Slowing things down (driving)

Just your normal general chatting in here..

Moderator: Moderators

User avatar
Welly
The moderator formally known as Welton
Posts: 15033
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2006 12:52 pm
Location: East Midlandfordshire

Slowing things down (driving)

Post by Welly »

Just as fuel prices plummetTM I've decided to try economy driving and driving to or under the speed limits all the time.

Some findings in the last two weeks of this:

Journey times are largely unaffected (less than 10 miles each way to work).

Fuel economy has only risen very slightly.

It's more relaxing with rising levels of smugness :?

The brake pedal is largely redundant.

The car stays clean.

Other cars joining A-roads from slip roads are a problem, I'm too slow to move over into the express lane for them to filter in and they're doing about the same speed as me.

I'm attracting the worlds worst tailgaters :shock:

Insignia drivers are horrid.
Cars in my care:
2021 Kia Spottage 1.6 Pez Turbo Dual Clutch Gearbox Trickery
2013 Renner Twingo - donkey work
User avatar
steve_earwig
Moderator
Posts: 19799
Joined: Thu Oct 04, 2007 6:09 pm
Location: Jastrebarsko, Croatia http://www.jastrebarsko.hr/lokacija/

Re: Slowing things down (driving)

Post by steve_earwig »

I tried that for a while in the UK, it resulted in some stupid woman ramming me on a roundabout (and the moronic insurers siding with her when she changed her story and blamed me :evil: )

Nobody in their right minds drives at the speed limits here because they're often preposterously low for no apparent reason and they just get ignored. I do drive more slowly than most but all it means is I get some psychopath tailgating me more often and the slower I go, the more extreme the risks they take trying to get past me. You are right about it making not that much difference to your journey times but I guess most Croats don't feel right if they've driven somewhere without a near death experience.
Unskilled meddling sin©e 2007

The submitted form was invalid. Try submitting again.
User avatar
lozz
3.0 24v
Posts: 11908
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2010 10:18 pm
Location: where-ever

Re: Slowing things down (driving)

Post by lozz »

I try to drive 'sensibly to save on fuel, but you get them Audi lunatics
Being knobs...seems to be a rapid increase in white audis over here..
KozmoNaut
2.0 Turbo
Posts: 303
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2012 1:18 pm

Re: Slowing things down (driving)

Post by KozmoNaut »

Welly wrote: It's more relaxing with rising levels of smugness :?
I discovered this as well. I stay at the speed limit +10kph on the speedometer and just relax, let the speed freaks pass me by. I'll probably catch up to them at the next light, anyway.

It feels good not being in a state of constant annoyance at all the slowpokes on the road. Much better to just slow down yourself and let them be.
steve_earwig wrote:I tried that for a while in the UK, it resulted in some stupid woman ramming me on a roundabout (and the moronic insurers siding with her when she changed her story and blamed me :evil: )
Get a dashcam.

I'm currently fighting an insurance claim from some woman who decided to perform a ridiculously risky overtaking maneuver and sideswiped me in the process. She claims I forcibly rammed her into the opposing lane.

I'm hoping the dashcam video will sway the case in my favour.
2000 406 TS4 2.2 saloon
PeterN
3.0 24v
Posts: 1673
Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2012 6:04 pm
Location: Charmouth, Dorset

Re: Slowing things down (driving)

Post by PeterN »

I drive like that all the time, did my fair share of boy racing when I was a youth but that was a long time ago. When I was working at one time I was doing 30,000 miles a year and discovered that if I sat in the slow lane with the lorries I arrived feeling much less stressed and tired and it didn't take all that much longer but the best bit was the effect it had on my fuel consumption, diesels reward gentle driving much more than petrol engines do and I was getting 50+ mpg from my XM 2.1 estates.

I was getting 60+ mpg from the 406 that wont start now but the new one is not nearly as good, another investigation waiting to be done.

Peter
User avatar
Doggy
Mod with a 2.2 HDi, De-Fapped!
Posts: 10710
Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2008 11:49 pm
Location: Northants

Re: Slowing things down (driving)

Post by Doggy »

I've been mostly sticking to an indicated 70, (which seems to be about 68 in reality), for a couple of years now. Definitely less stressful, but you do catch up with trucks and have to decide between slowing down / waiting for a space to pass, or giving it a squirt up to average outside lane speed to avoid waiting. These days, I'm far more likely to slow down.

All this results in 50+ mpg summer, 46/7 mpg winter and journey times seem about the same, (I do 30 miles each way every day).

The surprising thing is that on the rare occasions when I'm late or have to be there early, I lapse into old habits and find I can't actually go that much quicker cos half the time I'm waiting on someone to let me by. This translates into better mpg than expected when hurrying, because you're on the overrun half the time.
2002 HDi 2.2 Exec Estate, (2008-12) (wonderful)
2003 HDi 2.2 6-speed Exec Estate (2012-19) (also a gem)
2009 Citroen C5 2.0 HDi VTR+ Estate (godawful heap)
2008 BMW E91 330i touring (great fun - murdered by a reversing SUV)
2007 BMW E91 325i touring (slower smoother quieter)
PeterN
3.0 24v
Posts: 1673
Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2012 6:04 pm
Location: Charmouth, Dorset

Re: Slowing things down (driving)

Post by PeterN »

Well done. That's roughly what I average but if we do a longer journey, say Yorkshire or Scotland the consumption can nearly get to 70 mpg (indicated) in fact last time we went to Yorkshire we managed 71.3 mpg on the way up - mush have had a tail wind, but that was at about 60 mph, slower in the road works.

Peter
User avatar
rwb
3.0 24v
Posts: 2610
Joined: Thu Jun 17, 2010 7:53 pm
Location: Yorkshireman exiled in Salop
Contact:

Re: Slowing things down (driving)

Post by rwb »

Agreed.
I find it's Audi A3s rather than Insignias (Insigniata?).
Big problem with people who meander aimlessly towards the end of the sliproad then have a tantrum when you don't move out of their way.

Current: 407 2.2 HDi 170 & C6 2.7 HDi.
Former: 406 1.9 TD; 406 HDi 90; 407 2.2 160; 307cc 180; 508 HDi 140.
Map of PeugeotForums users offering PP2k
User avatar
lozz
3.0 24v
Posts: 11908
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2010 10:18 pm
Location: where-ever

Re: Slowing things down (driving)

Post by lozz »

Today there was no Audi w@nk£rs out..
And I managed to get 53.4 mpg ..not bad for an old Mondeo..
Come Monday it will be back to 33.1 mpg no doubt..white van man or Audi w@,nk%r will be out
For sure... :(

I'm guessing most of these things are hire cars ..hence why they drive around in them like there stolen.
User avatar
Welly
The moderator formally known as Welton
Posts: 15033
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2006 12:52 pm
Location: East Midlandfordshire

Re: Slowing things down (driving)

Post by Welly »

Some interesting replies coming and mostly of the same opinion, I'm guessing that the perceived 'busy lifestyles' people think they have lead to trying to get everywhere as soon as possible and the old right foot gets mashed to the floor more frequently; everyone else is just 'in their way'.

Oh and Aldi A3's - agreed!
Cars in my care:
2021 Kia Spottage 1.6 Pez Turbo Dual Clutch Gearbox Trickery
2013 Renner Twingo - donkey work
benczuk
3.0 24v
Posts: 628
Joined: Fri May 06, 2011 3:33 pm
Location: Cornwall

Re: Slowing things down (driving)

Post by benczuk »

Don't let the people who write the scripts for top gear / whatever it will be called on Amazon see this topic. They already blame pensioners in Peugeots for all the traffic hold ups on the roads!
2002 HDi 2.2 GTX Estate de-fapped
User avatar
highlander
PowerFlow Shill
Posts: 3548
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2008 5:03 pm
Location: Aberdeen

Re: Slowing things down (driving)

Post by highlander »

benczuk wrote:Don't let the people who write the scripts for top gear / whatever it will be called on Amazon see this topic. They already blame pensioners in Peugeots for all the traffic hold ups on the roads!
Their real enemies are caravans...
2002 (D9) Peugeot 406 Coupe SE, 2.2 litre Petrol. Scarlet Red/Rouge Ecarlate/Rosso Scarlatto. Black Leather interior. SOLD :(
2008 (E60 LCI) BMW 525i M-Sport, 3.0 litre Petrol. Carbonschwarz Metallic. Black Dakota Leather and Myrtlewood interior.
PeterN
3.0 24v
Posts: 1673
Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2012 6:04 pm
Location: Charmouth, Dorset

Re: Slowing things down (driving)

Post by PeterN »

I started driving more slowly long before I was a pensioner, probably in my 30s when I started clocking up a lot of miles. I did my fair share of 'boy racing' in my youth and had an appropriate number of accidents but once my driving style changed so did my accident rate, it was probably 20 years before I had another one.

Peter
KozmoNaut
2.0 Turbo
Posts: 303
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2012 1:18 pm

Re: Slowing things down (driving)

Post by KozmoNaut »

Unfortunately, you can only change your own driving style.

In 4 years of 406 ownership, I have had three incidents requiring insurance involvement. All three were due to others drivers being inattentive, aggressive or just completely incompetent.
2000 406 TS4 2.2 saloon
PeterN
3.0 24v
Posts: 1673
Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2012 6:04 pm
Location: Charmouth, Dorset

Re: Slowing things down (driving)

Post by PeterN »

Probably depends a lot on where you drive, I do most of my driving in rural areas and rarely set foot (or wheel) in a town or city.

Peter
Post Reply