Relax, dude. I'm not a maniac. Just saying that once in awhile I get sick of IDIOTS who drive like little old ladies and I will maneuver my way to the front of the pack no matter what it takes, and always spot the LAME culprit. I'm an aggressive driver, but I'm not a dangerous one. I don't tailgate and have road rage over stupid things. But slow-ass drivers on the 70mph freeway really drive me nuts. I'm not doing 100mph or 90 or even 80. I'm doing 65-75, like most people do. That's why there are minimum speed limits on some highways. It's more dangerous to put along than to go with the flow.
HYPER RANGE?
- Thread starter bryantracy
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ezryder said:
I think you're just basing your judgement on anecdotal evidence. Traffic theory is more based on the volume of cars on a roadway; with increasing volume, accidents, road construction and someone suddenly changing lanes or slamming on their brakes creates the "ripple effect" you speak of. Slower speed limits are designed to minimize accidents, we're only human and our reaction times aren't always the greatest; driving a high rate of speed increases the chance you won't recover trying to avoid a hazardous road condition. Do you ever wonder why speed limits suddenly reduce the closer you get to downtown LA? Perhaps you should read the wikipedia article on traffic congestion: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_congestion
I would argue that driving a slower (within 15MPH of the speed limit) consistent speed is safe, and it is only dangerous in the presence of inconsiderate drivers that constantly have the desire to weave around traffic just to end up in the same traffic jam a few minutes down the road.
I believe all of this is accurate. I'm just saying that we don't need to make things even worse by adding to the problem by driving under the speed limit. I'm not talking about driving like a maniac - though I'm guilty of that once in a great while. Very rarely. When I have, I've found the culprit just toodling along without a care in the world, like Mr. Magoo at the wheel.
I have to agree with ezryder.
I detest people who drive slower than the speed limit when it is perfectly safe to go the speed limit. If there is a lot of traffic or road conditions are too dangerous to drive fast or the speed limit, fine go slower. But more often the case is slow driver block traffic and it makes the road more dangerous because everyone is tailgateing and their reaction time is serverely decreased. If you are going slow move over and let people pass. If it is a one lane road, pull over and let people pass. Again this is realy only for people who purposely drove slower than the speed limit when it is perfectly safe to go the speed limit or higher.
For me when i am trying to hypermile and make it to the next charging point, i just take the slow lane and try to keep 65mph on a 65mph highway. Even better, i try to tail a truck who is going 55. legally in CA trucks with 3 axles are required to 55mph. Though we all know thwy never do. : )
I am lucky enough i dont live too far from work so i always go 5 over the speed limit regardless of freeway or interior streets. So far, i have not needed to change my driving habit with this car. In fact i can pass slowet cars much easier with this car than with my gas car!
I detest people who drive slower than the speed limit when it is perfectly safe to go the speed limit. If there is a lot of traffic or road conditions are too dangerous to drive fast or the speed limit, fine go slower. But more often the case is slow driver block traffic and it makes the road more dangerous because everyone is tailgateing and their reaction time is serverely decreased. If you are going slow move over and let people pass. If it is a one lane road, pull over and let people pass. Again this is realy only for people who purposely drove slower than the speed limit when it is perfectly safe to go the speed limit or higher.
For me when i am trying to hypermile and make it to the next charging point, i just take the slow lane and try to keep 65mph on a 65mph highway. Even better, i try to tail a truck who is going 55. legally in CA trucks with 3 axles are required to 55mph. Though we all know thwy never do. : )
I am lucky enough i dont live too far from work so i always go 5 over the speed limit regardless of freeway or interior streets. So far, i have not needed to change my driving habit with this car. In fact i can pass slowet cars much easier with this car than with my gas car!
ezryder said:
At best this is a self fulfilling oversimplification of traffic congestion. If I had decided that it was "women" drivers that caused traffic congestion, I could aggressively push my way through traffic and undoubtedly find a woman diving near the front of what I would then determine to be the cause of the congestion. I would remain completely oblivious and dismissive of any impact my driving had traffic flow and just assume that traffic would flow better if everyone drove like I did. It is human nature for us to believe that we are better than average drivers and that people who drive faster than us are maniacs whilst anyone driving slower than us is an moron.
While frequent and aggressive lane changes may not impede your travel, this study may provide some insight as to why everyone behind you thinks you are driving like an idiot:
http://thesai.org/Downloads/Volume3...ata_model_applied_to_the_two-lane_traffic.pdf
I think your new Spark EV will have a calming affect on your driving. No so much because of the nature of an electric car, rather because it is equipped with sufficient instrumentation to show you how your driving impacts your efficiency. I find it sad that few ICE vehicles come with similar instrumentation. Try commuting by bicycle for a bit. One can literally feel the energy needed to accelerate and how much extra energy it takes to maintain a little bit of extra speed.
Chocula said:
All good points, but I disagree that it applies in my case.
. I think if you are driving the speed the road was literally designed to be driven on at, then you are not part of the problem. And I don't weave in and out all the time; just when traffic is not moving well and there are huge spaces between cars.
nikwax
Well-known member
I'm impressed that there is a part of the U.S. where rush hour traffic moves that fast. Here in Portland, we rarely see as fast as 55 at any time of day, and between 2 and 7 PM you are lucky to do more than 25 mph. My 17 mile commute is 20 minutes off peak and as much as 90 minutes during peak hours.
