Has driving a Prius made you a better driver?

The Prius has completely changed my driving style - I used to roll through stop signs in order to save wear on the clutch; now I roll through stop signs in order to conserve kinetic energy!:wink:

Seriously, the Prius has made me more attentive of what's going on around me. Part of this is simply not want a beloved new car trashed in an accident (which has already nearly happened twice - a pickup running a red light and a semi running a stop sign). But mostly it's because the Prius has made me a lot more aware of the energy I use when driving. I now regularly look at traffic two blocks ahead instead of just in the immediate vicinity - there may be spots where it makes sense to take my foot off the gas, or apply the brakes a block before a red light, or speed up a little to avoid a red light (thereby conserving that all-important kinetic energy!).

I have not yet run a red light in order to preserve high mpg - though that could change as my mpg addiction progresses.

 

I definitely drive more conscientiously than before. I try not to accelerate too quickly, and I definitely begin slowing down for stop lights much sooner than before. I also try to coast as much as possible. One thing I've noticed, however, is if I take too long to get up to cruising speed, the ICE stays on the whole time. So there is a balance between accelerating too quickly and accelerating too slowly. I haven't had a chance to use the cruise control much, but I wonder if using it will improve my mileage? I'm currently getting an average of 48mpg. I usually average 50mpg, but my wife keeps bringing it down with her 46mpg driving (must be that "women drivers" thing that oly_57mpg mentioned)!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TimeFor\";p=\"97586)</div>

hmmm

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TimeFor\";p=\"97586)</div>

I've been trying to summarize good reasons to completely automate the road system and remove all control input from the driver.

Thanks you've saved me a lot of work.

 

Rumour has it that the Camry hybrid may have some lane sensing technology to help the driver out. that would be nice.

i'd much rather require that all cars have mechanisms in place to test the sobriety of the driver. funny that we allow it for habitual drunk drivers, but for everyone else, its a violation of privacy

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DaveinOlyWA\";p=\"97644)</div>

I'd like to see some sort of breathalyzer that analyzes whether there's sufficient caffeine in the driver's system for safe motor vehicle operation. Both my wife and I are, um, a little slow out of the starting gate.

 

i think it was BMW that has a prototype that scans the drivers eyes in order to detect fatigue. if it senses the eyes starting to droop, it will set off an alarm

 

I have noticed that i ware my seatbelt all the time instead of when ever i would think of it. I think it has something to do with the bep bep when you put it in reverse that reminds me to buckel up. :lol:

 

I had kinda been thinking that myself, three weeks into it. I'm driving a little slower as I try to boost my MPG, and all the talk about anticipating slow-downs/stops is true as well. My wife still likes to stomp on the brakes though. I would say that all this more than compensates for the distraction of the MFD. They need to implement a bio-feedback mechanism. Maybe something to go around your pinky that vibrates when the mileage drops (wouldn't want auditory cues...I get plenty of them already! ).

 

I definitely drive slower much of the time, but when I'm lateish for work, all bets are off.

I also keep wider space between myself and the car ahead.

But the NAV and MPG screens do distract, and backing up feels like I'm less sure of what I see. Plus, I too seem to have this push to not stop on yellow lights like I used to. Maybe a tendency to roll thru stop signs a little more as well.

On the other hand, I use my belt 100% of the time now, and last winter on a very snowy day, there is no doubt in my mind that the VSC saved me from a mega wreck. I avoided a crash that I'm sure no other car I ever owned could have avoided.

 

I drive like the proverbial bat out of hell now with my Prius. Prieviously I slowly crawled around town, attempting to milk every last driving style advantage for the highest fuel economy. I carefully coasted to stops, drove in a purely legal manner.

No more. I feel liberated. I often am the first one at the traffic light, I race everyone else, and my coast timing to a stop is well off.

And I am getting 49/48 MPG.

 

There is a shopping mall nearby. There is a major intersection of four lane highways at the mall and it is the old fashioned kind with traffic lights, two left turn lanes and a wait that seems like eternity if you are the last one caught by the red light. Actually it is more like two or three minutes. I have seen people take crazy chances to run that light and nearly every time someone takes a regular chance.

I must have resented wasting fuel the whole time I was sitting there before Cherry Prius, because I would speed up and go on through while the light was pink, or sit there tapping my foot and fidgetting if I got caught. Now I make no attempt to beat the light and sit there contentedly looking around at all the old dino cars burning up their hard earned money. Play with the radio, look at interesting clouds.

I still have to be mindful of the driver behind me who might assume that I will run the light and give me a tap on the rear end. I approach the light at normal speed or a little below to give the "body language" that I am prepared to stop. There is another lane so they can whip around if they want.

Cameras were just installed at the intersection and warning signs about automatic tickets for running the light. It might help with the pressure people feel to beat the light. "Look, I'm not a wuss, I just don't want to pay $100 to get to the mall three minutes earlier"

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Scosgrove\";p=\"97731)</div>

I agree. One unanticipated benefit of Prius ownership is the lowered stress level at traffic lights and, especially, in traffic jams. Except for the occasional cases when I'm actually late for something, gridlock is almost fun now!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(coloradospringsprius\";p=\"97779)</div>

One of my first observations driving the car was my first day driving it. The last freeway I take to work was closed (turned out it was for the President), I ended up taking a 40 mph road with lights, and I couldn't believe I was getting joy out of driving slower.

 

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I've noticed an interesting effect. Sympathetic gas mileage. The gas mileage on my 1997 Toyota Celica convertible has gone up by 2 to 3 mpg since I got my Prius. Some of that technology must be leaking over when they're parked next to each other ...

 

"Sympathetic gas mileage"... hmmm, you what yer saying is "gas mileage by association?"

 

Getting the Prius has definitely changed my style but not necassarily my mentality. Before I was all about trying to get ahead as quickly as possible by lane changes and quick starts. Now I realize that if I time it right, I don't have to stop at most lights and I start coasting or stealth as soon as I see the light ahead is red. I will admit there are a couple of CA stops I do in one or two places in which one can easily see if someone is coming. (I do have to fight the temptation to do other things to keep up my kinetic energy).

Of course, while before I was irritated that more people didn't drive like me, now I am still irititated that people dont' drive like me. I console myself to think that how I am driving now is safer by not cutting people off as much and less speeding. I am getting better at this though (which makes my wife happy) and figure I will let them lose that gas money if they want.

It is interesting, I rode with a friend and was amazed at how much he did not anticipate lights. The constant agressive starts and stops was so jerky! And to think I use to drive that way!

 

Prius has refined my driving. Before I was getting 23 mpg with a 1991 4Runner with 180k mi on the vehicle. I especially notice that other vehicles idle a lot - whether at a stop sign/light, drive-through or in a parking lot. With no idling, being stopped at an intersection is more calming, less need to "make" the light. The goal is to "run the green lights" at a more consistent speed while other vehicles race from red light to red light.

For the daily commute I drive a parallel and older section of highway. There are fewer vehicles and I can drive slower, optimizing fuel economy in the 55-60 mpg range. I can drive the older highway for 21 out of 30 miles each way. I make greater use of the CD-radio-iPod system.

I park in the far corner of parking lots to optimize shade, minimize the work of the door-ding nomes and make myself walk a little farther.