Pick up trucks pushing

so, that would *almost* be true if the setting to allow the circle buttons (e.g. when you press menu) to pop up on the MFD didn't exist. It does, so it appears that the main display is intimately linked with the MFD (likely the same system). If you set it, and hit home the balloons pop up into the mfd, and scrolling them will scroll the balloons in the MFD.

now, it *could* be some intimately linked connection between two distinct systems. Can't be sure without schematics or code.

 

That may be true for the Prime. For the Gen 4 the MFD and MID are separate and there is no interaction. The right side steering wheel buttons just control the small MID.

 

So if the flow is 10 mph over the speed limit we should all break the law to avoid getting tailgated / rear-ended? Um, no.

It's illegal to speed, and illegal to tailgate, period. In MN the mindset of drivers is they have no idea how fast or what speed they really even want to be driving, as long as it's faster than this next guy in front of them.

When people tailgate me I remove my foot from the gas. If they back off and stay back we are cool. If they keep it up or get even closer I drive 5-10 mph under the posted speed limit. If you're going to be an a-hole and try to bully me down the road you can do it going slower.

 

Yes I'm sure there can be some basic signals sent to or from the MFD if the car maker chooses. For example on one of the dash clock threads someone said that on another vehicle of theirs the dash clock is set by the GPS. But the fact that these seem to be exceptions rather than the rule is what makes me think that they are separate systems.

Either way, I think speed and odometer is going to be more a lot more complex because GPS is not always reliable or available. For example if you are going through a tunnel. So you would still need the traditional methods as a backup. Actually what I think they would do, since the traditional methods have been used for decades and are reliable, even if they are off a little bit it will be a consistent amount, so probably what they would do is continue to use the traditional systems, but internally the computer would adjust them based on GPS averages. For example if in the last 1000 miles the GPS showed 1.3 mph slower, then if the traditional system is reporting 55 mph the instrument panel would display 53.7. It could do the same with the odometer, although in that case not just for the display, the odometer itself would be adjusted by the GPS so that it increments accurately.

But that would be complicated and is what I meant by a lot of trouble, and I don't foresee that until that became some sort of industry standard or government mandate. Not to mention that it probably won't happen until all cars have GPS.

 

I do the same here in TX.

I like going the speed limit. I don't like getting tickets. I like driving in the right lane.

Is it my fault you don't wake up half an hour earlier so you need to go 15 mph over the limit to get to work on time?

If you want to tailgate me, I'm happy to use my DRCC and keep nudging it down until you back off, chump.

If I absolutely have to use a tollway, I'll find a nice semi to stay behind, because nobody bullies them.

But if we're all on a 2-lane highway, we're going the speed limit until you can pass. I believe all the stories of little Texas towns and their revenue enhancement departments, and I don't care to become a victim.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

It is illegal here in Indiana to impede the flow of traffic. If it's running 5-10mph over the limit, then you must drive with the flow of traffic. Fail to do so, and you can receive a ticket for creating a traffic hazard.

Yes the speed limit may be 75 on our Interstates, but if the traffic is running 85, you do 85. The police will be cruising right along with you. Even on our morning news watching the traffic reports, the traffic girl will tell you the "I-States are moving along nicely today at an average of 10 or 15mph over the limit" so it's pretty regular here.

Remember, we're also the same state where you can/will get a ticket for cruising in the left lane. And we're also home to the place where you can get a ticket if you have more than 3 cars bunched up behind you without them having the ability to get around you.

Where you get tickets in Indiana for speeding is on State highways, or City Streets. Interstates, well if your approaching light speed, then yes - you'll get a ticket.

{edited because I felt after reading my post that it came out rather rude... thought I'd correct that

 

Gotta keep those DeLoreans in check.

 

In my country I've noticed improvements since I got tinted the rear windows, tailgaters now are less aggressive because the can't see through the windows...
Anyway, during business trips I also occasionally drive rentals in US (mainly in FL) and having most of the time a passenger sitting on the right seat I used to take the I-95 HOV lane.
But I soon discovered that the HOV lane is a dangerous place... law enforcement Patrols are patiently waiting on the emergency lane and if you go too slow (i.e. 5 mph only over the limit) you risk more than a speed ticket because aggressive drivers try to "educate" you cutting abruptly your way... I also noticed that driving Southbound the drivers habits get generally worse (but this may be just a false impression due to the traffing getting more and more heavier approaching Miami).

 

Illinois State Police would give anyone a ticket, if they were there to catch you. They're spread way too thin, because District 3 gets to watch all of Chicago's expressways, so they congregate there.

People seem to drive much more reasonably there than here.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Could you back up this statement with an actual article from Indiana vehicle code? Are there provisions on the code that explicitly allow a driver to drive at a higher speed than the posted limit?

I read the following on the Indiana's Driver Manual (page 67 of Chapter 5): "Indiana law requires drivers to operate vehicles at the posted speed limit."

 

I usually go 5-10 miles over the speed limit, depending on traffic flow. The problem with driving in the right lane at the speed limit is so often coming up on trucks going 45 while the middle lane is going 70, which makes merging difficult (although with the Prime's acceleration I can do it).

But I never tailgate, and almost never pass on the right. No matter what I'm driving.

 

Usually I'm driving a "hummer."

I used to band hummingbirds, and "mag" was short for "Magnificent hummingbird"-- a species found in Arizona. So my blue "mag" is my hummingbird. "Hummer" for short. Small, pretty, and maneuverable.

 

oops duplicate post

 

Colorado has had a left-lane law since 2004, the rationale being to cut down on road rage

Colorado's Left Lane Law

 

Looks like only the far left lane is prohibited if you are driving the speed limit but impeding traffic. However if you are driving under the speed limit you have to move all the way to the right if you are impeding traffic. This seems to be a relatively new law introduced in 2015.

IC 9-21-5-9 Vehicles traveling at reduced speeds; use of right lane; prohibited operation in left most lane; violation

Sec. 9. (a) A vehicle that travels at a speed less than the established maximum shall travel in the right lanes to provide for better flow of traffic on the interstate highways.

(b) This subsection applies to the operation of a vehicle:
(1) on a roadway that has two (2) or more lanes of traffic in each direction; and
(2) in the left most lane, other than a lane designated for high occupancy vehicles.

Except as provided in subsection (c), a person who knows, or should reasonably know, that another vehicle is overtaking from the rear the vehicle that the person is operating may not continue to operate the vehicle in the left most lane.

(c) Subsection (b) does not apply:
(1) when traffic conditions or congestion make it necessary to operate a vehicle in the left most lane;
(2) when inclement weather, obstructions, or hazards make it necessary to operate a vehicle in the left most lane

 

I'd like to see this as well. A lot of these "laws" are what people believe because they fit their personal agendas. I find it hard to believe that when a posted sign says LIMIT, it actually means something else by law.

 

Going to call BS on that, and here is a copy-paste of the actual Indiana Speed Laws.
Note the Minimum Speed Section, there are no one lane 70mph roads, so if you drive at 42mph in a 50mph, you won't get a ticket, but..if you drive at 42mph in a 50mph your hearing loss will be an advancing situation due to honking horns

Following is an overview of the laws, limits, and fines as they relate to speeding traffic violations in the state of Indiana.

Speed limits in Indiana
70 mph: interstate highways (for cars)

65 mph: interstate highways (for trucks with a gross vehicular weight of 13 tons or more)

65 mph: interstate highways (cars in suburban areas)

60 mph: interstate highways (trucks in suburban areas)

55 mph: interstate highways in urban areas

30 mph: maximum speed limit in residential areas (may be as low as 20)

30 mph: urban districts

20-25 mph: school zones during posted hours

15 mph: alleys

Divided highway and other freeway speed limits may vary depending upon the type of area they pass through, and are as posted.

Indiana code on reasonable and prudent speed
Maximum speed law:

According to section 9-21-5 of Indiana vehicle code, “A person shall not drive a vehicle upon any highway at a speed that is greater than is reasonable and proper with regard to traffic conditions and the use of the highway, or endangers the safety of any person or property.”

Minimum speed law:

According to section 9-21-5-7 of Indiana vehicle code, “No person shall drive a motor vehicle at such slow speed as to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic.”

In addition, section 9-21-5-9 states, “A person driving at less than the normal speed of traffic shall drive in the right-hand lane available for traffic or as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway.”

Due to variations in speedometer calibration, tire size, and margins of error in speed-detecting technology, it’s uncommon for an officer to pull a driver over for going less than five miles above the speed limit. However, technically any amount over can be considered a speed violation so best practices are to stay within the limit.

While it may be difficult to fight a speeding ticket in Indiana due to the absolute speed limit law, a driver may choose to go to court and claim their innocence based upon one of the following:

• The driver may oppose the determination of speed. In order to claim this defense a driver must know how his or her speed was determined and then learn how to disprove its accuracy.
  
  
• A driver may claim that an emergency situation caused the driver to break the speed limit in order to prevent injury or damage to themselves or others.
  
  
• The driver may claim a case of mistaken identity. If a police officer clocks a driver speeding and subsequently has to find them again in traffic, it’s possible that they could have made a mistake and pulled the wrong car over.
  

Penalty for exceeding the speed limit in Indiana
First-time violators may:

• Be fined up to $500
  
  
• Have their license suspended for up to between one and five years
  

Penalty for reckless driving in Indiana
In this state, traveling 30 mph or more over the speed limit is automatically considered reckless driving.

First-time violators may:

• Be fined up to $1,000
  
  
• Be sentenced to up to 180 days of jail time
  
  
• Have their license suspended for up to one year
  

Violators may be required to attend traffic school, and/or may be able to have their speeding fine reduced by attending these classes.

 

What's this "traffic flow" I keep hearing about; sounds like a euphemism for "mob rule".

 

As mentioned in the section of the Indiana vehicle code that I quoted, the Indiana law prohibits driving in the left lane if it impedes traffic, and also if driving below the posted speed you can't impede traffic in the middle lanes. Even though technically you are obeying the law if you are driving below the posted speed limit but above the minimum speed (if the state has one) you aren't allowed to drive in any lane you choose. But I agree there does not seem to be anything in the law that says you are forced to drive as fast as everyone else.

The fact is that a vast majority of people speed, which doesn't make it right but law enforcement has to deal with the reality of traffic flows that are above the speed limit. It is also a fact that impeding traffic creates a safety hazard, which creates a conflict between two different laws that the police have to enforce. The "left lane" laws in some states, which by the way are also common in Europe, seem to be a reasonable way of dealing with the problem, I think the Colorado State Patrol summed it up quite well in the information sheet which stuyguy linked to:

"Before the Left Lane Law, as long as a vehicle was traveling the posted speed limit while in the left-hand travel lane, there was little law enforcement officers could do to prevent the ensuing gridlock. What sense did it make to cite a driver for impeding traffic, when at the same time the driver was obeying the posted speed limit? Typically, impeding statutes were only enforceable when a vehicle was traveling below the posted or prima facie speed limit. The Left Lane Law simplifies these issues and allows officers to take appropriate enforcement action to enhance the flow of traffic."

 

Not limited to "Prime".
Before I purchased my Prius, I read a lot of posts where Prius Owners complained about being passed aggressively, and generally being met with a on the road negative "Prius Prejudice".
And to be honest? I didn't believe it. I assumed or thought it was just in most cases imagined slights or aggression. I really didn't think it was a real issue.
But then...
Once I owned a Prius,- well at first I STILL wanted to believe it wasn't happening. I tried desperately to tell myself every time a vehicle passed me angrily and at ridiculous speeds, that it was a totally isolated event. Had nothing to do with my driving a Prius.
But it kept happening so much, that I had to come to the realization that the phenomena is real.

The crowning moment when I realized some people just hate Prius period, was when I was waiting in a turn signal lane, stopped, and a truck pulled up beside me, and the passenger opened his door and actually spit on my Prius. I was shocked that anyone would do that.

Now owning a Honda Fit, I can further attest to this phenomena, through the absence. The Fit is a subcompact, and certainly not any more powerful than a Prius.
I drive it from a speed standpoint, exactly as I did my Prius.
But I do NOT get the same angry people passing me. The only real difference I can cite, is that it's not a Prius. I drive the same stretches at the same speeds that I did my Prius, but rarely do I get the disgruntled or angry pass.

So the Prius Push Phenomena is IMO real. As regretful as it is to have to say it.
I didn't want to believe people could be so stupid. But unfortunately, I guess there is way too big a population of people, that do make value judgement, and drivers environment and safety decisions, based on the moniker on the vehicle they see in front of them.

PS.
I never "putted" around with my Prius or now my Honda Fit. the situations where I was angrily passed were always situations where I was maintaining the speed limit and traveling with the flow of traffic around me.
And as I said, from a speed standpoint, I have driven The Fit, nearly exactly as I did my Prius.