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There are exactly 0 situations that require you to break the speed limit to become “safe.” The UK Highway Code and driving lessons are very explicit in how you

There are exactly 0 situations that require you to break the speed limit to become “safe.” The UK Highway Code and driving lessons are very explicit in how you respond to emergencies and “speed up” is not on the list.

brewdad 6y ago
There can be but only after you have already been inattentive or negligent leading up to the situation. My teen is less than a year into his license. The other night he was driving us in an unfamiliar area and missed a sign indicating that the 3 lanes were merging into 2. He found himself at the merge point completely blocking a car trying to merge. Yes, the merging vehicle is obligated to yield but speeding up for a few seconds with open road in front of him was the safer move than braking hard or maintaining speed and hoping the merging vehicle yielded appropriately before it ran out of pavement.
- scott_w 6y ago
  So either he slows down to aid the overtake or it’s not possible in time and the overtaking vehicle slows down to merge behind. Appreciate these things are tough when you’re still new, nervous in an unfamiliar area, etc. but that’s the time you go back to basics on your driving to maximise safety.
bluecalm 6y ago
There are very rare situations when speeding saves you. One example is someone going into your lane and driving into you for a head on collision. Assuming there is space to swerve you should also accelerate to escape faster. That being said it's so extremely rare there is no point debating those cases. If speeding was physically not possible it would be a better and safer world.
- scott_w 6y ago
  Absolutely not. In such a situation, you don’t have time to look to your side to check it’s empty. The safest thing is to slam on your brakes and hope they do the same. If you’re suggesting someone is intent on killing you by speeding vehicle, then yes this pretty much never happens between cars.
  - bluecalm 6y ago
    It happens rarely but regularly. They fall asleep or try to pass and don't see you. This kind of passing is very common and major fatal accident cause in my country. If there is place to the right (assuming driving on right country) (sometimes designated safety area or a field of grass or whatever) then you have to escape and you have to accelerate to escape faster. Being only makes sense if there is enough time or it looks like they might be breaking as well. If it's a truck for example going your way hitting the brakes is just suicide. Anyway my point is that it does happen. I agree it's rare. I would be careful when it comes to trusting UK guidelines blindly. Last time I checked they recommended push and pull steering which is to put it mildly a very bad way to control a car.

brewdad 6y ago

There can be but only after you have already been inattentive or negligent leading up to the situation. My teen is less than a year into his license. The other night he was driving us in an unfamiliar area and missed a sign indicating that the 3 lanes were merging into 2. He found himself at the merge point completely blocking a car trying to merge. Yes, the merging vehicle is obligated to yield but speeding up for a few seconds with open road in front of him was the safer move than braking hard or maintaining speed and hoping the merging vehicle yielded appropriately before it ran out of pavement.

scott_w 6y ago
So either he slows down to aid the overtake or it’s not possible in time and the overtaking vehicle slows down to merge behind. Appreciate these things are tough when you’re still new, nervous in an unfamiliar area, etc. but that’s the time you go back to basics on your driving to maximise safety.

bluecalm 6y ago

There are very rare situations when speeding saves you. One example is someone going into your lane and driving into you for a head on collision. Assuming there is space to swerve you should also accelerate to escape faster. That being said it's so extremely rare there is no point debating those cases. If speeding was physically not possible it would be a better and safer world.

scott_w 6y ago
Absolutely not. In such a situation, you don’t have time to look to your side to check it’s empty. The safest thing is to slam on your brakes and hope they do the same. If you’re suggesting someone is intent on killing you by speeding vehicle, then yes this pretty much never happens between cars.
- bluecalm 6y ago
  It happens rarely but regularly. They fall asleep or try to pass and don't see you. This kind of passing is very common and major fatal accident cause in my country. If there is place to the right (assuming driving on right country) (sometimes designated safety area or a field of grass or whatever) then you have to escape and you have to accelerate to escape faster. Being only makes sense if there is enough time or it looks like they might be breaking as well. If it's a truck for example going your way hitting the brakes is just suicide. Anyway my point is that it does happen. I agree it's rare. I would be careful when it comes to trusting UK guidelines blindly. Last time I checked they recommended push and pull steering which is to put it mildly a very bad way to control a car.