Behaviour when Being Overtaken......

[Frances]

Does anyone have any explanation as to why a driver doing 10-20kmh under the speed limit suddenly accelerates when someone pulls out to overtake them and disappear into the distance doing 10-15kmh over the limit? I encountered this sort of behaviour several times driving home from Canberra a few days ago. I would be driving along the Federal or Hume Highways doing 110kmh (which is the speed limit for most of the trip) when I come up to a car doing around 90kmh. As soon as I changed lanes, they accelerated so that they would have been doing over 120kmh. I don't wish to sound sexist, but the driver of the other car is almost always male.

[Bobby]

Does anyone have any explanation as to why a driver doing 10-20kmh under the speed limit suddenly accelerates when someone pulls out to overtake them and disappear into the distance doing 10-15kmh over the limit? I encountered this sort of behaviour several times driving home from Canberra a few days ago. I would be driving along the Federal or Hume Highways doing 110kmh (which is the speed limit for most of the trip) when I come up to a car doing around 90kmh. As soon as I changed lanes, they accelerated so that they would have been doing over 120kmh. I don't wish to sound sexist, but the driver of the other car is almost always male.

It's crack and meth heads doing it -
watch out for them.

[mellie]

Does anyone have any explanation as to why a driver doing 10-20kmh under the speed limit suddenly accelerates when someone pulls out to overtake them and disappear into the distance doing 10-15kmh over the limit? I encountered this sort of behaviour several times driving home from Canberra a few days ago. I would be driving along the Federal or Hume Highways doing 110kmh (which is the speed limit for most of the trip) when I come up to a car doing around 90kmh. As soon as I changed lanes, they accelerated so that they would have been doing over 120kmh. I don't wish to sound sexist, but the driver of the other car is almost always male.

So true.

The only thing that I can think of to explain this behaviour is power/control perhaps? Macho- man syndrome.
See, while driving 10 or 15 km's below is acceptable, generally as we are all different and drive different cars with different capabilities, when these loons seemingly refuse to let you pass them, then suddenly accelerate to stop you getting in front tells me that for whatever reason, they just want you not to pro - choice when it comes to having any sort of autonomy over your own journey I guess???. Nut-jobs!! Loons. Shouldn't have licences.

..... Dangerous, because if you choose the wrong road ( ie, not duel carriageway or not a long straight rd ) then this stupidity can result in a serious collision with oncoming traffic, from around a bend if you take up their challenge and try to get in front. And agree, it's usually a guy thing. Sorry to all our resposible male drivers out there.

Personally, I don't believe it's wise getting the better of them, taking them on and getting in front of idiots like this, makes you an idiot too, so if they won't let me in, and they speed up, I just tuck back in behind them so I can keep an eye on them & keep my distance from them also.

It's a nucence sure, and might tac on extra time to my trip, but better to be safe than sorry. I just keep well out of their way.

[mellie]

I drive a very small car, designed for city driving, so going uphill can be a bit of a crawl sometimes..so rather than thrash my engine, I just stick to the left lane, and always get to the left of the overtake lane so others in faster vehicles can pass me. When idiots get behind me in these instances and tailgate me, trying to get me to go faster , I usually slow down and they usually overtake me.
Occasionally I'll get some psycho ( again usually a guy) who will remain on my ass and this upsets my daughter so I just ignore it and eventually they usually overtake me.
It's not my fault that my car is a motorised shopping trolley, it's just my daughter’s very sentimentally attached to it, and so untill it dies,( hopefully soon) she refuses to let me buy another car.

Trust me, I've tried. Tried to introduce her to bigger, more modern silver cars in car yards. But when the time comes to actually buy it, she won't let Silvery go.

Eventually she'll be right with me getting rid of " Silvery" ..she's even named the bloody thing.
She's a great little car though, never broken down, gets serviced regularly so I can't really complain.
But my next car will have a gearbox. Lol

This and be a medium sized car.
Need more room to hang all her dance costumes and props.

[Jasin]

Does anyone have any explanation as to why a driver doing 10-20kmh under the speed limit suddenly accelerates when someone pulls out to overtake them and disappear into the distance doing 10-15kmh over the limit? I encountered this sort of behaviour several times driving home from Canberra a few days ago. I would be driving along the Federal or Hume Highways doing 110kmh (which is the speed limit for most of the trip) when I come up to a car doing around 90kmh. As soon as I changed lanes, they accelerated so that they would have been doing over 120kmh. I don't wish to sound sexist, but the driver of the other car is almost always male.

It's crack and meth heads doing it -
watch out for them.

Bobby's right Frances.
Don't play with dangerous 'attention seekers'.
Just back off and hopefully they will speed over the limit and into a defenceless hardwood tree.

[Jasin]

Also. Having lived out in the country areas like the Riverina.
The best thing is to slow down and allow someone else to overtake and you just follow (safe distance) behind.
1. They now become your Kangaroo 'bumper bar'.
2. At night - it's easier to follow their red tail lights and they have to do the hard work of highbeam/lowbeam all the time (if traffic approaches), let alone 'look for' the road in the night.

[Frances]

I don't try to get in front of them when they do that, because you never know how they might react. More often than not they end up going fast enough afterwards for there to be no reason for me to overtake them any more. I just find the whole thing very strange.

And, as far as country driving goes, I try to avoid driving at night time as far as possible.

[Black Orchid]

I think some people just space out on long highways. Then when they see people trying to pass them they all of a sudden speed up. Very annoying.