Journalism student inquiring about vandalism and road rage targeted at Prius drivers

I'm not entirely convinced the Prius itself attracts nutjobs. There are plenty of nuts out there, with tiny wee-wee's and big egos, who drive giant pick em up trucks, and are generally a menace to everybody on the road.

Over the past 5 years I've been purposely cut off perhaps 5 times. In all but one case, I was able to wait for them to pull off somewhere, and then beat the living dog crap out of them. I'm a big strong guy with a temper

I used to have a 2000 GMC Sierra. On a curve along one of our SE Manitoba highways, I had to take to the gentle ditch as an empty transport truck driver was passing on the curve. I got back on the highway, turned around, quickly caught up to the tool, and forced him to stop

The other motorists who were behind him actually cheered me when I worked him over. Which was all the thanks I needed

 

How are you going to investigate rates if you're only soliciting responses from people who feel that they have been targeted?

FWIW I've been treated no differently in this car than any other. Location: SF Bay Area.

 

I agree with Jeff's statements above.

If all you want is "one-sided evidence", then don't refer to it as "science journalism". Instead, call it "tabloid journalism".

 

Say no more, say no more! Get your pen ready, here they are:

• Runaway Rage - Paul Knight who apparently shares living quarters with a woman who is suing for an alleged run-away Prius incident without revealing this unusual relationship. Paul also stalks PriusChat members who post here.
• Genicidal Blind Killers - National Federation of the Blind claims in the absence of any accident data that hybrids like our Prius are dangerous. Not only are their claims inaccurate but they've managed to get legislation for a fake study that is a cover for forcing noise makers on all hybrid electric vehicles. Literally, the blind are leading the blind and forcing the least effective solution, noise makers, to address the blood of 4,700 dead pedestrians each year that their legislation will continue.
• Toxic batteries - George Will, Chris Demoro, Martin Delgado have all written perfect nonsense about the toxic nature of nickel metal hydride batteries. It would be charitable to say they were lazy and never checked upon the either the toxicity or gone to the local Radio Shack and bought a pack to use with their digital devices. In fact, they remain pathological with an ax to Gore. For reasons I can't explain, they remain idiots who insist on telling tall tales and seem to lose it around the Prius.
• Stealing - CNW Marketing simply made up stuff about the life-cycle cost of the Prius and claimed the now defunct Hummer had a lower cost per mile. Their notorious "Dust-to-Dust" report is still available (Google it) and you'll find plenty of sources. For example, CNW Marketing claims the Chevy Aero is a Prius equivalent.

Yes, we have a lot of road rage by self-proclaimed 'journalists.' We don't know why but facts and data, ethics and just plain common sense seem to fly out of their heads when a Prius shows up. For example, "Top Gear" claims a BMW gets better mileage than a Prius and VW continues to support Jetta TDI driving stunts. They actually go out of their way, they work hard, to destroy their credibility and spout their nonsense.

So if you really want to study road rage, start with the 'ragers', the authors already cited. Go and find out how their brains work. See if you can figure out why they would rather lie than do the hard work, research and report the truth. That is where your story resides.

Bob Wilson

 

I removed the factory installed 'Obama' and 'coexist' stickers, and put a 'Who Is John Galt?" sticker on, and have found that no one bugs me.

 

LOL, thats gonna be flame bait. I commute to Amherst, MA everyday for school (5 college town including Amherst College, UMass, Hampshire College, Mt. Holyoke, and Smith) and I see about 10 prii a day in this town of about 35,000. About 1/3 have those stickers on them.

 

8.5 years of Prius ownership.

176,623 miles of Prius driving.

No such incidents here.

It's not journalism if you seek out only data to fit a specific writing idea. You must collect experiences of many before drawing a conclusion.
.

 

I agree with the comments of those who do not feel they have suffered any more from targeted road rage. I haven't found it any worse with the Prius than with other cars.

What MAY be an issue are those "hypermilers" who are trying to wring the last MPG from their Prius and do so in a manner that inflames overly-agressive drivers. THEN there may be some road rage - but it is targeted at the hypermiling driver (who happens to be driving a Prius).

 

As previously said, how do you establish a rate if you only count one part?

I've never been treated differently that in my previous cars, and I don't know anyone who would treat Prius drivers differently.
The Prius isn't a very special car (anymore). Hybrids are pretty mainstream nowadays.

 

There is some resistance out there--mostly from trailor-trash types and other pea-brains who are rebelling against high gas prices. Intelligent people could care less about who is driving what. The problems come from those who wish they had a Prius, but can't afford one. Call it jealousy.

 

I was surprised we made it through last summer, with gas over $4.50 a gallon, without road rage directed at big SUVs.

 

I've never had a road rage incident
just many, many mileage questions when at the gas pumps.
regards
Froley

 

I tend to drive under the posted limit so regardless of what vehicle I'm in I'll get the headlight flash once in awhile from those traveling behind me. In a typical 45 mph I'm in the 40-42 mph range. After all, the speed limit is a max limit not a suggested limit (most people think of the speed limit as the minimum speed and "how far above it can I go without getting a ticket").

Just this past week the same thing happened from a female driver behind me...she flashed the lights once...I was doing 43 mph. She flashed 'em again...I was doing 42 mph. She rode my bumper...and she got the quick brake tap from me...I saw the fear in her eyes and didn't see anything else from her the rest of the way.

 

I found some interesting data about how speed limits used to be set. This article talks about setting the limit to what the 85th percentile of what drivers would be driving, and some data to back up the claim that the risk is minimized at that speed. There are also some discussions of whether reducing the limit actually changes drivers' behaviour in the desired direction.

I suspect that the lower risk for the faster drivers may simply be that they're the ones most familiar with the road and their destination, and therefore are those most likely to be paying attention and be expecting the hazards when they occur.

I'm not entirely convinced by the argument, but it's also known that speed is not a major factor in the cause of most accidents. It is of course a major factor in the outcome of accidents, but frankly anything over 30mph has a strong likelihood of major injuries.

 

I think people in toy trucks (some call them SUVs) get close to the back of Prius because they want to see inside, or maybe when they see inside they are in awe of the space in the Prius compared to their cramped little truck.

Another theory is they see the MFD screen through the back window and because it looks like a TV their brain goes to sleep on seeing it. Or they might be trying to work out what it all means.

I'm still trying to work out what road rage has to do with science?

 

I had someone right up on my rear big time last week - I was going only a few miles over the 45 mile speed limit. Very annoying. Two lane road so I couldn't get in the right lane. But, I was driving my Chrysler. I haven't bought a Prius yet (waiting on my 2010). If I was in a Prius, maybe I could chalk up the behavior of this driver to my Prius, but no such luck. I simply have been driving a little slower since my realization of how much better gas mileage I can get by driving a little slower, coasting to stops earlier, etc. My car has a mpg reading in real time on it.
In order to write the story that you want to write (if this is the case), you may have to dig deeper. Kind of sucks when you want to write a certain story (again, if this is the case), and the facts just don't support the premise of the story before you write it. You may have to make some stuff up (just kidding).

 

At first I thought people were tailgating me more, but then I realized this was because I switched from a sedan to a hatch.

 

Happened to me more in my minivan than in the Prius. Somebody even slashed the tires on the minivan. Was road-raged too. No such trouble with the Prius yet. I just go with the flow.... in Albuquerque. Oh... and I do carry a gun in there. Time for a poll!!

 

Apparently I've made a lot of other drivers angry since I've been driving my Prius. But I don't think it's the Prius; I think it's the fact that my Prius taught me to slow down and take it easy... you know, treat it as a speed limit instead of a speed minimum... anticipate and coast to stops. That really, really infuriates some other people on the road.

I believe that most people who claim to be victims of "Prius road rage" are incorrect in their assessment. It's how you drive, not what you drive. It's just that many of us Prius drivers have adopted the same slow and steady approach. Get in another vehicle and go 38 mph in a 40 mph zone and you'll witness the same thing.

Tim