True or False: Prius = Left Lane Hugger

One of the reasons Massachusetts is cracking down on "slower" drivers is for exactly this reason. The passing lane, in most states according to their road laws, is just that... a lane used to pass other vehicles. If you need to go faster than the speed limit (65 in many states), that's OK, becuase you're using the lane to pass. That's why it's there. But, if you're just parked there going 65 and claiming you're validated because you're doing the speed limit is a bankrupt argument here in Mass. This only serves to create blocks of moving traffic, unsafe conditions, and adds to the edge of drivers already road ragin'. It's one of the reasons I stay right on the highway.

 

unfortunately, our highways are so clogged, all the lanes go the same speed: slow.

 

Just remember that 'need to go faster than the speed limit' is an equally bankrupt argument, at least in some parts of the country.

(Don't anyone take this as a defense of left lane hogs.)

 

i always thought the left lane was for passing people going slower than the speed limit. was there ever a time when people tended to drive the limit or less?

 

Sure -- 2008, when fuel prices spiked very high. Lots of people slowed down, except for some Prius drivers flagrantly showing off that they could afford to do the speed limit or faster.

And 1973-4, during the OPEC Oil Embargo, when fuel was sometimes difficult find, or was rationed and illegal to purchase on alternate days in some states.

And don't forget the states with multiple speeds limits, for different types of vehicles. These days I often don't travel at the highest available speed limit, but hang back with another class of vehicles going at or a bit above the lower speed limit for their class.

 

some states post a minimum speed. will they actually allow 45mph?

 

Interesting. It raises a thought.

What if cars had a maximum speed based on absolute highway fuel consumption rating.

An electric car could go very fast, a Prius could go fast. a Corolla could go a decent speed and an SUV or Muscle car would get a ticket if they went any speed at all.

It would be interesting to see what happened to buying patterns and fuel usage.

 

The results of impact at higher speeds would be similar, regardless of the means of propulsion. Maybe speed limits are arbitrary, some "skilled" "professional" drivers can handle higher speeds. So what? Abide by the limits, save a little gas, maybe save your neck. Maybe save someone else's neck.

Sorry, ranting.

 

I haven't noticed left lane huggers being of any particular brand or type of car. I haven't noticed the person is of any particular age or gender either. It's completely random. I've also not noticed many admitted left lane huggers in this forum or in real life. Frankly, how many obnoxious egotistical person would admit to it? Even if it were anonymous.

Right lane huggers? That's different. A Prius is likely to be a right lane hugger of which I am a proud member.

It'd be nice to have a class of people or type of car that is clogging the left lane. Prius is easy to blame because we've had solo access to the left usually HOV lane since what? 10 years ago? By sheer number there are more Prius drivers in the left lane over the past decade.

 

There is not a single mile of HOV lanes in MS, so if there were any Prius here, they would not tend to be in the left lane. Last time I saw a state by state list one car in 1500 was a Prius in MS. That will make it hard to tell if they hug the left lane.

 

I think it would be interesting the see the voting patterns at the next major election. I'd predict a major turnover in elective offices.

 

Poorly worded and poorly thought out. The Prius is not a self-driving car, so it CAN'T drive on any side of the road. The drivers of Prius are mixed just like any other car. Some will hog the left lane, some will stay in the right lane, some will drive fast, some will drive slow, and some, believe it or not, will drive, following the "rules of the road".

 

I think that the "change government" light would be illuminated.....by torchlight and with pitchforks if necessary.

No....it wouldn't be because muscle cars and soccer moms were deprived of their sinful ways, but because all of the stores would be empty and the Amazon packages would be sitting in the warehouses waiting for shipment by all of the 0-mph rated trucks that would no longer be able to haul loads.

This is why we have a transportation infrastructure in the first place.

 

No question that it would be very unpopular (like taxes) and isn't going to happen in the forseeable future (unlike taxes) but that doesn't mean that something like it couldn't eventually produce a better outcome than current trends.

Running with it for the moment. Vehicles needed for different purposes would eg. trucks would obviously need to match different targets probably based on best in class and/or best reasonably achievable fuel consumption.

 

There's little lane discipline on the Interstates. I use the left lane to pass slower traffic and then get back to the lane to the right. I see all sorts of drivers and types of cars holding up left lane traffic. The worst are semi trucks. They will pass each other at glacial rates on two lane interstates, creating dangerous conditions for other faster moving traffic moving up from behind. Hilly terrain is even worse as the passing Semi may be heavier and eventually slower than the truck he's trying to pass, further snarling up traffic.

Prius is just a good target to use, since it's supposed to be such a slow car. I've heard this stuff before.

 

Truckers can be the worst.

I understand the physics. Time and power needed to get up to speed, so pass the guy who is going slower on an uphill grade, but unless they're going at least 5 mph faster than the truck they are passing, they are also loosing speed going uphill and do nothing overall to improve their lot in life.

Better to slow down, and on the downhill grade pass when gravity works in their favor.

 

On the contrary I see most of the Priuses on the right lane driving relatively slow.

 

Traffic enforcement is much different in the US than it is in Central Europe.
People here don't even believe in photo enforcement, and there are some people in this country that are not aware of the purpose of passing lanes.
Also, people in the US are allowed to drive as early as 15 years of age (with restrictions) and there is very VERY little required to get a license in this country compared to other parts of the world, and it shows.

That's why American drivers are the butt of so many jokes in your part of the world.

 

I think the Prius=Left Lane Hugger is probably a myth and more a function of confirmation bias than reality. I believe this to be especially true today as the car has become mostly mainstream, so there is probably a more representative set of drivers. I also have an assumption that the cars unique appearance along with a high number on the road makes it stand out more among other ubiquitous makes and models.

 

Some of the trucks have speed governors set in the vicinity of 64-66 mph,operated by drivers that simply floor it. This is most noticeable on gently rolling terrain. Get two of them with governors set less than 1 mph apart, ...