I drive at 70/75 if appropriate on motorways/duel carriageways. People driving unnecessarily slowly are a nuisance and cause accidents.
It depends on the conditions really, and how safe you feel in your car. If you're in a nice comfortable BMW etc. 90 probably feels perfectly okay, whereas in a Mini you'd be bouncing around and it would be extremely loud.
A roads, it depends on the road and conditions again. However most of them are now 30 and 40 limits with occasional NSL stretches.
You have only just passed your test I believe. You have already had one close call, skidding into a van. I'd think about that before making comments about slow drivers causing accidents. Its not the slow drivers - its the idiot drivers that are ridiculously impatient and the boy racers who think they are Lewis Hamilton that cause the accidents.
As i'm still on the L plates I'm restricted by parents, Mom isn't keen at anything above 45 but Dad doesn't really care as long as it's under the limit. For example Sunday night coming back from a friends in the dark on a quiet road I decided to see how well she handled in the twists and turns :)
You are headed one way only - to being a statistic. You are still on L plates and already pushing your car to see 'how it handles'. One tiny mistake, which you are unlikely to have the experience to correct, and its game over. Your father should frankly be more responsible and tell you stop doing that.
I'm not suggesting everyone has to be 20mph the whole way. But you don't learn to drive until after the test. Get some experience behind you before you start driving liking idiots. It doesn't matter how good a driver you think you are at 17, you aren't (mostly), and even if you have had experience, its been on private land or a track, where you are likely to get a loss less idiots. I'd hate to see any of you as a statistic.
I do believe someone was once prosecuted for speeding or another driving related offence, helped in part by evidence obtained from a public forum after he was bragging. I'm not saying don't enjoy your cars, but just be careful. Driving at 90 on a motorway on a clear night is different to hooning around corners as a 17 year with no experience.
There are a lot of bad drivers on the road, people who should never have been given a license - men, women, old and young alike.
As for those people who claim 40 on a country lane is dangerous, yes it is. But not because of the reasons you think. There are approximately 30% of all incidents/accidents are on rural country roads, and yet the death and serious injury figure is around 70%. That is because people lose control at speed with serious consequences. Motorways are statistically quite safe, with only about 3-4% of deaths on a national scale on the motorways. You should only be driving at a speed whereby you can stop in the distance that you can see or pretty damn near to it. I often look ahead through gaps in bushes etc and this can be used to good effect. If you happen around a bend at 60 and there is someone doing 40, you hit them, speed limit or not, it's your fault.
Its a speed limit, not a minimum. You should only ever drive at a speed you feel confident at, which is different for everyone.
And before anyone starts harping on that speed doesn't kill etc, it does. If you hit someone at 20, you are a lot less likely to kill them than at 40. That is a simple and unarguable fact and therefore speed does kill. It is not helped by idiots, dangerous and careless driving - it might not be speeding that is the issue but inappropriate speed. Its not about driving by numbers by any stretch but slowing down just a bit really can make the difference between someone surviving and you going to prison for being a *******.
Now go and enjoy your minis :) (within your driving capability).