bit lately, I think it might be shock.
Having been nose to tail in two lanes, you suddenly hit this very wide, very new, very bright section. I think the shock of this wide open space suddenly makes everyone agrophobic and want to clump up for comfort.
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Ah, not so. I drive this bit of road quite a lot. Its always amazing to see a car doing 80-ish in the 4th lane, with no other cars within 1000yds except for me doing 85-ish in the 1st lane. Then the speed slowly rises and rises, because these clowns don't want to be undertaken.
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If I am on a long motorway journey, say travelling south from Scotland, I will always try and "hook up" with another car that is doing roughly the same speed.
If he is doing 80 -85, I will do likewise but at a safe distance, my theory, albeit probably wrong, is that any police will react to him and go after him rather than waiting for me.
However, it does get tedious and you then have a wee burst to take the lead for a while. Its amazing sometimes how, almost telepathic like, you and the other driver know what the game plan is and usually end with a wave or flash of lights when one or other leaves the motorway.
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This must be psychological problem with many drivers.
Whilst drivimg through a police controlled section of a motorway, with cameras every two feet, you suddenly notice the national speed sign in the distance, the driver behind will always overtake you, then when in the area of national speed limit they slow down to 10 or 15 mph below the limit.
If you are in a 30mph limit as you come out to 50mph area the car behind will always overtake, then slow to 40mph.
WHY?
And you always drive poxy cars with a 0-60 in 2 minutes, why do it! i quite often feel like pressing my throttle pedal lightly and keeping you out in the wrong side of the road, but I don't because i'm a nice guy and don't get stressed or I wouldn't be able to get my 40 000 miles a year done, i'd be dead from stress.
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Grateful thanks to, Bobby G, Northern Kev (was it you in the 4x4) and PDC for their postings.
I now have some understanding as to why the style of driving I was referring to is practised by some drivers. Happy days :-).
Mal.
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LHM, apoligies for hijacking your thread.
Mal.
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I have to say I do rather like that stretch of the A1(m). After battling along from the Black Cat roundabout each monday morning, the presence of this stretch is a chance to put the foot down in the knowledge that it will take three artics simaultaneously jacknifing to cause a stack.
..... Ready to run for the naughty corner, but I hit 120 on there at 07:05am this Monday.......
Well, there wasn't another vehicle in sight!
Off to hide now.
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If I don't reply it's nowt personal, I'm just working!
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No Dosh, be very careful on the A1 north of Newcastle as the plod have some very good hidden spots to lie in wait for those who like to to be naughty.
They even caught the Duke of Northumberland's daughter and she is now banned!.
Mal.
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Cheers Mal.
Fortunately I only have to go as far as Peterborough (which is still 180 miles from home) so this is usually my swan-song before sitting in the car park at work with the engine ticking over to let the turbo cool. Don't usually go over 90, but sometimes the road just beckons.....
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If I don't reply it's nowt personal, I'm just working!
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Haha, again no, I wish I had money for 4x4s and so forth.
I would like to point out I follow at a safe distance, normally 2 seconds behind if I can and have properly set headlamps so am not that trophy who thinks slipstreaming will reduce fuel consumption.
Enjoy following one another, Baa
Kev
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