How slow is too slow?

[aussie muscle]

is there a limit as to how slow you can go on a highway?

I have to wonder at the audacity of driving your fifty year old cattle truck on the open road, when it's speed drops extremely low or it's power so low that it can barely make the grade. The other day I came up on a slow moving ute, but in front of him was a cattle truck (4-5 tonne) travelling at 18-25 km/h in a 100 zone as it struggled up the slight incline. The ute overtakes and gets flashed by an oncoming car as he tried to get past this mobile road block. I had to turn off in 3kms, so i didn't want to overtake, so had to sit behind him as he struggled on. Nothing like breathing diesel fumes to make my patience wear even thinner.

Thanks for the vent.



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[1970galaxie]

Yep, happens all too often, but unfortunately I don't think a lot can be done about it.

[lucas2]

I'm pretty sure there is a limit to how slow you can go. If it is disrupting the flow of traffic and causing a danger to other motorists it is 'reckless' imo.

[Vesper Martini]

What I dislike is how they speed up and not move over when there is a chance to overtake.

[Ben73]

Grey nomads do this all the time on the Golden highway. Lucky to hit 70 on the hills and bends, then they do 105 once the overtaking area come up.
Trucks are the same, but many of them are considerate when it comes to letting you pass.

[XR Martin]

Originally Posted by lucas2

I'm pretty sure there is a limit to how slow you can go. If it is disrupting the flow of traffic and causing a danger to other motorists it is 'reckless' imo.

I think only freeways have a minimum speed (80?)

Otherwise if there was a minimum on highways, then oversize loads would never be allowed on them.

Oh and if people were willing to pay more for their food, then the farmer might be able to afford a new truck.
But when you keep buying at colesworth, this will end up being the norm.

[Sprint]

more than 20km under the posted limit is illegal

[vanman_75]

The truck that the farmer owns , does very few kms in but holds up traffic on the odd occasion , ...nope I don't have a problem with that ,do you suggest all vehicles must maintain max speed or is it the inconvenience ?

Ps just showing other side of argument ..not too serious ..

[Mulga]

I often see a mobile crane on the Hume hwy (which has a posted speed limit of 110ks) with a sticker on the back of the crane stating maximum speed 45kph. I have no idea what it's doing on this road driving at such a speed below the limit.

[my_gxl]

We're allowed to shoot slow drivers right? lol

Keep left people.

Personally I think you need to have a specific reason why you are driving slow. Old clapped out truck not really an excuse. Tells me its unroadworthy.

Lose a point every time you are booked 10% under the limit for no reason. No fines.

I do agree about colesworth-but that's not the point of the thread.

[paule11]

As longa s they pull over when they get 10 vehicles behind them its ok but they don't most of the time

[mburnz236]

I don't think it should just apply to highways.
I live in Yellow Rock, and I'll just say I wish they enforced some rule against slow drivers.
Ever since we had the fires come through, weekend and afternoon traffic is all rubberneckers that come to awe at all the burnt bush and lost houses.
It's a 70 zone, and all these tourists drive through at 20-30. Seriously gives me the sh*ts.
It's only an 8km road, but when you have to use it multiple times a day it's very frustrating.

[Focused]

Originally Posted by Sprint

more than 20km under the posted limit is illegal

But that would have to be over an extended period of time otherwise you'd be driving illegally whilst accelerating from turning onto the road.

I do a fair bit of rural driving and I agree that it's an issue. NSW's stupid idea of limiting L-platers to 80km/h is just as dangerous.

[Iggle Piggle]

On SA roads you need to be within 106% of the pole time to avoid the cut-off.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

What I dislike is how they speed up and not move over when there is a chance to overtake.

I got stuck behind some gronk in a done up Torana on the way home tonight, he was doing 70 in a 100 zone, wouldn't move over to the left for anyone to pass and then he sped up in the one overtaking lane on the 30km stretch of the road.

I was stuck behind him for about 15km.

[Spammy]

Originally Posted by Sprint

more than 20km under the posted limit is illegal

got a refernce for that?

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by Sprint

more than 20km under the posted limit is illegal

No such law for highways & roads.

Only law that prevents slow vehicles from using roads is Freeways when sign posted.

Slow vehicles must keep left at all times.

[Spurious]

Glass houses people!

The day you can honestly say that you've never been distracted & held someone up, that's the day you have the right to whine about others.

What about a guy that drives a GT to work then he drives the bosses truck all day. Does he have the right to whine about slow drivers or is someone like him more understanding of the circumstances.

Next time you "get stuck" behind a slow driver why don't you follow them 'til they stop & ask them why. Then you will understand, or you could keep on after they turn off & just be a whiny baby.

I drive slower in the rain, I drive slower when I'm towing my box trailer, I drive slower when I'm towing my boat & I drive slower when I've got my mother in the car.
I don't drive slower to **** you off. If you're in a hurry or running late then you should have left earlier.

The OP made the right call by kicking back & waiting for his exit, if he rounded up the truck then turned off HE would of looked like the knob.
Look at the up side, at least you don't run the risk of a severe crash if your stuck behind a slow vehicle. Enjoy the moment.

Also people don't slow up hill & speed up on overtaking lanes just to annoy others. Passing lanes are either uphill or on a long flat stretch of road so obviously someone with an older or under powered vehicle will go slow up hill 'cause the vehicle & incline restricts the speed, then they speed back up on a flat section so they DON'T hold traffic up.

IF WE PAY OUR ROAD USER FEE'S THEN WE ALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE ON THE ROAD, BE IT GRANNY IN THE COROLLA OR SUPER MARIO IN THE GT.

You are responsible for YOU when you're driving. Ignore farmer john & concentrate on your own business!

[flooded one]

Originally Posted by FlivverFord;4****43

Glass houses people!

The day you can honestly say that you've never been distracted & held someone up, that's the day you have the right to whine about others.

What about a guy that drives a GT to work then he drives the bosses truck all day. Does he have the right to whine about slow drivers or is someone like him more understanding of the circumstances.

Next time you "get stuck" behind a slow driver why don't you follow them 'til they stop & ask them why. Then you will understand, or you could keep on after they turn off & just be a whiny baby.

I drive slower in the rain, I drive slower when I'm towing my box trailer, I drive slower when I'm towing my boat & I drive slower when I've got my mother in the car.
I don't drive slower to **** you off. If you're in a hurry or running late then you should have left earlier.

The OP made the right call by kicking back & waiting for his exit, if he rounded up the truck then turned off HE would of looked like the knob.
Look at the up side, at least you don't run the risk of a severe crash if your stuck behind a slow vehicle. Enjoy the moment.

Also people don't slow up hill & speed up on overtaking lanes just to annoy others. Passing lanes are either uphill or on a long flat stretch of road so obviously someone with an older or under powered vehicle will go slow up hill 'cause the vehicle & incline restricts the speed, then they speed back up on a flat section so they DON'T hold traffic up.

IF WE PAY OUR ROAD USER FEE'S THEN WE ALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE ON THE ROAD, BE IT GRANNY IN THE COROLLA OR SUPER MARIO IN THE GT.

You are responsible for YOU when you're driving. Ignore farmer john & concentrate on your own business!

well said. I believe impatient people are the BIGGEST danger on the road.

[Windsor220]

This is from the WA road rules handbook

3.12.3
Appropriate speeds for freeway driving
Freeways are designed for higher speed traffic flow than that allowed on standard
roads. You must not exceed the speed limit indicated on signs.
driving too slowly can cause dangerous situations on a freeway, so you are required
to travel at a speed that is no more than 20 km/h below the posted speed limit
(unless traffic, weather or visibility conditions prevent you from doing so). That is, if the speed limit is 100km/h, you are not allowed to travel slower than 80km/h (unless the road, weather, visibility, traffic and other conditions require you to travel slower).

Nothing for normal roads.

[Jallopy]

Originally Posted by FlivverFord;4****43

Also people don't slow up hill & speed up on overtaking lanes just to annoy others. Passing lanes are either uphill or on a long flat stretch of road so obviously someone with an older or under powered vehicle will go slow up hill 'cause the vehicle & incline restricts the speed, then they speed back up on a flat section so they DON'T hold traffic up.

Sorry to say but you do hold traffic up doing this, as we all have to sit behind you as you piddle along again when the road is too challenging for your talent.(or lack of it in this case)

Some drivers are just so inconsiderate.

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by Sprint

more than 20km under the posted limit is illegal

Hardly, as quoted by the SA police commisioner-"the signed speed is a LIMIT and not a TARGET or MINIMUM speed"
Motorists can drive 20kays under the limit because THEY believe they are driving at a speed suitable to their (perceived) road/vehicle condition.


I agree its annoying when people go slow, i cover a lot of kays per year, but you get used to it.

Here are the major culprits:
Country/Farmer- drivers who have no intention of reaching the limit (they may be driving from one paddock to the next) this driver is identified by the way they straddle the shoulder/line which flicks rocks on your windscreen.

Grey Nomads-will cruise at 90 NO MATTER WHAT, known for randomly pulling over to let their cavalier king charles take a wizz

The bipolar-Usually city based drivers who occasionally use country highways.Their vehicle may be cruise control equipped but they never use it. They will do 90,100,110,80,90,120.
You pass them going slow then they overtake you further along only to slow down in front.

I have learnt the following:
I have studied the phenomenon of the slow car speeding up at a overtaking lane-this is where the road becomes straight, so they feel safe to increase speed!
You cannot give a slow driver the finger as you pass as in the country (esp remote) you WILL pull up at the next road house at the same time, it seems manners here is a must.
Truckies i find are excellent at signalling for you to pass when safe to do so, i always give em the 2 hazard flash when i pull back infront as thanks.

[OCTANEBOSS]

Courtesy goes a long way when you dont have the torque to do the limit. If ya watch ya mirrors & are aware of whats happening in both directions its easy to pull over and let other road user pass. There is some that do, some that try & those that dont give a sh**. There seems to be many more people out on the roads today that dont give a rats about there fellow driving companions on a public road. I will pull over when its safe and practical today & tomorrow because its the right thing to do if I cant do the limit.... but sh** I get pis** with the clowns that think they are being smart, safe & law abiding by doing a lot less than the posted limit because the can. Pretty much sums up what the society in general we live in these daysl these **** *** jack Im right.

Too slow should incur a a loss of licence if proven guilty through arrogance but how do ya prove that with a speed camera

[93EB_SXR6]

Even when the clutch in my previous car welded itself to the flywheel I still pulled over to let faster traffic pass... even though it meant rev matching all the gears again.
Courtesy really isn't that difficult to master.
I once got stuck behind a tool going half the speed limit for approx 50km on my way to TAFE and yes, it made me late... no amount of foresight could have saved me from that one, sometimes it's not as simple as "leaving home earlier".

[FGX-351]

Originally Posted by FlivverFord;4****43

Glass houses people!

The day you can honestly say that you've never been distracted & held someone up, that's the day you have the right to whine about others.

What about a guy that drives a GT to work then he drives the bosses truck all day. Does he have the right to whine about slow drivers or is someone like him more understanding of the circumstances.

Next time you "get stuck" behind a slow driver why don't you follow them 'til they stop & ask them why. Then you will understand, or you could keep on after they turn off & just be a whiny baby.

I drive slower in the rain, I drive slower when I'm towing my box trailer, I drive slower when I'm towing my boat & I drive slower when I've got my mother in the car.
I don't drive slower to **** you off. If you're in a hurry or running late then you should have left earlier.

The OP made the right call by kicking back & waiting for his exit, if he rounded up the truck then turned off HE would of looked like the knob.
Look at the up side, at least you don't run the risk of a severe crash if your stuck behind a slow vehicle. Enjoy the moment.

Also people don't slow up hill & speed up on overtaking lanes just to annoy others. Passing lanes are either uphill or on a long flat stretch of road so obviously someone with an older or under powered vehicle will go slow up hill 'cause the vehicle & incline restricts the speed, then they speed back up on a flat section so they DON'T hold traffic up.

IF WE PAY OUR ROAD USER FEE'S THEN WE ALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE ON THE ROAD, BE IT GRANNY IN THE COROLLA OR SUPER MARIO IN THE GT.

You are responsible for YOU when you're driving. Ignore farmer john & concentrate on your own business!

You should be free to do all that.........as long as you keep left on roads 80km+ as required by law.

Stubborn drivers(as above) are likely just as bad as impatient drivers.

Impatient drivers can and have been proven to be prone to episodes of road rage but stubborn attitudes as above just go to amplify potentially dangerous situations when it's just as easy to let someone who's showing signs of road rage simply pass.

And then as you say continue enjoying the moment.

[Mulga]

Originally Posted by wildrider;4****62

well said. I believe impatient people are the BIGGEST danger on the road.

I agree to a point.....but I believe the biggest issue is inconsiderate drivers that believe it is their right to drive at whatever speed, whether it be holding up traffic, hogging the overtaking lane or tail-gating.

My wife often tows a horse float and she sits on 100kph on the highway.....so that's 10ks below the posted speed limit, but she often gets frustrated when she moves to overtake a slower car in front to have that car speed up.......for what reason who knows.

Tolerance and being considerate go hand-in-hand.

[OzJavelin]

My drive to work is approx 35km each way .. approx 20km of that is 100km/h stretch .. of that approx 15km is double white lines. I can almost guarentee that there will be someone travelling at 80km/h or less in that 15km of double white lines every time I drive along there .. regardless if it's a perfect, sunny day. There are no speed cautioned bends so it's not a difficult road to drive.

Some you can tell are elderly, inexperienced or lost .. fair enough. Most are just inconsiderate and inattentive. They will happily speed when they feel like it (i.e. when we get to the 80km/h or 60km/h speed zones), and typically are also to lazy to turn the wheel and keep on their side of the double lines - if they were that cautious/concerned they weren't speeding then why the crossing the double white lines?

[Sprint]

Originally Posted by Spammy

got a refernce for that?

I was told this some 10-20 years ago when I asked, it made sense to me but its one of those laws that are never enforced unless the policeman wants you is my understanding.

You cannot be doings 40kmh on a 100kmh for obvious reasons, there is merit to this under 20kmh.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Mulga

I agree to a point.....but I believe the biggest issue is inconsiderate drivers that believe it is their right to drive at whatever speed, whether it be holding up traffic, hogging the overtaking lane or tail-gating.

My wife often tows a horse float and she sits on 100kph on the highway.....so that's 10ks below the posted speed limit, but she often gets frustrated when she moves to overtake a slower car in front to have that car speed up.......for what reason who knows.

Tolerance and being considerate go hand-in-hand.

She's not one of them crazy horse ladies with the horse float that pulls out on people on the highway, who then proceeds to slowly cruise up to 70km/h in her 200 series Land Cruiser then not move over for people to overtake?

[LG17]

That kind of speed, unless the vehicle has accompanying pilots and police cars in front and behind, is far more dangerous to other road users than someone going over the speed limit. It's like coming round a corner to see a brick wall built across the road.