The UK Automobile Association president, Edmund King, made comment recently that ‘driving like a snail can be as dangerous as driving like a cheetah’.

He gives as an example drivers using the middle lane of a motorway who drive ‘far below the speed limit’.

I would comment on this that the problem is principally using the middle lane of a motorway to drive on, rather than driving below the speed limit. If the driver were on the inside lane I expect this would not be a problem to other drivers.

The difficulty with these comments from Mr King is that they are muddled and vague. The first I have just commented on and the second is obvious. Is it possible to drive a car at the speed of a snail? I think you would burn out your clutch on the first hill. Less pedantically, describing speeds using animal metaphors shows thinking skills more appropriate to children’s stories. All cars have meters to show the speed of the car and all roads have speed limits. It is not difficult then to discuss speeds rationally instead of emotionally.

He also gives an example of cars going slowly in the acceleration lane leading into a motorway. ‘I was in a queue of five cars joining the M3 recently when the lead driver was driving at approximately 25mph. It was incredibly dangerous.’

It is worrying if we are all being asked to consider the personal driving experiences of another who is trying to prove a point by a single example. In this case it is not possible to talk to the driver of the lead vehicle to ask what he or she was thinking. The reasons are not justifications but may explain behaviour. Mr King will know that in some European countries, the traffic in the joining lane has to give way to traffic on the motorway, by law. Perhaps the lead driver did not understand the UK highway code? If this were the case then surely having been a member of the European Community for forty years, the UK government or influential motoring organisations should have done more to standardise driving laws? Mr King appears to have reacted like a Mr Toad instead of a Mr Owl.

Mr King will be aware of an impactive advertising campaign in the UK which brought home the fact very strongly that a driver at 40mph is going to kill a child pedestrian and a driver at 30mph no kill a child.

Interestingly the advertisement used exact speeds rather than animal analogies, presumably because understanding the killing power of a motor vehicle at different measurable speeds is important.

Hyundai commissioned a poll of 2000 UK drivers in 2018 where they found that the seventh most common reason for a driver swearing is ‘someone driving to slowly in front of you.’ Interestingly the highly emotional state of the driver is given implied credibility. Personally I would question whether they need some driving skills re-education rather than be given as an example of ‘normality’ in a poll. However the answer includes a level of vagueness that nullifies any point it might make. What is ‘someone driving too slowly’?

In most cases in my driving experience in the UK and Europe is that ‘driving too slowly’ is expressed by a driver who wishes to exceed the legal speed limit but is being prevented from doing so. This would be a more useful investigation for Hyundai. Personally I could prove this within five minutes of starting any journey by driving at the maximum legal speed limit and having the ability to speak to the driver being frustrated behind.

These drivers are the tailgater, a careless driving manner more worthy investigation than one driving just under the legal speed limit.

The problem we am really describing is one of ’emotional thinking’ rather than ‘rational thinking’. Would passengers in an aircraft for instance prefer a pilot who swears at other planes on the runway and in the air, who criticises them publically for flying in the manner of slow or fast birds?

Personally I’d rather be piloted by the rational, cool, calm, sober pilot who explains the reason for any delay and wishes us a pleasant continuing journey as we leave the plane.

As well as being an advocate of the safety benefits of driving under the legal speed limit (sorry you cheetahs out there I said it again!) there is another benefit.

I have known many advanced drivers and when I ask them what is the most important consideration they have when driving their private cars they reply, ‘fuel economy’. In the USA the maximum speed is 56mph for just this reason. If vehicles were travelling at 70mph they would be using one third more fuel.

If you told the average driver that they can reduce their fuel costs by this amount, I expect they would be interested. That is until they realise that they would have to allow more time for their journey and time for them is more precious than handing over a living planet to their grandchildren. This is the only reason other than ignorance that I can think of when I am overtaken by a large black 4×4 SUV on a motorway that must be using under 20 mpg. I drive a six gear diesel estate and regularly obtain 56 mpg on mixed urban and motorway journeys. This green conscience in me I have had for most of my life.

Another angle on slow driving is the concept of an ‘average speed’. Studies of congestion on motorways have identified slowing traffic down as a way to ease congestion and make journeys safer and quicker. Although counter intuitive, when a journey is examined as a whole, it will reveal a pattern of ‘rush to wait’. Cars rush away from traffic lights in cities even when they can see that they will have to stop at the next set. Drivers on country roads will overtake the car in front at the first opportunity, even though there may be a tractor or herd of cows around the next bend.

Finally, another aspect of advance slow driving skills is not prejudging a vehicle’s speed. If following a bus travelling at the maximum legal speed, it is not necessary to overtake it, even though ‘it’s a bus!’ It is the nature of buses to stop regularly so keeping a distance behind to enable a safe overtake when it stops, is simple. Passing at a slow speed is obligatory since we know passengers step out of buses and may wish to cross the road straight away, appearing suddenly from behind the large bus. The same goes for lorries and vans. The advanced slow driver will find out what speed these vehicles are doing or likely to be doing at the next hill, before making an unnecessary overtake. Such vehicles have limited views immediately behind, so tail gating will not only create a dangerous queue of cars, but for yourself when the lorry or van stops unexpectedly.

In summary, I would not criticise other road users unless I have interviewed them and found out what on earth is going through their heads. Expect them to be mad as hares and you won’t be surprised, pull back let them be silly and continue your journey.

At slower speeds you are less likely to kill pedestrians and cyclists. There is no argument to driver faster and start swearing at others.

Look at the maximum speed limit for the road you are driving on and match the speed of your vehicle to it when it is safe to do so. Ignore those with money to pay fines, don’t mind loosing their licence and are willing to risk killing children, queuing up behind you.

Ease your foot off the accelerator and brake to maintain the maximum average and legal speed. This will reduce the length of time you have to allow for your journey, the cost of fuel and reduce emissions proportionately.

And finally, if it’s a lorry it might not need to overtake it. If it’s a snail, you will.