A Constant Speed Please!

[@ConquerDriving]

Keeping a very steady speed for long periods of time without cruise control is draining so I do sympathise with the drivers who speed up and slow down. This happens all the time but it's only really a problem when the car you are overtaking speeds up to 70mph and doesn't let you pass, I have little sympathy for drivers who do this as they can surely see the issue they're creating.

[@tomstickland]

It's satisfying to do. It just requires a steady eye on the speedo.

[@mericet39]

@@tomstickland It is perhaps more important to keep an eye on the road & other traffic than a steady eye on the speedo. Yes, check the speedo from time to time, but without cruise control some variation is inevitable.

[@BigUriel]

What modern cars don't have cruise control? I find that more often than not people doing this are on their phone. When they're reading/typing they keep slowing down and then when they finally look up at the road they speed up.

[@alfresco8442]

@@BigUriel "What modern cars don't have cruise control?" A surprising number...especially smaller ones that are not the vehicle of choice for cruising long distances along motorways. My wife's new Aygo doesn't.

[@Si1983h]

I had one that kept speeding up and slowing down a couple of weeks back, blocking me in lane three, only letting up when he (and I) needed to exit at the next junction (J9 M6)… his major downfall is that his destination turned out to be on the route to my destination, so I pulled in to ask him why he did what he did… he just stayed in his car with his doors locked threatened to call the police. I wasn’t being threatening but he was still quivering. Hopefully he’s learned a lesson.

[@BurntCarcus]

I get this all the time! Or they just speed up as you go to overtake them.

[@TheCloudWalking]

Exactly, and you just think to yourself "Oh now you want to go a bit quicker now that my rust box is overtaking you?"

[@tonysuda9066]

Car being followed : what's that sonny Jim?... Well in my day an RSL was a place gentlemen would order a quiet round. and drink in peace Car getting overtaken: HARRY I NEED NOS AND I NEED IT _NOW_

[@djtaylorutube]

Yep, cruise control on and they come past and sit in front of slow down again

[@iProvisionals]

I had this recently on a flat, open country road. I took the overtake as I was catching them quickly and as I checked my mirror before I came back over I realised they were now accelerating. I had to increase my speed to get in front and then they slowed down, stuck a signal on and turned off the road! Awful bit of driving

[@dancoulson6579]

This happens to me a lot too. It's annoying, but you can use it to your advantage. If the car in front it too slow, just put your right turn signal on. You don't even have to do the lane change, it's usually enough to make the leading driver think "Oh no, he's going to try and overtake me." and floor it.

[@goodyeoman4534]

Lets be honest: a significant proportion of drivers aren't fit to be on the road.

[@davidellis8141]

Couldn’t agree more, watch dash cam channels.

[@cargy930]

@@davidellis8141 It's even worse than that if the dashcam channel comments are anything to go by!

[@Ultima2876]

Is it surprising when you’re handed a license after a 35 minute test and then never re-tested?

[@craig3802]

I personally think all drivers should be retested every few years or so

[@goodyeoman4534]

@@craig3802 Not sure that's the answer. I would prefer much sterner sentences and punishments for people who break the rules or drive dangerously.

[@steveNCB7754]

The people that ‘get me’, are those that won’t travel at, or close to, the limit (60) on A roads (where it is safe to do so of course), let’s say only at 45 to 50, yet are happy to exceed the speed limit (set at 30 or 40) as they pass through the villages they come across along that same road! Presumably they never found out how to turn their cruise control off, once set 🙈

[@simonparkinson1053]

Ah, the flat cap 40 everywhere brigade.

[@DashCamSheffield]

Happens alot in the Peak District sadly. 10-20mph slower than the speed limit, enter a village, and suddenly its 10mph higher than the speed limit. Its also annoying when you see drivers get up to speed limit, but then just take their foot off the peddle and gradually slow down, only to suddenly notice their going slower, speed up, and repeat.

[@TheChipmunk2008]

@@simonparkinson1053 Round here it's 35 all the way. in 40s and in 30's.... :\

[@acarguy3773]

The other day I was stuck going 40 in a 50 (not a big deal really) stuck behind someone. Then the limit changes to 40 so I keep the speed and he starts to go off ahead. So he was going 50 in the 40 but 40 in the 50. Makes no sense to me. Just seems like careless driving.

[@TheChipmunk2008]

@@acarguy3773 Indeed.... another is people sightseeing (I work in a tourist town among other places)... people pootling along an A road at 10mph while pointing things out to their relatives is not unknown.

[@andycole6982]

The most irritating and dangerous is when people catch you up then slow down to match your speed then hover in your blind spot. Forcing you to slow down to get out of the box.

[@derekheeps1244]

yep , been there

[@Rroff2]

Yeah :( I way to often have a variation of that as well where I've moved to be courteous and let someone out and then they've sped up to sit exactly too close for me to move back over again and then just sit there matching my speed even if I'd been indicating to move back over again.

[@VoxelLoop]

For sure. If I'm stuck in someone's blind spot because they sped up as I was overtaking I usually bypass cruise control with the accelerator to pass them, once I've got past them just let off and resume the speed I was driving at.

[@chrisredfield3240]

@@VoxelLoop I usually find I'm going 80-90 mph by the time I'm finally getting past them

[@VoxelLoop]

@@chrisredfield3240 Exactly, like you don't want to speed that much, but you've already commited to passing them because they were going so slow. Drives me insane.

[@_Damian_.]

They're so unaware they probably don't even realise that you're the same car that they keep overtaking.

[@marklittler784]

😀😁😂😃😄😅😄😃😂😁😅😄

[@jonnygti]

Of course they don’t realise it’s the same car,if they did then it means they were doing it on purpose , and I highly doubt that 😂😂

[@Fromatic]

I think they do when it happens, but they're so oblivious THEY probably think "why does he keep speeding up and slowing down" ...

[@bmused55]

I come across this all the time. And yes, drivers like this often end up boxing you in. It's quite infuriating, especially when they are also lane hogging. I've seen traffic build up quite quick with some of the slower ones

[@cigmorfil4101]

It's the people not paying full all round attention that box you in, and encourages people to move into lane 2 early, or not leave it at all...

[@chrispenn715]

Yep - agree entirely! In addition quite a few people who have cruise control on their car never use it! I have several family members who are scared of cruise!

[@RiverMersey]

Yes, I've had this happen to me on a number of occasions - some of which involve trying to keep track of more than 1 other car! A related and similar problem is when cars constantly change lane around you for no apparent reason

[@AwoudeX]

the irony has it that Neal is apparently perfectly fine with hogging the middle lane.

[@chrispenn715]

@@AwoudeX Don't see this as an issue - light traffic and travelling at the speed limit......... The whole point is that where he pulls in, the other car speeds up and blocks him.....

[@ethanomical]

I come across something similar to this fairly regularly when using cruise control, often finding people make an effort to overtake me and then slow down. I go out to overtake again and they speed up, completely oblivious. It's like a frustrating game of leap frog

[@jameshiggins8329]

Yup. That is what it is like. I once followed a car from Hamilton to Aberdeen from 5am one winter morning about 150m behind him, stopping in the same laybyes every 15 or 20 miles.......no reason to overtake as both doing about 50 or 60 depending on the light fog. I think he thought I was a stalker until he saw me doing exactly the same as he was - washing my windows and lights from a bottle of fluid carried in the cabin as windscreen washer spray just freezes up on the screen. The scowl changed to a friendly wave each time we stopped. Some cold mornings the road muck makes it impossible to see after 20 miles. Carried a bottle of double strength wash and a cloth in the car for years for the monday morning commute working away from home

[@crunch8484]

Simple solution... don't use cruise control and accept that you don't get to decide what speed others drive at.

[@ethanomical]

@@crunch8484 who said anything about deciding what speed other people drive at? Fuel efficiency is everything nowadays and the best way to maximise it is to drive a constant speed. Not all cars have CC, but that doesn't mean you can't maintain your speed yourself with a bit of self awareness.

[@jameshiggins8329]

@sumsmeister g Never allow HGVs or Caravans to overtake you. You pay for it 5 miles down the road when they overtake another lorry and it takes them 5 miles only for the 2nd lorry to immediately overtake a 3rd lorry and require another 5 miles. Best just drive at 70 and stay clear. I worked in Newcastle for a year, Monday 5am comute from Glasgow. I had to catch up and overtake 3 x Tunnocks trucks on the motorway before the Hexham turnoff just after Harker. If they got on the single track they would spread out and you had to drive behind them all the way to Newcastle at 30mph and they played leap frog on all the dual carraigeway stretches.........yet they did 65 on the motorway. Every Monday was the same, had to leave before 5am to be sure of passing them.

[@jameshiggins8329]

@@ethanomical Truth. Speeding up to pull out then slow down in the 3rd lane to match the speed in lane 2 just results in undertaking and makes for accidents. It is deliberate not accidental. Bad maners or worse. I have a simple view when being overtaken.....have they ever done me a bad turn? So why do them one.........unless they drive a truck or tow a caravan, then it is best to stay in front but that does not mean slowing them down.

[@tomg6333]

I know it's not right but if I encounter a driver like this on the motorway I'll usually increase my speed to about 80mph for 30 seconds or so and get well ahead of them so I don't have to worry about them anymore.

[@jake8793]

I do 80 the whole time on motorways 😂, it seems to be the right balance of speed and still being relatively safe and able to slow if needed.

[@chitpaul]

Watch out for those horrible average speed cameras..

[@charlesmcstyles626]

Afraid it’s the only way to deal with them and you’ll see them steadily disappear in your mirror

[@CristiNeagu]

80mph (130kph, actually) is pretty much standard motorway speed in Europe.

[@ravensthorne4631]

Ditto. I rationalise it as being safer to do 80-85mph for half a mile or so than be at risk from an erratic driver.

[@laughingboy279]

I frequently use cruise control, and this happens a great deal, especially around 70mph. Drivers without cruise control tend to drive with constant throttle rather than constant speed, so it is inevitable that they will slow down going up hill and speed up going down hill. CC will adjust the throttle to keep the speed constant. I usually use a brief burst of speed to get out of the cat and mouse act. I wouldn't be surprised if the blue car thought you were speeding up and slowing down....

[@barryfoster453]

I don't wish to sound big-headed, but I can adjust my accelerator so precisely that I NEVER use cruise control. I've been driving 45 years and had lost of cars with it, but only used it once when travelling on the M4 and M25 at three in the morning. There was nothing but HGVs and me.

[@TheChipmunk2008]

I don't have cruise control but i don't do this. I have marvellous device that tells me my speed :D

[@derekheeps1244]

@@barryfoster453 While I know that I can drive more smoothly and obtain better fuel consumption by driving with my foot on the throttle , I do find it labour saving on longer journeys to use cruise . I always try to ensure any car I buy has it , and have retrofitted it to a couple that didn't . I also would not now buy a car without a sunroof as I find it so claustrophobic , and that is one item I'm not about to retrofit , although I did consider it a couple of times .

[@barryfoster453]

@@TheChipmunk2008 Is it your wife?

[@donmcgee2081]

@@barryfoster453 You were the best van der Valk too.

[@prf76]

It’s people like this that cause so many problems. Ask any HGV driver how many times people towing caravans have done this when you’re overtaking them. I don’t understand people that want to pass you but then drive slower than you’re going 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@highdownmartin]

The reverse of the same problem is people who rocket up your arse when you’ve pulled into a space( far more than decent, I’m under no illusions here) then once you got up to 40/45 they’re dropping back and you don’t see them again. Where just a tiny adjustment to their speed would have maintained the gap perfectly. This sounds like I’m going round pulling out on people, I don’t, I hope you know what I mean!

[@barryfoster453]

I think even worse is the number of drivers who overtake me, then immediately come off at the junction!

[@Alex-sb1rf]

When driving a hgv I like the car drivers in road works that won't let hgv pass slow down speed up stay and won't use the inside line

[@derekheeps1244]

I think one factor is that some people seem to find it imperative to be in front of a car older than the one they're driving ; I mostly tend to drive older vehicles and have had several cars dating from the 50s and 60s , as well as newer 'daily drivers' which in my current fleet range from 1990 to 1999 . I often find that if I'm maintaining 30 in a 30 limit , some people will overtake before the limit ends , sometimes taking chances , then will slow back down in front , they will then get a shock when I overtake briskly because they don't expect a 30,40,50,60 year old car to do that , and I've even had the case where some will then go to lengths to overtake again and then slow down in front of me . I think that is a bit like the issues Ashley gets in his driving school cars - there is a mindset that just has to be in front of certain other users . I first became aware of this when my sister pointed out the overtaking car was a certain registration plate and that they couldn't stand to be behind an older car - I never even look at registration plates , and other than some of the older prefix and suffix plates , which i can relate to cars I've had , I can't decode the age of a car from the new type plates - doesn't interest me .

[@highdownmartin]

@@derekheeps1244 nice post Derek. I drive a 61 lwb landrover as a daily. I fitted a 200 tdi and an overdrive, and take pleasure in accelerating through the gears briskly and watching the gap grow pretty big in the mirror Then when I’m at about 50 that’s where I stay. They can do what they like then. But usually they’ll be sitting behind until I catch someone up. ( we’re talking B roads here, dual carriageways and M ways show it up as an old lorry). I don’t flog my vehicle, the low gearing gives it perfectly reasonable modern acceleration. I’m sure 99% of others see it as a defender as they have no idea that 3 letters 3 numbers gives its age away. Enjoy your motors!

[@Strider9655]

The funny thing is they probably think you're the one speeding up and slowing.

[@cfcyayaya]

You had a fast audi in front when the blue car tried hard to pass you in lane 2. Knowing he was accelerating, you moved out to Lane 2 to block it. It slow down because you entered his safe space zone when it accelerate. When you moved back to Lane 1 it resumed its intention of over taking you. I did not find any thing wrong with the blue low power car. I find your intentional blocking it while following a fast car irritating.

[@andrewnorris5415]

There's probably another video on YT about the "typical BMW" driver slowing down and speeding up.

[@jdaley197931]

@@cfcyayaya Your attitude towards the point raised in this video is exactly the problem. When a vehicle doing the legal speed limit signals in good time to change lanes to overtake something, if you're driving over the legal speed limit, you need to adjust your speed and road position accordingly.

[@derekheeps1244]

@@cfcyayaya nothing at all wrong with taking lane 2 early to avoid being boxed in ; if following car wishes to overtake, Lane 3 is available

[@derekheeps1244]

@@jdaley197931 no need to signal in that situation; if safe ( as it was in the video ) just move out : the early course eliminates the need for a signal ; in fact if there is ever someone close enough to need a signal , you shouldn’t be changing lanes

[@Dr3Mc3Ninja]

Quite a minor inconvenience, but it is rather annoying when the person ahead doesn't put their foot down for inclines.

[@hybridangel3403]

That would be me. Especially when the lights on red. I ain't going to get anywhere quick. If its green yeah I get it but when it's red.

[@kiradotee]

@@hybridangel3403 this is a motorway. There are no lights!

[@MrSapps]

@@kiradotee OP didn't specify motorway only tho :P

[@ashlogan2049]

@@MrSapps the whole video is filmed on a motorway. The issue isn't really applicable to a city road because you'd be stopping and starting for traffic and traffic lights, buses etc

[@NitroNuggetTV]

I've had a car that couldn't maintain 70mph up large hills without dropping to third and revving the nuts out of my engine. It only had 91hp and that was at 5800rpm lol

[@chigwife862]

Once you move to the left lane, lots of people automatically think "that means I have to overtake them". I set my limiter to 52 in average speed roadworks, and I'll pass someone sat in the middle lane, move over to the left, and they almost always then speed up to pass me. If it happens a few times, I sometimes increase my speed to 55 just to see if they still try to pass, which they always do. It's like anyone to the left must be passed at all costs, including speeding fines.

[@stationcolossus]

It never fails to astonish me how few people realise that the point of a multi-lane road is to reduce the likelihood of you having to slow down. Instead you just stay at your speed and overtake. You don't need to speed up and slow down, just maintain your speed, it's not rocket science!

[@BadDriversOz]

YES IT IS!!!

[@1988dgs]

@@BadDriversOz to some.

[@andyowens5494]

Unfortunately many drivers will never be rocket scientists, even metaphorically.

[@SmartfoolGB]

We're not taught this. Motorway driving has the potential for some of the worst accidents yet it's barely covered by the driving test.

[@andyowens5494]

@@SmartfoolGB "We're not taught this.". Apart from being reasonably obvious, and mentioned in the Highway Code (which learners and experienced drivers should ALL know, and not just the bits that will get them through their test) - rule 260, folks can elect to get post-test instruction on a motorway if they don't feel they understand how to drive on one. "Nobody told me" hasn't been a rationale since the "liar, liar pants on fire defence" (ref Tom Cruise as Lt Caffey in A Few Good Men).

[@g7dmo]

Oh, I see this on a regular basis around the hills and valleys of the midlands. I drive a company pickup limited to 68mph and you can imagine how this can affect how I drive and the care and attention I have to employ to keep at a sensible continuous speed whilst not creating issues for other drivers.

[@broadsword6650]

Encountering a speed yo-yo is definitely stressful because it tells me that they aren’t properly aware of what’s going on around them. It’s those who speed up, overtake, slow down and then speed up again as other vehicles go to overtake them that are the real pains

[@NashvilleUK]

Happens all the time on motorways when it’s less busy. Made even more obvious in my car as it has adaptive cruise control which indicates to me the actual speed of the car in front. Sometimes I think people decide they want to be in front of a target vehicle they can see ahead and adjust their speed to get in front of it regardless of the relative speed of their car and that of the other car.

[@a.nonymouse1291]

Bang on. Target mentality is definitely a thing on the road. Buses, bikes, HGVs and learners. As a cycle commuter and lorry driver, I can definitely confirm that idea.

[@markbradbury6076]

As mentioned by others, this is a common thing. Cruise control has highlighted the habit. I find people 'latch on' to you as you overtake and travel at your speed preventing you from moving back to the left lanes. You then end up being the overtaking car not going fast enough and causing the queue. So then what? I usually then feel obliged to accelerate to pass the Klingon and move over to the left, usually breaking the speed limit. This also has the affect of removing their frame of reference and they then slow down. It seems safer than slowing down to allow me to move over and pull in behind the car. (if you do do that, they usually just slow down again!!)

[@jasonsensation46]

Spot on. Everytime I drive long journeys this will happen 🤦

[@makiwa]

Hi. Yes, I experience this quite a bit and find it relatively annoying. My B-in-L who was in the Police in Rhodesia taught me the importance of maintaining a constant speed and adjusting the throttle position to do this. He said that it teaches you throttle control, road condition awareness and overall vehicle control. He knew of a long private road on a farm that he used to teach me a lot of driving techniques because at the time I was only 14 years old. I already knew the basics as my father had been teaching me to drive from when I was about 8 or 9. I felt so honoured at the time as it was in his personal pride and joy, a 1963 Ford Consul Classic 1500 fitted with a Meissner Conversion. He also gave me lessons in his Austin Healey (Frogeye) Sprite - that was fun! Having car control in Africa was very important as a lot of roads were either dirt or the "Strip" roads! Not to mention knowing how to avoid the odd Elephant or Kudu! Snakes you didn't bother so much about...lol. Just as long as you could see it in your rearview mirror afterwards because sometimes they could get thrown up into your engine compartment and give you a bit of a fright next time you check the radiator! Thanks for the video - at least now I don't feel so bad having to keep on overtaking someone that keeps speeding up and then slowing down!

[@kkgman4459]

Nice story

[@NicholasFerrar]

It really frustrates me too. The most annoying is overtaking, pulling in and slowing down.

[@tosspot1305]

This happens to me all the time on the motorway when my CC is on. MOST of the time when I pass the 2nd time when they've slowed down again I usually see them looking down at their phones. When they're finish with the phone they speed back up

[@TheChipmunk2008]

Yes, my favourite line is 'i know you're texting, nobody looks and smiles at their own crotch like that'

[@whichwasher2007]

I've seen this. But actually they are 10 times worse. As they sit in the inside lane gradually doing 55mph forcing HGV to overtake then when the finish. They bolt it in the outside lane doing 100mph.

[@highdownmartin]

That blue car was a Rolls Canardly. Rolls down one one hill, canardly get up the next.

[@TheKeirsunishi]

Does anyone else think Ashley's voice is so calming? I feel like if you did a podcast it would great to listen to before bed, I don't mean to say he's boring if it comes across like that.

[@alanhindmarch7682]

I’ve had situations of drivers speeding up and slowing down, because they only use lane 2, never move in to lane 3 and hog lane 2. Never been able to work out why, probably to lazy. I also think a lot of changing of speed is down to bad planning.

[@jameshiggins8329]

I understand fully. Thee middle lane is MINE!! Except when I want to pull out at 55mph into the overtaking lane just for a change. Then the outside lane is MINE! My old man told me to think that everyone else on the road was a complete idiot and to give them plenty of space. Don't try to understand the afflicted. Don't get upset just relax.

[@derekheeps1244]

Complete lack of planning : even bad planning would be better than no planning !

[@Fromatic]

I think a lot of them can only see their immediate bubble and think they're driving "safe", not seeing the bigger picture of the bottleneck and congestion they end up causing

[@dedistaulapanodki6293]

You can have some fun with them, as long as it's a very quiet stretch of road. If you get one of them behind you, just slow down, and get slower and slower. See how slow you can get before they actually notice and do something.

[@alanhindmarch7682]

@@dedistaulapanodki6293 that’s one thing you should never do, it could become extremely dangerous, also you will become guilty of lane hogging

[@Aaaaaaandrew]

My theory is that some drivers are incapable of driving on their own, they need to be around other cars to "do what everyone else is doing". If you sit in lane 1 doing 62mph, count how many cars cruise up behind you in the middle lane, and then stay behind you while still in the middle lane. INFURIATING.

[@Rroff2]

Noticed that on the dual-carriageway I take to work quite a bit - the other day as I got on there was a bunch of vehicles in a line doing around 55-60MPH - when I went passed and pulled back in I noticed the lead vehicle speed up to catch me and then sit at my speed followed by the rest who then all settled into following me at my speed.

[@petetrundell5454]

Similar to this is what I call ‘surge driving’ where the driver operates the throttle like it’s a pump with a stab at the pedal to compensate for a gradual reduction in speed. I’m not talking about reaction to other traffic here but when there is no reason whatsoever not to maintain consistent progress . I knew someone who did this randomly, varying their speed from 55 to 90. Being their (silent) passenger was very stressful.

[@michaelmorgan3273]

hgv drivers get this every day it can be so frustrating

[@Keithbarber]

Not forgetting that trucks are limited to 56mph makes it a time consuming process to overtake

[@rogerkearns8094]

I notice that the blue car is carrying a passenger. Getting involved in an in-car conversation can distract one from driving as well as one likes, I find.

[@scottlaaa]

As a professional driver I really dislike motorway driving! i find that if i stick at 70 mph in my car i get people driving about 6ft off my rear bumper when lane three is empty? all because I won’t pull into lane one because there’s a hgv traveling at 56mph less than 100 yards away. Doesn’t make sense for me to make unnecessary lane changes when lane 3 is empty! I also find that people will randomly pass you and pull ahead of you less than a car length away and there’s nothing behind you? Don’t get me started with average speed zones!

[@devon896]

Yeah same here. I've had people right up my backside when lane 3 is empty it's like people refuse to use it. I've been in lane 3 before overtaking a car which decided to put it's foot down, I then had an idiot in a Mercedes come speeding up behind me and then pointing at me to move back to lane 2(whilst I was overtaking a car in lane 2)

[@prf76]

You’re speaking my language. My opinion if you can’t/ won’t / don’t drive at the posted speed limit and use all available lanes on a motorway, you should have you licence taken off you because you’re a danger not only to yourself and everyone else too. Lockdown in March 2020 was heaven on the roads.

[@devon896]

@@harrier331 Depends on the time of day but I agree especially in rush hour.

[@CristiNeagu]

I get that all the time. Some people seem to be afraid of the third lane, and some people seem to not understand what a "middle lane hogger" is. I had that one morning when driving to London at 3-4am. No one on the road but me and a bunch of lorries in lane 1. I wasn't going to sit there and weave between lorries for the heck of it. And almost every time when a faster car would catch up to me they'd drive right up to me, tailgating, then move into the third lane, overtake me, and then cut right back in front of me. The whole of third lane was there for them. No one else on it. I really struggle to comprehend this dumb mentality.

[@rjk69]

@@harrier331 Can't say I agree with you. Fine if lane 1 is full of traffic but you should always move left if there is any sort of a gap.

[@earlydawes8955]

The worst ones are those behind you in lane 2 that, when you move into lane 3 anticipating that someone ahead will need to move out into lane 2 decide to speed up and start to undertake.

[@geko7844]

It’s very frustrating. Even more so as the type of people who drive like this usually forget to use Lane 1, congesting the carriageway for everyone

[@tomj.]

This is probably my absolute highest bug bear whilst driving, I find it's especially prevalent on weekends whilst people who don't regularly use motorways are let loose. Cruise control was invented for these people.

[@tonysuda9066]

Every day business hours... honey let's take the bus.. it's good for the environment! Weekend: *EVERYBODY CUT EVERYBODY CUT FOOOTLOOOOSE FOOOTLOOSE TIME TO BE A GOOSE

[@LordSandwichII]

My sister has cruise control, but she never uses it because she doesn't know how. I suspect a lot of drivers are the same.

[@gavjlewis]

But equally cruise control can be a pain for other drivers. You often end up with a car in lane 2 and one in lane 3 doing exactly the same speed (66mph) with cruise control set to 70mph, backing the traffic up. Everybody moans like hell when lorries do this on dual carriageways but it seems acceptable to do this in a car. So cruise control drivers annoy me just as much as the variable speed drivers. Sadly it seems many (not all) cruise control drivers just use it as an aid to pay even less attention to the road and its users around them.

[@tomj.]

@@gavjlewis I don't see that as acceptable either - when I set my cruise I leave 3/4mph leeway (unleses the motorway is really empty) from the maximum speed I'd be comfortable going at so that I can up it to overtake someone who's going only slightly slower than me.

[@SPTSuperSprinter156]

@@tomj. exactly, it doesn't take a genius to work this out...

[@robinoconnor1203]

I have been catching up on your older videos. The issue in this one happens to me frequently. I use cruise control a lot, the same cars can pass me several times during my journey, often with the possibility of boxing me in, if I was not aware of them. Another annoying thing is cars sitting just on your rear quarter, but not passing. It is surprising how many people I know that never use the cruise control fitted to their vehicles.

[@craigkearns6425]

This is something that’s always frustrated me but much more so since I started buying cars fitted with cruise control. The worst scenario is when you’re on a dual carriageway or motorway and have caught up with a vehicle and are in the process of overtaking and they then speed up, usually, but not always, because of a gradient change. I’ve always naturally been a forward planner but cruise control has, I believe, to an extent honed my planning skills.

[@johndd9140]

I'm a newly passed driver, so I have this to look forward to! 😌 I try to absorb all of Ashley's advice 👍👍👍

[@Goodstegosaurus]

its made even more obvious when on cruise control or have a speed limiter. It's infuriating when you're 3/4 of the way past a car and then they speed up and get pissy with you when you don't then let them out when they're along side you approaching a truck...

[@AwoudeX]

then you slow down and get behind... not that hard.

[@Goodstegosaurus]

@@AwoudeX Or they could wait and pull out when it's safe to do so would be my advice instead of forcing the car with priority to back off...

[@2kcars507]

Or you could simply speed up to ensure you pass that car safely before they end up boxed in.

[@Goodstegosaurus]

@@2kcars507 Or they could maintain their original speed to let me past them at a safe speed, instead of them speeding up and getting themselves boxed in.

[@karoln7078]

It happens to me all the time. I'm a van driver and the amount of drivers who start speed matching me when I overtake and then when I move back because they didn't let me overtake they start purposely slow down.

[@retroonhisbikes]

I use Cruise control all the time, so many people don’t. It’s really annoying when some one over takes, pulls in in front and slows down to 68 mph. When i over take they speed up to 72 so I have to pull in again only for them to slow down again.

[@jameshiggins8329]

Easing down on the accelerator to get 50m in front if them then letting cruise control take over again usually works. 50m usually cuts the umbilical and they go back to dodling at 68.

[@PasteteDoeniel]

I don't use cruise control, because I end up turning it on and off constantly because of situations described in the video.

[@jameshiggins8329]

@@PasteteDoeniel Roads in Scotland are, in the main, not conjested outside rush hour so it is not to bad and on a dual carraigeway you can usually pull out and overtake with a bit of planning.

[@johnb8956]

Happened to me at the weekend on the M1. I was catching a guy overtaking a lorry, got all the way up behind him before I had to back off, and at that point of course he decided to speed up, and got past the lorry and back into lane 1, where he sped up again, he sat in lane 1 about half a car length ahead of me, not adapting his speed whatsoever until we reached another lorry in lane 1. I again backed off to let him pull out. He went past the lorry and continued to pick off speed hogging lane 2. The catch is I was in a coach, and maxing at 62mph, having to slow to about 55mph at times to account for him, and people behind start to get very pissed when there’s a bus taking up lane 2 for so long. I got stares from a few cars after that 😅. But there wasn’t really much I could do. I used to think people in these situations (similar to mine and the one in the video) were doing it intentionally, just to cause issues, but these days I think they’re just completely clueless, which I suppose in some ways is worse.

[@EssexBadDriving]

happens all the time on the M25, absolute nightmare. Annoys me when I commit to an overtake and people like this then speed up and match my speed.

[@neilharrison7555]

I agree. This particular thing happens with younger, less experienced drivers who drive smaller-engined, low-power cars. Yes, on any sort of incline (and not just on motorways) they struggle to maintain normal progress, then yes, they come past again on the other side. What is MORE frustrating (to me!) are vehicles being driven by someone who seems totally unable to regulate their speed without using their brakes. I followed someone a few days ago on a local A road, and they were continuously getting far too close to the vehicle in front. Instead of easing off the ACCELERATOR, they were getting too close then BRAKING. The whole process was repeated about 25 times during the course of just a few minutes. During all this, I didn't require to use my brakes at all - simply easing off the accelerator as required, AND "reading the road" ahead, i.e. decelerating for downhill, accelerating for inclines etc. One of Kwik-Fit's best customers for replacement pads and discs ???

[@K.Pilkington]

This is one of my biggest pet peeves. I will have my cruise control set to exactly 70mph and you find yourself getting closer and closer to a car hogging the middle lane. Then when you go to overtake they speed up.

[@grimgoreironhide9985]

That's nothing. The worst is when someone behind you is doing more than 70mph and expects you move out the way for them. Or when they overtake you and you catch up to then anyway later 🤷‍♂️

[@TeriWilde]

I do 100s of miles on a motorway in my car (and 1000s in my truck), when I'm in my car I click cruise control on at 65mph and I see many cars overtake me and then slow down so I end up undertaking them. it can be annoying but it's what I see all the time so, as a professional driver, I just get on with my relaxed journey.

[@ganrimmonim]

Forgetting about the blue car for a second that car that went past everybody about halfway though! Wow dread to think how fast he was going.

[@Woppettier]

*She

[@BazamO]

Probably about 90, it's not that uncommon for people to go that fast on motorways although it is breaking the law.

[@abyss1997]

Not really that scary at all,

[@a.nonymouse1291]

I drive a lorry that literally tells you how fast the vehicle directly in front of you is going. I've seen 100+ show up. People don't care.

[@richardjohn658]

its ok it was BMW , the highway code does not apply to them

[@chrisdean9448]

Thanks for reminding me of the correct way to drive on the motorway. I had forgotten this vital rule to maintain the same speed. The speed up slow down get in a box situation happens so often that it is more than common but happening several times each day I drive on motorways. I now live where there aren't many motorways which I need to use only one which is only 3 miles long.

[@Ossie12pints]

As an HGV driver I do find reading all the comments quite comical. Well perhaps not All but most.

[@Subh8081]

My 2 pet peeves during highway driving: 1) Cars varying speed on empty roads by +/- 10 km/hr so I can't use my cruise control (this video) 2) This scenario: I position to overtake the above annoying car, only to be overtaken by another car from behind. But as the car that overtook me moves in to overtake the annoying car before me, the annoying car increases speed and the other car in the overtaking lane looses steam. Now I have two cars blocking my lane and the overtaking lane.

[@grahamnutt8958]

You've probably nailed the 'issue' here Ash. Witnessed it frequently in the past. When encountering a scenario such as this I would've been inclined to knock the Cruise Control up a couple of notches - once a 3+ second gap had been achieved; back down to 70mph. It seemed to work out a lot more often than not as "whoever" was less inclined to play 'catch up'. Hmmm..... @3:35 that was a bit of speeding (lane 3 motorist) if I'm not mistaken.... 90+?? 🤔 Excellent clip to showcase. Stay safe out there 👍

[@ZacsDashcam]

Such a minor action that causes so much annoyance! I find it extra aggravating as it's very hard to judge whether to overtake when people are constantly changing speed for no reason, often leads to me pulling into lane 3 for nothing as they zoom off in lane 2. Class video Ash 👍

[@alexevans9379]

I've had situations where I go for an overtake, but as I'm coming alongside, they then decide to speed up. I then feel like a pillock because I end up cruising in lane 2 and I'm not a fan of exceeding 70. At which point I usually decide to hold back and slip back in behind. As annoying and frustrating as it can be in the heat of the moment, I don't take it personally. I don't want to jump to conclusions, we all know what happens when we assume... I don't really have this issue anymore however, as I usually drive at 60; it makes for a more relaxing drive, and it seems to be more fuel-efficient for my vehicle. (I may be incorrect)

[@ianscottuk]

Yes i do find this. Problem is most people do set their speed by 'feel' andeverything just becomes relative. You are right with the accelerator pedal, fixed foot position means fixed speed to most drivers. This is then even more problematic for small engined cars. The only suggestion i have is to accelerate to put a clear gap between yourself and them. If you think about it you must be making more progress on average otherwise you would not have caught them up. I get that then means speeding but personally i think its safer to clear them.

[@ahdhudbbh]

Apparently it's more fuel efficient to go slower up hills, and faster downhill.

[@ASMRCulture]

I’ve heard people talk about keeping the foot in one position when hyper-mileing. Not sure how effective or practical it is though

[@devon896]

Not really. It's more fuel efficient to use cruise control and keep to a constant speed, the cars ECU will control the fuel output to maximise efficiency.

[@MPal24]

It is in theory, but it's a difficult skill to master. The greater fuel efficiency from going faster downhill also relies on you breaking the speed limit so that you have enough speed built-up to make it up the next hill without slowing too much

[@crunch8484]

@@ASMRCulture It's actually the opposite. It's more efficient to use a bit more throttle to maintain speed up hill, then coast down the other side, adding shortish gentle bursts of throttle at other times when required. It's not a safe or considerate way to drive though, so I wouldn't recommend it.

[@tomstickland]

I'm quite relaxed about it now. I've had people who speed up when I go to overtake so I pull back in behind them. Repeat. I don't have cruise control but I like to maintain speed within +/- 1mph.

[@MPal24]

The biggest problem I have is people tailgating you in lane 2 when you're overtaking traffic in lane 1, and they just won't use lane 3 to overtake you even if it's clear and even though they clearly want to go faster. And sure enough, the moment you move to lane 1, they speed past. Aggressive lane 3 tailgaters are the most dangerous, but that doesn't happen as often to me. The lane 2 tailgaters is practically every time I overtake a lorry.

[@LeeTanczos]

Agree… too many people chose to drive like morons

[@khalidacosta7133]

My ex, who was only driving for about 6 months at the time, maintains speed by constantly taking her entire foot off the accelerator pedal and puts it down again. Oooh... 73mph, take foot off, 68mph, put foot down. 72mph, take foot off. I pointed this terrible habit out and asked her to try and slowly move her foot to maintain speed, at a certain point, there will be a happy medium..... her reaction "you drive a car with cruise, it's not easy. You aren't a perfect driver either, I've never had a crash etc etc". I said to her, it's not good for fuel economy and it adds significant wear and tear to her engine / drivetrain. Apparently, what her driving instructor taught her was gospel and I shouldn't ever question it as I am not one :-/ Some people just can't change because a lot of people can never take constructive criticism. Oh and I did drive a car without cruise for a number of years and went all over the country... longest journey being 16ish hours and 850 miles non-stop!

[@cargy930]

My neighbour drives like that too; as if the throttle is a switch and the only way to control speed is in bursts!

[@manorbleak1]

The kind of driving that renders cruise control virtually useless and so common.

[@AwoudeX]

cruise controll is for 'empty' roads and long travels on them. It wasn't that busy, but apparently with the amount there it was too busy to comfortably use cruise controll. So Neal can complain all he wants about this. He can't expect others to use cruise controll, so why bother making a fuss about it. Just adjust to the situation yourself, prevent getting boxed in and be safe... Also in this clip, as he stated, he never needed to disengage the cruise controll, so again, what's the fuss all about???. He was aware of the situation and handled it accordingly. The blue vauxhall did nothing wrong there.

[@Figureight]

In the past with a slower car that struggled up inclines, I used to use more speed when going down hill so that when I come up to the next incline I was able to maintain a more relative speed, but it did mean that I was overtaking cars downhill that were then overtaking me up a hill. I'm not really sure what the other option would have been in that situation other than just dealing with the fact my car may only manage 40-50 up hill, which I didn't feel safe doing given the speed of traffic around me being much higher.

[@davenz000]

Just a dopey driver with no malice towards other vehicles, wrapped up in their own little bubble, there are millions of them. So when are we getting left and right looking dashcams?

[@peterfurness7296]

The dashcam feature on the Tesla Model 3 does this, also does the rear looking camera. I think some footage was featured recently on this channel.

[@jasonsensation46]

They are the ones who complain about bad drivers 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@johnmit]

Very common - and it's even more infuriating when they then also hog the middle lane. I refer to them as middle lane speeders - they will happily sit at 80mph in the middle lane on an empty motorway, but then slow down to 60mph and sit behind a lorry overtaking a lorry (and not use the 3rd lane to overtake both lorries), before speeding back up to 80mph once the middle lane clears up again. I've frequently found myself in the third lane, slightly stranded and unable to move back over to the left, because a driver that was doing 60mph when I over took them is now sat in my blindspot at 70+mph and they are oblivious to it.

[@JiminyClarkson]

Those people that you speed up to overtake, and then they speed up too. Then once you've overtaken them, they fly past and cruise at your speed in front of you. Then they start slowing down again for no reason and you get boxed in your lane 🙄

[@PedroConejo1939]

I had this on a motorbike once on the M1 when a very dandy looking fellow in a Merc ragtop played silly buggers with me, either accelerating with me or slowing right down when I did; it went on for miles, just couldn't shake him off without trying for a stupid speed, and there was no guarantee that would work. In the end, I went off at a junction, waited a couple of minutes and rejoined the motorway. Never saw him again, probably embuggering someone else.

[@derekp2674]

Thanks Ashley, this video shows a nice example of using cruise control to safely maintain 70mph on a quiet motorway.

[@bigjoeangel]

I don't think much of using cruise control, it's easy enough to maintain a constant speed without it. Best to have complete control at all times .

[@johno4521]

My car doesn't have cruise control; I find keeping to a constant speed keeps me alert.

[@martinconnelly1473]

Cruise control doesn't stop you from having complete control. If I have it on and touch the brake it goes off. If I have it on and touch the accelerator the car speeds up than returns to the set speed when I take my foot off the accelerator. Cruise control makes long journeys less tiring so could be considered a safety feature. It also gives the best mpg figures I get with my car. If you live in a rural area with long distances between villages, towns and cities it lets you concentrate on the road and what's happening around you, rather than your speedometer, as you do your journeys. There is only one town or city within 20 miles of where I live and it's a small one. The nearest city is 22 miles away. If you live in a built up area and hardly ever go anywhere outside the built up area I can see it might never be of use to you.

[@bigjoeangel]

@@martinconnelly1473 Good luck to you.

[@paulmuaddip5727]

That is a Vauxhall Viva. I drive one, 1lt engine, has no "go" but it is reliable and cheap to maintain.

[@jasonsensation46]

And it can definitely go 70 up that 1 degree hill 🤣

[@georgeytay1]

See this all day every day on the motorway. It’s ironic that us cruise control users should call other drivers lazy, but that’s what it is.

[@pussinboots1145]

Cruise control saves fuel.

[@gamewithadam7235]

Good point that you didn't change your speed and just planned ahead and used your eyes and lanes available.

[@josyms7849]

What about the speeding bmw at 3:33?

[@GilesWendes]

Normal for BMW.

[@appealinbanana]

I experience this every time on long journeys. Playing leap frog with the same car/van over snd over and never changing speed. Painful,

[@P.G.Wodelouse]

Maybe there is a problem with this but certainly this video did not show a problem, when the majority of of motorway slow points are caused by people unwilling to modulate their speed. Just like when a governed truck slowly over taking another truck, finding 2 or 3 people all on cruise control all trying to take over each other while their speed differs by 1 mph is so painful, or tailgating when road conditions are less then their set points but they won't change it, or sat in lane 3 doing 69mph for miles on end.

[@namara22]

I hate that! It then just starts to feel like a competition for miles! And I’m totally with you Ashley, I use my cruise control, maintaining my speed, and it just feels like everyone is constantly taking it in turns, other drivers who have no idea about speed maintenance, awareness and forward planning! So infuriating, and just makes long motorway journeys arduous!!

[@adogmcdizzle]

Honestly, this is why I just do 80mph and stay right (unless I see someone approaching). Dicing with people like this and the trucks is just asking for trouble and my current strategy serves me well.

[@FourthDown]

same thing here in the US. going 75-80mph on the interstate solves the problem of constantly yo-yo ing with nearby cars, and it's easy enough to move to the slower lane when someone going even faster approaches from behind.

[@boilerhousegarage]

I'm always consistent. Flat out everywhere! 😆 Inconsistent speed is a huge issue when you're driving a speed restricted vehicle. However it could be a useful defence if you're caught speeding as you can claim you were forced to by a driver intentionally speeding up as you overtook, and it would have resulted in an accident if you hadn't.

[@Majkel_BR]

Honestly the only time I'm using a cruise control is during late evening hours, other then that it is no point.

[@barryfoster453]

I say the same! Cruise control never feels a right thing to have, for me.

[@timschols4834]

See this frequently when driving on highways around here. I always attributed it to not paying attention to the speedometer and only noticing they were going slower than intended when they were overtaken, then speeding up again.

[@v52gc]

I call them yo-yo drivers. Far too many about. They also easily convert into those who focus on and follow closely the car in front.

[@jasonk7072]

Happens a lot on the M6, particularly around the Coventry to Rugby section. Some people get quite upset if you keep passing them, they don’t realise that they’re the one driving unusually.

[@chromiumphotography5138]

Could it be people think that there is a slow lane, a middle lane and a fast lane on a three carriage motorway. If you move to lane one, you are in the slow lane in some people's minds, so you need to be overtaken?

[@ColinWatters]

Got a second hand Fiesta recently. When looking for a car I was surprised how many there were made with Speed Limiting but not Cruise Control. Ended up buying one and adding CC as I wouldn't be without it. Took an hour to change the switch and program the configuration.

[@aztechproductions5146]

Still not as offensive as HGV drivers doing 56mph overtaking HGV drivers doing 55mph for 10 minutes

[@derekp2674]

Yeah that one annoys all us car drivers...

[@platt222]

This drives me insane. Just on Friday I had to overtake the same car 7 times in a 20 mile stretch, I was sat on cruise control and there speed was all over the place, one minute they're practically out of sight ahead or behind and the next there they are next to me again. As well as boxing you in I find even worse are when these drivers box you out and they decide to speed up as you are overtaking them and then just sit there blocking you coming back in, so you're left stuck in the outside lane unable to get back in.

[@mpmansell]

Personally I don't like cruise control. In other drivers I have seen it add to their complacency and not reducing speed early enough when necessary. For myself, I don't like the lack of control. I also dislike inconsistent speed in driving so do pay attention to my own speed. One of the biggest aids I have in this is engine tone which, with change, will tell me how to adjust my throttle, or warn me I might need to change gear well in advance of it being immediately necessary. Its not that hard and I feel that a driver who cannot be attentive to something so fundamental is also dangerously complacent in other areas.

[@iainchristie313]

For me this has to be the most frustrating part of motorway driving, especially when they box people behind slower vehicles needlessly, it's even worse when they loiter there. It forces me to slow down in order to come around the back of them, cross two lanes where I now have to overtake them as well just for process to repeat again.

[@mat_tamarin]

Eh, it's not the worst thing on these roads. They had pretty good road manners other than the jelly right foot syndrome.

[@P194-n9z]

Finally someone has raised this issue and thank you. I am a lorry driver, limited to 56 and is so annoying when they’re getting in your way

[@crunch8484]

Observing the comments, the frustrated drivers mostly seem to have one thing common. They use cruise control on motorways with other traffic around. Drop that lazy habit, learn to develop good acceleration sense, and choose an appropriate speed for the conditions, rather than expecting the conditions to adapt themselves to your speed and getting annoyed when they don't.

[@josephmarsh8235]

I did something you said try doing on a motorway trip Ashley, I stuck to 60mph instead of 70mph most time except when speed limit changed and when I had to overtake safely. It saved me lots of money on fuel

[@florinmacarenco7547]

Did he put you in danger? is true that is not constant but he did nothing illegal

[@andrewthompson5208]

Yeah, I don't get this video. Anyone stressed or annoyed by the blue car is going to struggle in city roads. Yet Ashley is calm as a cucumber in rush hour city traffic. A puzzling clip. Nothing to be cross about, very little to react to.

[@ronniewilson6597]

I do a lot of motorway driving and it’s virtually impossible to stick to the speed limit and only try and use lane 1. If you move over to lane 1 you always have people unaware there going to box you in behind a slower vehicle, so you have to move out to lane 2 far to early and those people are the middle lane people who refuse to move into lane 1.

[@donaldasayers]

I would say that you are being just as annoying with your obsession with your cruise control. Not everyone has it, not everyone uses it. Cars speed up and slow down on the motorway, for all sorts of valid reasons, to do with engine power, inclines, wind and most importantly traffic. Lazy reliance on your speed control, "I'm doing exactly 70" is actually just as unhelpful as Mr throttle-foot-stuck-in-one-position. Speed on the motorway is relative to the other traffic. You should be constantly adjusting your speed , perhaps by only a few mph, to aid the flow of traffic and not get so hung up with what other perceived faults with other people's driving. Of course if you are relying on your speedometer for that 70mph then you are doing more like 66mph as all speedos read fast.

[@johnmckay1423]

It's pretty much as bad without cruise control - I've tried both. Between about 67 and 73 is fine and with either manual control it radar cruise, but the standard is driving at 70, you gain on someone quickly, pull out to overtake they speed up to 75, you abandon the overtake and pull in behind them and they settle back to 63. There are very few cars around that can't manage a steady 70 nowadays.

[@frankmitchell3594]

I see this regularly on one particular stretch of motorway. There is a bridge over a railway line and cars are always being caught out and slowing on the ramp up to the bridge, about 1 mile long, then speeding up again when they reach the top. This usually causes lorries to have to slow down.

[@nickwragg]

I go to Birmingham quite a lot travelling from my home town of Sheffield and I have had this loads of times. Because I don't have cruse control I always keep my eye on my speedo to make sure I'm doing the speed limit and now I have a GPS projector speedo it makes it even easier to see how fast im really going.

[@VintageLynx]

For just 2 or 3 Junctions I stick with the HGV's at 56-60. Only a few seconds in it usually plus better fuel economy.

[@andyuk200523]

Every single day, had it today a few times, I’m an HGV driver limited to 54, I catch up vehicles and overtake then as we approach a 3 lane section I move to the free left hand lane and they come past me in lane 2 (never changing lanes) then I catch them up again….it messes the flow up when I have to overtake, does my head in!

[@martinconnelly1473]

Happens a lot on the A1 where it is just 2 lanes. You can have a convoy of 2 or 3 cars that are clearly on cruise control (I have been in such convoys) that keep catching, overtaking and then being overtaken by the same vehicle a number of times.

[@SirGregory]

Based on a small sample (friends and family), I think two things are happening: 1. Drivers don't concentrate on freeways and are not aware of their speed. 2. Not many drivers use cruise control.

[@paultaylor7082]

I've got cruise control on my Focus C Max, I had a similar problem recently with a Golf on the M61 between Preston and Eccles. He overtook me twice, I overtook him twice, with my cruise control on for all of the 20 miles journey

[@NigelsModellingBench]

This happens all the time around me in Gloucestershire. The more annoying habit I find is people "getting in lane" on dual carriageways about a mile before the next junction. It would also appear that the use of indicators in Gloucester has become an inconvenience for most?

[@kempy7923]

Yes, all the time and it is very annoying. I have done what you did and got out early to avoid being boxed in. I've had drivers slow down along side me and then attempt to move back into the lane I am in. One thing I have also noticed since getting a car with adaptive cruise control is how close drivers pull back into the lane infront of me often causing my car to slow down automatically.

[@timhoward8313]

One thing I used to notice a lot when I drove a big old square Volvo 240 estate, was cars tailgating me eager to overtake, but when I move to left lane, they lost the slipstream and their speed would drop right off! Also, most cruise controls maintain a contant velocity, which means you are actually accelerating up hills and decelerating down them; the opposite to most other cars. At high speed on particularly steep inclines, it's quite a weird sensation.

[@RustOnWheels]

Sometimes it feels like reciprocation when driving with CC on. This is so relatable, even in completely flat Netherlands.