Fuel Efficiency or Common Courtesy?

Hmm, yeah. News report from Eastern Canada tonight that cops are surprised (!!) at the number of people driving slow. Too bad for them they lose speeding ticket revenue (boohoo)

In theory, the traffic engineers can re-time the lights for new speeds and that may help. Assuming they can convince the powers that be, not to time the lights for red-light ticket revenue (which may increase for those trying to save gas?).

 

From the NC drivers handbook pg.50. It is printed in red bold type to stand out.

"Studies show that the vehicle moving at a speed
considerably below the posted limit is much
more likely to cause or be involved in a crash
than the vehicle moving at a normal speed."

 

Just what speed is considerably below?
Below the legal speed minimum limit for the road?

Seems to me, it's not the slower driver who is at fault, but the faster ones who don't use proper judgement in their driving, especially the excessively fast ones.

If I approach a slower vehicle, even a tractor at 20mph, I don't rush upon him and brake. I can judge the rate of closure and adjust accordingly, can't others?

Unfortunately, everything I hear of on radio, TV, read in newspapers, see on the street, points to reckless driving, whether impaired, excessive speed or inattention, not slow driving, as the cause of most accidents.

ZC1

 

I have been saying just this since I joined PC, it saves more fuel to move smartly away when the light turns green because it allows more cars to get across the intersection. Of course if no one is behind you do what you like.

 

From what you have written above I assume you enjoy paperwork?
Secondly the "powers that be" often spend a great deal of time and money buying and testing systems to ensure good traffic flows given the capacity of the road network. The only way to "trick" people into running red lights is to shorten the amber time to a nanosecond or 2, otherwise red means don't cross the white line just like it always has and amber means stop if you can just as it always has. Not too hard is it? Anyone who runs a red light deserves a fine.

 

prius gets good gas mileage even if its not driven in the most FE way than almost anything on the road...id just go with the flow of traffic

...but if you have to... 5mph above or under or at the speed limit is tolerable

my .02

 

i dont know about all the others, but the minute i learned to drive my prius with P&G and warp in mind, i find myself driving the speed limit, no more............but sometimes less, depending on traffic (bumper to bumper)

SOME hyper-miliers are giving the "normal" prius owners a bad rap by going below the speed limit without regards to others................for example, one of my "acquaintances" asked me when he found out i bought a prius..................."OH CRAP, YOU BOUGHT ONE OF THOSE? ARE YOU GONNA GO 50-55 ON THE CARPOOL LANE? because IF YOU DO, I'M GONNA RUN OVER YOU WITH MY F250."

So, anyways, if i want to go below the speed limit on the freeway, i'll stay CLEAR off the fast lane, try to go slower by having a slow vehicle in front of me in the #3 or #4 lane.

just my 2 cents.

 

Genoz World, your "acquaintances" is a wanker.
Oh I agree with you that slow drivers in Prius do nothing to promote the vehicle, but this is what I think of anyone who says they will deliberately crash into the back of someones car for driving slowly in the transit lane just because they have a bigger vehicle. What a dipstick!!

I'm guessing this drip wouldn't threaten to crash his toy truck into the back of a slow moving 18 wheeler.

 

funny how driving slow gives prius drivers a bad rep, and wankers like his "acquaintance" makes big car drivers look bad as well

since i have both types of cars...where does that put me LOL

 

You're OK mate.

 

hahaha thanx!!!

 

What really scares me is when traffic starts to exceed the capacity of the road (2-lane highway where I live). The speed in the right lane starts to drop, because it is dictated by the slowest vehicle and also due to influx traffic (people in the right lane tend to maintain safe distance). The impatient drivers increasingly take to the left lane where the speed remains high (even if it's more crowded), so the distance between cars gets smaller and smaller. As long as noone makes a mistake, all is well, but it takes only a small error to cause a major acccident.

It would seem to me that every highway has a safe maximum capacity, but quite often that capacity is exceeded, because there is nothing to limit the influx of vehicles. The result is either congestion, or a situation where people drive too close too fast. I don't think the latter is to be preferred.

 

I'm sure it happens, but not nearly as much as getting a speeding ticket. No one I know has ever gotten a ticket for going below the speed limit. However, it is really the second part of the question (impending the flow of traffic) that is key. Going 35 in a 45 on road with a lane to pass is probably not going to be seen by an officer as impeding traffic flow. If some yokel wants to tailgate someone driving slower than the speed limit when there is ample opportunity to pass, that's their problem.

As for me, sometimes I go below the speed limit and sometimes above, it just depends on the light cycle. All things being equal however, I will err on being slightly below the limit and take my chances at getting a ticket for going below the speed limit.

 

i find it funny that the term "speed limit" is being tossed around as the exact
speed cars should be going. The word limit seems to mean.. that ALL CARS
should be going less then it.

Often the same sign that states the limit also mentions the minimum.
45-65 MPH for example. Anywhere between that is fully legal.

so much arguement/debate over something i thought was so simple to understand!

 

To quote Clarkson:
Speed has never killed anyone. It's suddenly becoming stationary, that's what gets you. That's the killer.

Truth be told, though this may be an abnormal situation, I was stuck behind some car going about 14 in a 35 zone, with one lane on each side of the neutral ground. A less inattentive driver would have seen no brake lights and could have slammed into the back of my car, and I could have slammed into the back of the next. I'm going to go with what many have said and propose that we, as Prius drivers, undercut posted speed limits only for the sake of efficiency and only if no one is behind us.

Do some tests on a level (and empty) road with cruise control and the multi-display, if you have time. See which speeds are more efficient. Though driving 55 in a 65 zone may help economy, driving 25 in a 35 is not, and driving 35 in a 45 may not either.

 

If you are going 10mph below the limit while everyone around you is going 5 over you are committing an illegal act according to Illinois Law and people have been cited for it....you can't impede the flow of traffic

the posted limits are not set in stone.....this is taught in drivers ed and it is the reason why cars are fully capable of safely cruising at 120MPH+ and why limiters are not set to the highest speed limit

sometimes the only safe way to pass a truck or trucks going 65 is to go 82mph....now you always get some slowpoke deciding to take 30 seconds to pass a truck sadly