Let me explain.
There's a road here that's two lanes (one in each direction) but with occasional passing lanes. It needs to be a four lane road but that's another subject.
People will drive less than the speed limit on the two-lane parts and then, when another lane opens up such as a passing lane, they'll speed up making it harder for you to pass them. My only thought is, now they feel more comfortable with an extra lane. When the road goes back to only two lanes, they slow down again. Apparently they don't know how to use cruise control, either.
Or, even during the best weather, the Washington State DOT lowers the speed limit on Snoqualmie Pass
by 5 mph (65 versus 70). (There's "variable speed limits" on Snoqualmie Pass. The lowest I've seen is 35 mph on a very snowy night.) So, when the speed limit is 65, I'll slow down by 5 mph (from 75 to 70). And people I passed going 75 mph will start passing me at 70 mph. Because they aren't paying attention to the speed limit. They are driving by feel.(I used to think they lowered the speed limit on Snoqualmie Pass because the road was narrow and windy. But they widened and straightened a long section and the speed limit is still 65 on that part.)
Now I follow the speed limit (at least) if conditions permit. This means I have to be aware of the speed limit. But I think a lot of drivers (at least around here) drive by feel. They'll be perfectly happy doing 45 mph in a 50 mph zone blissfully unaware of the line of cars behind them.
And this is in a way dangerous because it may cause someone to pass unsafely. I know it makes me see red mist. I always try to pass legally and safely. But not everyone does. I wrote about how driving too slow is dangerous here.
Driving by feel might be a common occurrence in the U.S. The Federal Highway Administration Research and Technology (part of the Federal Highway Administration) did a study and found that, despite the speed limit, people drive as fast or slow as they want to.
Do you have people who drive by feel where you live? Do they annoy you as much as they annoy me? Let me know in the comments below.