[florida_gators]

I traded in a sports car and have been driving my Insight since October. I've always made it a point to travel around the speed limit, but still staying w/ the flow of traffic. While most people are considerate drivers and my Insight gets (by far) more positive and curious comments than negative ones, there seem to be a very few select few drivers who seem to get frusterated or insulted by the car on the road. For example, when I merge into the passing lane, I have had people speed up so I could not pass them on the interstate. Some people seem to be a lot more impatient with me, such as accelerating after a full stop at a light, than in my previous car. (I utilize 2nd gear primarly to accelerate to 30 mph, so it's not like I'm slow.) One person even passed me after tailgating me for a while (and I was travelling the speed limit), and cut me off after passing and broke hard for no reason. Again, these are rare isolated incidents, but I never noticed this happening in my previous sports car (and I think my driving habits are exactly the same). Is there a certain stigma some people have about hybrids, perhaps due to a lack of education about the vehicle, or am I just more attentive to this since I have a unique car (for Indiana)? I'm not trying to bash other drivers or get sympathy, I'm just curious if others have noticed the same on rare occasions.

 

[boogetyboogety]

Not saying you're crazy...

In three years of driving our Insight all over Texas and as far West as the Four Corners region, my experience has been 180 degrees removed from yours. Nothing but thumbs up, waves, questions when stopped, etc. etc. etc.

Did you buy it used? Maybe the previous driver was a traffic terror, people remember the car, and you're suffering from his/her stigma... ???

And... Be sure and remove the left-over political bumper sticker if you have one from either party! :shock: :lol:

All kidding aside... don't think you're crazy, just you've had a run of bad drivers. As the Exxon tiger used to say... Happy motoring!

 

[AZCivic]

The only time I actually had to drive in Indiana, the thing that took me back the most was the fact I saw hardly any import cars at all. Compared to Phoenix, where ever vehicle is either an SUV or an import sedan, it was odd. Perhaps there's a lot more animosity towards hybrids, which may be seen as a threat to the traditionally US-brand automakers in that part of the country?

 

[Delta Flyer]

I do think a few people think the Insight is "a push-over" and do discourtsies they would not do to a larger vehicle, particularly huge pick-up trucks. A few people probably assume such things as Insight drivers must be card-carying members of the Green Party. The closest tailgater was an H2 that must have had a problem with me casually passing him on the freeway. It's a few people, but they do stick out.

People drive worse over the past five years - it would not matter what your driving.

I would bet if anyone alternated between driving an Insight and a Dodge pick-up, there would be a significant difference in treatment by some.

 

[JeffKinTN]

I put up w/ that stuff every day on the road in my company Windstar. I think drivers in general get hacked just because your in front of them regardless of what your driving and your speed.

 

[ethicalpaul]

I think the main part is that you drive the speed limit. I have been honked at, flipped off, and illegally passed while driving the speed limit in my Michigan city (in my New Beetle).

And I'm not talking about Detroit, but the relatively small, quiet Kalamazoo.

It happens mostly on a stretch of residential street that is 30mph where people usually go at least 35.

 

[Delta Flyer]

Just curious: How much over the speed limit is the freeway traffic?

It's 10-15 mph over the speed limit in Dallas.

 

[The Citrus Smoothie]

Insight Animosity? (Or I am just crazy??)

A little bit of both! I have had a few occasions when other drivers have behaved deliberately aggressively around my car. I put it down to part ignorance, part jealously.

On the other hand, you should also be aware that we as Insight drivers are probably a little more protective of our babies and paranoid about what these ignorant drivers are going to do next. We end up being a little bit over-sensitive. For example, if you were overtaken and then cut up while driving in a 'normal' car, you would just mutter under your breath 'a***hole' and think nothing more of it!?

 

[ElectricTroy]

For example, when I merge into the passing lane, I have had people speed up so I could not pass them on the interstate.

People do that to me even in my *normal* non-hybrid car.

It's Testosterone Poisoning. They want to be the alpha male, and don't want you in front of them.

It has nothing to do with you insight.

 

[JeffKinTN]

Just curious: How much over the speed limit is the freeway traffic?

It's 10-15 mph over the speed limit in Dallas.

Urban and suburban interstates in and around Knoxville and Chattanooga are easily 15 - 20 over the speed limit (55). And even though the construction zones are supposed to slow down to 45, most still cruise through at 60 - 70+. Rural interstates (70) are 10 over or so. I think the local enforcement is so overwhelmed that they cannot do much about it. They are rarely seen any more. And if they are seen, they are in the far left lane right with them at 75 - 80 MPH.....

JK

 

[florida_gators]

Thanks for the replies. Even though the midwest is the "GM capital of the world", the slight change in the driving habits of a select few (in my situation) is probably due to the fact I'm driving a smaller car (I went from a Firebird to an Insight) and I had my Firebird for almost 10 years, so the Insight is my first new car in a very long time (and I might be a little overprotective so I notice what I might have ignored in the past) as many of you can probably understand. And Boogetty...I took you advice and removed the left-over "I love OPEC" bumper sticker from the back of my Insight :shock: , and things have improved drastically! lol FYI...the average speed on IN interstates is 20 mph over, since we "flatlanders" do not have any hills to worry about (at least in central IN).

 

[Delta Flyer]

Law enforcement seems to be more interested in making money than traffic safety - got my 1st ticket in over five years for crossing a double right line ($150?!). The next day when I switched lanes legally ASAP a minivan blaired their horns going 60 in a residential area. :roll: They might as well close the exit I was trying to make as you will either be ticketed or crashed into...

Someone at work would not let a hothead blast by him on the access road of a freeway. Did the police ticket the instigator? No! :evil:

It seems that police should concentrate on the numerious freeway stunts - that would take care of the resiential and school zone safety problems, but maybe they want to protect a cash cow. :roll:

 

[sputnik]

You're not crazy. There are some plain bad drivers out there, and I've encountered them driving our Ford Focus wagon as well as my beautiful Insight. They're everywhere! :shock:

I think the Insight is a provocative car so maybe people react a little more strongly to it. Some reactions are dangerous and horrible (like the guy who cut you off, then instantly braked), some are encouraging ( the congenial smile in the parking garage from a Prius driver) and some are so silly that you end up laughing... stopped at a light waiting to turn into Lowes when I hear "ping". Then another "ping". On the third "ping" I caught Mr. Bubba in the pickup truck behind me...he had a bag of boiled peanuts and was throwing them at my Insight. How could a gal get mad?!

 

[Delta Flyer]

The thing that amazes me the most on the road is numerous drivers that think pressing one wrist on the steering wheel is controling the vehicle. The posture while they do it tends to look absurdly pompous. Don't they know they are in public? They would not dare act like this face-to-face - they would be a laughing stock.

The wrist rest that I nearly responded to was a mini-van stoped at an intersection with their right wrist so high it looked like a Nazi salute. I was sooo close to returning it. :twisted:

 

[dfiore]

Florida's no differenr but they get theirs....

I live in Tampabay where people do what they want when they want. Very aggressive driving. people will always stack up the other lane because they assume my Insight will be a dog...then the light turns green and I leave them all sitting there! :twisted: I don't do that all of the time and I don't peel out, but it is funny to watch them in the rear view mirror. When people ask me question, I frequently get "but I need some power under my foot". I love my 5 speed!

 

[bfivelover]

I do think a few people think the Insight is "a push-over" and do discourtsies they would not do to a larger vehicle, particularly huge pick-up trucks. The closest tailgater was an H2 that must have had a problem with me casually passing him on the freeway.
People drive worse over the past five years - it would not matter what your driving.

I would bet if anyone alternated between driving an Insight and a Dodge pick-up, there would be a significant difference in treatment by some.

Driving in Virginia and West Virginia, I don't think it matters what you drive, people drive like maniacs :!: When I drive my Insight, people tailgate whether I'm doing the speed limit or over the limit. When I ride with a friend in his Ford Ranger, they do the same thing. Someone else at work drove a truck(can't remember what), and I asked her about tailgaters and she said she gets it too. When I slow down so they can pass when we get to a passing zone, they refuse to pass, no matter how slow I go. I've had a couple people speed up so I couldn't pass them, once with my Civic, so maybe it's a foreign car thing. I think the closest tailgater to me was also a H2 that I had passed. Don't think he liked it at all. I think people are just stupid, in a hurry, don't realize how dangerous it is to tailgate, or just don't care because they think if they get an inch from your bumber, they will scare you into driving faster. I don't understand why they don't pass if they are in that big of a hurry, even in a no passing zone. They are aready speeding when they come up on me, break another law and pass. I need to get a couple of bumper stickers: "Get a little closer-I can drive even slower", "One car length for every ten MPH", or, "I've hit three deer-I'm not driving any faster-pass me".

 

[Delta Flyer]

Got to agree - a lot of drivers are in too big a hurry, or don't care. Maybe stupid too, but it's probably they don't care.

Maybe the answer to the questions is drivers are awful to everybody, but even worse to Insight drivers.

These are two solutions that might reduce reckless/agressive driving if it could overcome privacy concerns:

1. Every vehicle be required to have a "black box" (many already do). It would be upgraded to not only record the speed, condition of brakes, etc., but assimilate the data to analyze the type of driving. Insurance companies would receive the data at regular intervals and determine if the driving was safe or agressive. Drivers demonstrating very agressive driving on the black box get a huge hike in their insurance.

2. Require all cell phones to relay data when they are in use to the black box. That way, it would be easy to know when someone was using the phone in an accident. Treat cell phone users that cause accidents as drunk drivers.

Among other things, the black box would record abrupt lane changes and tailgating. No machine can accurately record all bad driving habits, but over a long period of time, agressive/reckless driving patterns could clearly be documented.

 

[Guest]

Hi Delta_Flyer:

___I wonder if that would mean the Insurance companies would refund the premiums paid for those of us that drive Insight’s as cautiously as we do

___In any case and for us hypermilers in particular, do stay in the far right lane and hug the white line as it gives a warning to those driving well over the limits behind that hey, why is there a half a lane open next to that hybrid up ahead? Maybe I had better slow down or give some space? Although some actually use that half a lane to pass at 10 - 15 over as well

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___[email:3247dj8c][email protected][/email:3247dj8c]

 

[dfiore]

cellphones

bad idea. I HAVE to use my cellphone in the car. I do onsite computer repair and if I pulled over everytime I have to use the phone, I'd get nothing done. At least I use an earpiece so I can use both hands and turn my head around. Wish the Insight came with built in speakerphone.

 

[Delta Flyer]

Need to clarify the black box idea:

- Yes, some people do need to use phones on the road, but some people do it responsibly, and some don't. Allowances could be made for those that legitimately need to take phone calls on the road.

- Unfortuately, there are a significant amout of idiots that will do stuff like use the median when you are in the right-most lane. :roll: Leaving early in the morning avoids some of them.

- That's a good idea - discounting good driving records on the black box.

- The idea of recording driving behavior on the black box is to get a general pattern over a long period of time. It's like a lot of other things in life - if you are responsible most of the time with your money, health, or career, generally things will be OK.

- Some of the black box ideas would not be technlogically or economically feasible for a few years, but some of them could be impemented now.



The concept of the black box is to make drivers accountable for their daily behavior - then they will improve.