Interesting 55 miles per hour experiment by reporter.. - GreenHybrid

lars-ss · #1 (**permalink**) 05-23-2005, 09:29 AM

Quote:

The silver, sleek Honda Civic Hybrid roared up behind me on Interstate 280 near Sand Hill Road, inches from my rear bumper. Through my rear-view mirror, I saw the angry glare of the driver, showing her unhappiness with my creeping along the freeway. She veered sharply left, zipping away at maybe 75 miles per hour, leaving me in her exhaust. All because of a nutty idea of mine. If we're furious at paying $2.50 for a gallon of gas and serious about wanting to cut the cost of filling up, there's something we can do about it. Right now. Today. Slow down. To 55 miles per hour, the national speed limit from 1973 to 1995 when this country tried to ease its burning appetite for gas.

Interesting experiment that shows Hypermiling is not right for every road, unfortunately for us...

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...w/11715486.htm

Delta Flyer · #2 (**permalink**) 05-23-2005, 11:15 AM

Got several stories like that one.

On the tollway (TX Hwy 190), saw this speeding, big Merceedes. Had the urge to let him know "how slow" I was and took it up to 90 miles per hour. About 3-4 miles later, he finally passed me. Looked like a well-to-do executive or salesman about 50, screaming at me. My response: I laughed back at him!

Yes, my lifetime mpg would probably be 65 - not 56.6 if I ignored these - "men"....

xcel · #3 (**permalink**) 05-25-2005, 01:18 AM

Hi Lars-ss:

___Then Hypermile at higher speed? The guys that report this kind of crap are out of their gourd’s

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

Tink · #4 (**permalink**) 05-25-2005, 05:43 AM

On a 4 lane, I have been suprised to find that I am less obtrusive travelling at 65 in a 70 than at 70. At 70, I am close to the speed of others, including big trucks. At 65, people can smoothly pass me instead of me inching past someone else going slightly slower than I, or vice versa.

Alas, on the 2 lane I travel the, by far, majority on, I must go the limit to be fair to the others. Fortunately, when I make that drive very early in the morning, I can drive moderately for about 1/2 the way b4 I must "flow".

Delta Flyer · #5 (**permalink**) 05-25-2005, 06:39 AM

The solution to much of this agressive/rude driving is not only simple, but I'm at a loss as to why it's not been done in general. Local law enforcement should simply crack down. State and local goverments are strapped for cash these days, so why not? It generates more revenue, makes roads safer, apprehends more criminals....my memory could be wrong but it seems during the 1970's the police were stricter in issuing speeding tickets.

Another observation: does it seem more cars have bent fenders and bumpers? Got a hunch it's distracted driving.

rigger · #6 (**permalink**) 05-31-2005, 09:06 PM

In my area we have a narrow 4 lane road that has at least 1 death a week on a 20 mile stretch. The speed limit is 55 yet EVERYDAY 80% of the traffic zooms past at about 75 miles per hour. The police don't do much about it in the mornings and evening during rush hour traffic and they barely do anything the rest of time.

Oddly enough the same cars that speed past are the same cars I see at the stoplight a couple miles down the road. Maybe they stopped for gas? My hybrids have somewhat tamed my "Type A" driving personality.

tbaleno · #7 (**permalink**) 05-31-2005, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rigger

In my area we have a narrow 4 lane road that has at least 1 death a week on a 20 mile stretch. The speed limit is 55 yet EVERYDAY 80% of the traffic zooms past at about 75 miles per hour. The police don't do much about it in the mornings and evening during rush hour traffic and they barely do anything the rest of time.

Oddly enough the same cars that speed past are the same cars I see at the stoplight a couple miles down the road. Maybe they stopped for gas? My hybrids have somewhat tamed my "Type A" driving personality.

I think a lot of us have been tamed by our hybrids. I guess it only takes a few times where a car passes you and you end up at the same stop light before you see the futility in going fast.