Hi PriusChat, I was just wondering if anyone has been ticketed for speeding in their Gen III Prius? If so, how fast were you going? I love my Prius, but I just realized... I've never seen a Prius pulled over by a CHP or the Police.
I'm driving a lot closer to the speed limits in my Prius 2010, that will probably change once the 'new' is worn off. My MPG is falling from 58 to 54 because of the cold weather.
At some point I will throw caution to the wind and start driving this V like a real car, but for the moment, I am still suffering from light-foot syndrome as I monitor the mileage way too carefully. I typically drive 0-5 MPH over the speed limit in other cars, so that's not enough to land me a ticket under normal circumstances, at least.
Once I've seen a gen 2 pulled over probably doing 85++ on Hwy 280@92 with radar. I've only notice 2 or 3 times seeing gen 2 going faster than the rest of the traffic. I haven't seen any Gen 3 driving on left lane so far during my commute on 280. Radar helps but and after a while you know where CHP hides and they are pretty much going with laser in my area.
I don't think I'll be speeding too much for a few reasons. 1) as others have mentioned, I drive this car slower since I'm fascinated by seeing how I'm doing on mpg. Also had to get used to a completely different feel having upgraded from a '93 Toyota pickup. 2) I just completed traffic school for a speeding ticket I got in that pickup so I have another 18 months. 3) my Prius is red so it will stand out and I don't want to get pulled over any time soon (see #2).
I am now driving like an old lady and I can't exactly explain why since I had two tickets in my previous lease car the Murano. I think maybe I feel the car is more fragile or perhaps the throttle posision discourages deep driving or maybe it is just that a fast moving Prius brings out the idiots on the highway who want to challenge it...I don't know maybe with time I will revert to my scofflaw driving ways but now I spend way to much attention looking at the fuel consumption meter and playing with the display to notice people passing me.
I cannot bring myself to press it...It kinda defeats the purpose...in a way...I suppose. The Prius has put me in a weird place right now...dont get me wrong I love the car but it is kind of the anti-midlife crisis car. My sports car driving friends don't understand and I now find we are looking down our noses at each other for opposite reasons. Hmmmm much to ponder.
Is a Prius even capable of getting a speeding ticket these days? I mean from a live officer on the highway, not a school zone robo-cam. From the behavior out there, it almost seems that anyone traveling under 90, and with more than one wheel on the ground, is exempt.
I can usually sense what speed I am at from the "sound" of the car. I had a speed sentry fitted to my Kluger but after a while didn't need to use it with only one ticket from a speed camera in a school zone at about 1 minute before the end of the posted times. Finding it very hard with the Prius as travelling at 60 kph might have the ice on or of. The HUD helps a little but I have resorted to using the radar controlled cruise control more and more. As I gained confidence in the collisions avoidance reacting and giving me time to put the brake on myself. I find it usually is the most relaxed driving mode. I have started to doubt I can get a ticket as the number of cars doing turns in front of me make me think I have the secret "invisible" option fitted so the speed camera should not be able to see me either. David
I heard of somebody who accidently got going 88 mph downhill. With so little noise feedback in my Prius, even I find it hard to tell 60 (or so) from 70 (or so).
knock on wood... but i find it funny (and maybe a little easing on the mind) that no one will admit to having been pulled over for a speeding ticket in their Prius. c'mon, someone must've been caught speeding, right? i do find myself picking up a lot of speed on the downhill parts of my freeway commute, and i can tell you i do NOT drive my Prius in the slow lane (45-46mpg on this tank) so let's all get out and drive, splurge a little and use the Power Mode button and be careful out there!
Well, I've only had one speeding ticket in my ~24 years of driving...so no, I haven't gotten one yet. Do I drive above the speed limit? Of course I do, just not excessively. I also slow down when I see a cop, but I still stay around the speed limit (not below like some morons).
Got a ticket in my Gen II, ticketed me at 78 but I had been going faster. I was simply not paying attention. We just got back from Tucson and several times my SIL was going 96, with no cars, flat surface and the iPod going there is just nothing with which to gauge your speed so it gets away from you. I do utilize "B" engine braking when I see a cop on the freeway vs braking with the brake (lights) sort of like downshifting to avoid getting caught.
Is there a speed range recommended for using that? I don't think the manual mentioned any, nope it didn't. I would have thought that would be too fast to put it into B since I also think of it as downshifting. How does it feel/sound when you do that?
3 times already, the first time it was on my 08 prius i didnt get a ticket, they just made me tell them some jokes, so they could let me go without a ticket. Second time chp passed by me and flashed his light for me to slow down, he got someone else ahead on the road, and just yesterday i was pulled over for not having the plates, i told her it was a new car, she came up to me and told me, you are wanted for murder after cheking my driver licence, I heard telling the other cop whatch this.... then she let me go. I have 2 points in my record from my previous car now whith the prius seems like i've been lucky.