Road Rage

Remind me not to drive in Green Bay. I wouldn't want to be on the road with either of you two.

Tom

 

You're not dealing with someone in a rational state of mind and hitting the brakes is not nearly as effective as reducing your speed without brakes and hitting a turn signal often works. You want the *sshole to pass and increase the distance between as fast as possible.

I had a case of road rage nearly 10 years ago. I changed lanes and didn't see the other car. But he decided his purpose in life was to play 'car games.' He got in front of me and was making an *ss of himself. But at the last possible moment, I took my exit and he had no chance to follow. I was happy and the problem was gone.

The key is don't let emotions dictate your actions but rather 'sharpen your cunning.' The problem to solve is separation, letting them go their way while you seek a 'happy place.'

Bob Wilson

 

While not in my Prius, but before in the Ford Escort going to work one day, an older man got out of his truck in front of me at a stop light and pounded on my hood! To this day, I have no idea why. Traffic moves fast in the morning "rush hour" and I suppose it's possible I cut him off or stopped suddenly in front of him at some point - there are stop lights on the roadway.
That's the worst road rage I've personally been exposed to.

 

Call 911 on your cell and report an aggressive driver. If there's a unit nearby, and they observe his behavior, he will be pulled over and probably arrested.

 

Its it acceptable to call 911 for just an agressive driver? This is an honest question. I've always kept the local police dispatch # in my phone for the routes that I normally take. I've called that once or twice in order to report drivers driving about 70-80 in a 45mph zone when there was moderate traffic (a bit of a safety issue).

A link I found btw, recommends you call something else other than 911, if you can help it that is:
http://www.ou.edu/oupd/highway-cell.htm

 

Tony, don't let it get to you as you were already going 5 mph over the limit. That is acceptable and this guy just had an axe to grind - you were the unlucky one. It's not wise though to brake, just let them pass and avoid a confrontation. There have been cases here where road rage turned into a shoot out. Again, it's not worth your safety or life.

I now do as you do and go 5 mph over the limit also giving up hypermiling to prevent hotheads on the road from doing something rash. Even driving my Prius like a normal car in city driving - I can still get about 45 mpg.

 

I've been there too. I think we all have.

Tom

 

i hear ya brother, i think it's the same mostly everywhere. glad nothing happened.

 

I would never get out of my car in a road rage incident if there has been no accident. A person with that type of mentality could have a variety of weapons. Just sayin

 

When I was younger I did a number of things in response to tailgaters, none of which I will share here. I liken tailgaters to people who push their way up to the front of a line. Rude, self-centered and oblivious to safety.
My current response to tailgaters has been very effective. I turn on my emergency flashers for a few seconds, and for whatever reason they pass
and leave me alone.

 

If this ever happens again and you have to talk to the jerk, tell him (or her) that you recently got a $200 ticket and you can't afford another one so you to have to go close to the speed limit. No one can really argue with the reality of a moving violation/ticket and then having to play it safe afterwards. One would assume even the jerk drivers have gotten a ticket in their lifetime.

BTW, I don't yet drive a Prius and people tailgate in general, a lot.

 

Frankly this is the reason why I will likely jump ship from the Prius to the CT200h. I feel like there are quite a lot of drivers, especially gigantic SUV/Hummer types with republican bumper stickers that purposely harass Prius' and their drivers. To its credit, it is nice to know that there are enough of them out there now that people recognize them, but I'm really sick of the people who talegate and cut me off because of the car I drive.

Before anyone says "how do you know?" Well through simple process of elimination while driving with friends in other cars. I'm not a slow driver. I'm usually at least 10 mph above the speed limit, if not more, usually with the flow of traffic and yet I ALWAYS get these asshats on my bum when driving (in the right lane to boot). Yet when I'm with my friends in their cars, it just doesn't seem to happen nearly as much.

I feel bad jumping ship, the prius was my first car and I love it, but I just can't take the snide comments assuming things about my politics or general thriftiness based on the car I drive.

 

I've also used this when seeing someone approaching from the rear at a high rate of speed and I'm already in the right hand lane. They take a clue and pass you and life is good.

But I do shake my head when they occasionally get 200 yards ahead, change back into my lane, and then make a right-hand turn. <GRINS>

Bob Wilson

 

Or merge back into your lane and slow down, so you have to pass them again.

Tom

 

Nope, my contacts say call 911, at least in VA

That way, they can get a unit right on it. If someone is 4 feet off your bumper, they are going to get a reckless driving ticket, at the minimum. IF the police see it. VA is serious about nabbing very aggressive drivers.

 

On some interstates they advise dialing #77. Practically everywhere that I know of it is *definitely* acceptable, and advisable, to report aggressive drivers, as long as you can make the call safely. Try to get good descriptions of the vehicle (distinguishing marks, bumperstickers, etc. as well as the license plate) and the mile marker, direction and speed on the interstate and they will try to intercept if they can.

Aside #1 in ref to previous post: I was in Green Bay and then the UP about 6 weeks ago and found the area beautiful and the people really nice. (We had a rental Hyundai Elantra, though, which may be more acceptable to the big-bad-pick'em-up truck crowd). The Elantra was a halfway decent car, btw...

Aside #2 also in ref to previous post: I'm not sure the Prius is the worst for attracting tailgaters, although there are probably more of them here on the east coast than in the upper Midwest and it may be a different situation. But I've never been tailgated as bad as I was in my previous car, a type-S Acura RSX. Partly this was because the suspension was so stiff and the roads here in B-more are so crappy that to speed on them guaranteed spinal compression fracture, not to mention suspension damage. Or perhaps some people expect one to drive a car at its limits. Whatever. There are always going to be a few jerks out there on the roads; we tend to remember the bad experiences more than we do the nice people who just let us go our way or wave thanks and say hello. Try not to take it personally. (This is advice I am constantly giving myself as well...)

Cheers
~T