Anyone else experience aggressive drivers lately

I think you have simply had a string of bad luck when it comes to jerk
drivers. I highly doubt those driving large trucks and what not even know
what a Prius is. They are simply being themselves.

In a week or two it will die down and seem like normal again.
I know how you feel as it has happened to me in other cars but not yet
the prius.

 

There have been a few folks on here who have experienced Prius-directed aggression, but I think for the most part, most other drivers on the road could care less what we're driving. Chances are, they're as aggressive to us as they are to anyone else. We Prii folk have a strong sense of paranoia for some reason.

A lot of new Prius drivers experience a hightened sense of conscious driving. When I first got my Prius I started to notice, not only how inefficient a driver I used to be, but also how inefficient or just downright bad other driveres are.

One thing I do have to agree on is that I do notice Ford F-Series drivers are more aggressive than any other type of truck I see on the road.

 

keep in mind.. most F250 and F350 and F450 guys run huge diesel engines... 40mph.. 60mph.. 80mph.. doesn't matter.. they are bricks that only get 13mpg anyways.. you're just in their way and if they were to even touch your prius on accident.. they wouldn't really feel you.

yes.. they do get testy when you pass them.. with all that hp and torque a lot of the new trucks are faster than the prius... especially when they add on chip mods.. which drag these trucks down to the 7 second 0-60's...

then there are the few, like my brother, who drive and F350 with an economy chip set in... (programmable between 3 stages of tow, 3 stages of performance, and economy)... where economy really don't help on a truck that size... especially when towing a 5,000lb dump trailer with cargo.

 

I don't know if it's directed at the Prius or not, but I have noticed a lot more people tail gaiting when I commute in it it rather than my old 1998 Durango with 225k miles on it. I figured people people are probably more comfortable driving a little close to the Prius because they can see over and round it easier. The other possiblity is that they could tell by looking at the old Durango that I wouldn't be too concerned by it's loss and therefore would be mroe likely to retaliate against over agressive drivers.

 

Aggressive? A few. Reckless? A lot.
Perhaps folks need to be reminded of this concept. "They might survive the wreck, but they might never recover from the lawsuit." My 2 cents.

SAPrius

 

Could be small car syndrome? Although I don't really consider the Prius small as compared to my Honda Civic. I notice that the smaller the car I drive the more jerks are attracted to my car's rear end! (I think I have an nice person hat magnet on my car that draws them in close! I can't find it, but I want it off my car!)
When I drive my VW Van, I'm not often tailgated. Same seems true with all the larger cars I drive, Freestyle, Intrigue, F-550 Tow Truck, etc.
The "Pick Up" crowd does seems to be high up there on the obnoxious drivers list. The soccer mom vans and the grocery getter SUV's rank high on the list as well.
Jealousy, intimidation, plain stupidity, clueless nice person hats watching DVD's or yakking on cell phones, whatever the reason it's bothersome.

 

Maybe they were just worried about parts falling off of it?

 

Sounds like a typical day on the LA freeways. I saw it before Prius was even invented, and nothing has changed. Remember this, you can always pass them at the gas station.

 

I also notice more tailgating driving the Prius as opposed to my 94 pick up with dented hood, bumpers, and fenders and peeling paint. Also never had a problem with tailgating back in the days when I was driving a 70's Trans Am.

Maybe putting some NRA or military stickers on the Prius would help A friend of mine is in the Army special forces and has military stickers all over his truck and he never has a problem with tailgating.

Best thing to do, however, is to simply move into the next lane if being tailgated. There are just too many crazy folks out there.

 

Would it be mean to wave and honk as your driving by the gas stations? lol

For me I haven't seen many more aggressive drivers than I normally do. I just wish the nice person hats would get off their freaking cell phones and pay attention, no matter what car/truck they drive. Some people just can't multi task.

 

I think they just want to take a peek at your MFD...

I get tailgated a lot even though I hardly ever drive at the speed limit, let alone under it. But here in Texas aggressive drivers in monster trucks are everywhere, so I'm used to them.

 

I have ("drive" is a sometimes thing now) a 97 F250 Powerstroke. It's a great truck, both as a model and as an individual vehicle. I love it and don't want to lose it. We use it for hauling garden and house stuff and when we both must travel separate routes. But I have never challenged anyone with it (not that some haven't done that) because I don't want it damaged. I do get 17-18 mpg in local travel. That said, we're due to pick up our black 08-2 mid-next week, and we'll be happy with that as well. We won't thumb our noses at other drivers, and we hope we're not victims of antagonism. More Prii are coming on to our roads locally, so maybe people are getting the word.

 

I've had a few incidents, the most memorable of which was when a woman driving a minivan in our residential neighborhood floored it and passed me after being behind me for about a minute. The speed limit is 25, and I was going 21 mph (in EV mode, of course). The thing that really made me angry was that we have lots of children in our neighborhood, and there have been several times when I've had to slam on the breaks because a ball or a child on a bike/skateboard went flying out into the road ahead of me. When she passed me, we were nearing a curve and she very well could have hit someone.

 

Yep, be prepared for abuse and intimidation when driving a Prius. Since I switched from a VW to a Prius a few months ago, I suspect the difference was more stark (for me) than many on this board that have been driving a Prius for a few years. You'll just have to get used to nobody allowing you to merge, change lanes, and frequent tailgaiting.

 

The thing they need to understand is the gasoline we save provides more and less expensive fuel for them to burn. They should appreciate what we have done for them. But they may be too immature to understand that concept.

 

I've noticed more aggressive driving myself but I think what I'm really seeing is how I used to drive, pre- $4/per gallon and pre-prius. I think I was always over the speed limit and tailgating was never an issue; We were all going over the speed limit. Now I'm trying to squeeze every mile out of a gallon and it's slowed me done, and probably made me a better driver.

 

I would agree that it's probably more to do with Prius drivers, by and large, changing their driving habits than other people being agressive to the Prius.. We just drive more conservatively. On the other hand.. I drive my 65 Rambler VERY conservatively for many reasons.. want to keep it safe, also get better mileage.. But I think people expect and old car to move slow, so it doesn't seem to bother them. With a Prius.. they just don't understand why we're not driving insane like they are... it's new.. GUN IT!