Can Prius Drivers get Road Rage?

My Prius routinely travels in the left lane. With posted speeds of 75mph, traffic flows 10-20mph faster than that in the left, and close to 80mph in the right lane. The difference between 80mph and 90mph in terms of fuel economy isn't much, it is still in the mid-low 40's. Considering my car can be driven fast and achieve the same efficiency as a crappy little car going slowly in town and double its highway mpg, I don't consider speed a factor.

 

These threads always coalesce into two (or more) very divergent camps, gonna stay away.

 

One priuschatter here occasionally posts mpg videos of his driving that often shows other Pri blowing past him.

 

As a prius owner, I get pissed all the damn time.

Need some of those @sfv41901 horns.

 

Loud horns are nice


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Joke...Pot calling the kettle black.

Sure any driver can get road rage.
Think about driving while driving.
Understand the use of throttle and brake pedals.
Move over and allow passing and merging.

So many examples....so much rage!

 

Pass me and immediately stop the entire line of traffic making a left turn.

I pass you and you are so affronted you were passed by a Prius station wagon that you pass me right back. Then slow down to the speed you were going before.

Full lights and sirens into the drive through lane.

Etc. Etc.

 

This is what gets me the most.....people cannot stand to be passed by a Prius



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Attempting to answer OP seriously (which is difficult!), I would on the contrary say that driving the Prius induces a weird, Zen-like state where I am hyper-vigilant for all vehicles front, back, left, and right of me , as well as the far up front traffic situation (traffic lights, density of traffic in each lane, etc.). The focus required to synthesize all that info and try to drive with maximum efficiency and safety requires the extreme concentration, and everything else, including emotions, is pushed aside.
Amount of concentration is about the same as flying small aircraft on short final onto a small runway with gusty crosswinds and thermal activity, or scuba diving in coral reef with moray eels, sharks, required decompression stops, etc. , but less physical danger driving the Prius, so amount of arousal is less.

 

we're all in a hurry at times. i wouldn't call it road rage. but it's easy to settle into the right lane, do the speed limit, put up with the congestion of the on and off ramps, and just tell yourself you'll get there when you get there.

 

I think I'm causing some road rage as my car is teaching me to accelerate slowly to get the best mileage. people go around me a lot but I'm trying to get 800 miles on my first tank of gas.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

right on.

 

Since you are another "right laner" , have you found that other drivers are much more impatient behind you when you are driving alone in the right lane, as opposed to when you are following at least one other slow-moving vehicle? Don't have data, but I THINK that is happening, and I surmise that the driver behind me excuses my slowness by thinking "Oh, he's just slowed down because of the slow poke in front of him" rather than thinking something along the lines of "Why doesn't that slow idiot drive faster?"
Has anyone noticed this pattern ?
It seems to be particularly effective at avoiding road rage if I am following a large truck of some kind.

 

absolutely. if the right lane is quiet, speeders tend to use it to pass the 'slowpokes' in the other 3 lines, who are doing about 90. when they come to me, their plan goes off the rails, and they do not appreciate it. they have to slam on their brakes, wait for a hole in the next lane, and to a quick out and in. then they're off until they hit the next exit/entrance.

 

And if there's no one in front of them, they sometimes come to their senses, slow down, a bit.

(Ah woops, promised to stay out of this.)

 

I think most people driving these days are friggin' nuts! Especially the younger people. Slow your dumb asses down! Have a little damn patience, and some consideration for other drivers who may not be a maniac like you! What the hell is the BIG freakin' hurry?! I hope all you crazies get in accidents, and total your cars! Your total disregard for the speed laws, is pathetic! And you're NOT impressing anybody... especially in a stinkin little-nice person Prius!

How's that for being blunt!?

We need thousands of more Cops that are assigned to traffic enforcement. It's out of control.

 

Don't "like it" too much, bisco...

I've been banned.

I probably sound like the typical negative "old guy." (I'm only 62.) But here in Southern California, it's very rare if you can take a nice pleasant drive anymore. Most of the time, the freeways are absolutely crazy. I was doing 70-75 yesterday, in the slow lane... and I was still getting run over! Why can't those nuts simply PASS someone?! But no, instead they have to be right in your a**, flashing lights or even honking! Where the hell do they expect me to go??!

There's an insane, arrogant, total disregard for speed limits. I was in a 40 zone, on a main city street that I drive often, and many cars are routinely doing 53 down that stretch! I've lived in this same area all my life, and it's definitely gotten much worse. And yes, it's mostly young people. They just don't give a rat's a**! I still don't understand what the big hurry is? Are they excited to get to work?!

 

it all started with a little old lady from pasadena...

 

Their freaking late for work cause their too busy parting the night before


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