"I drive 55mph" on the 65mph interstate.

[cbaber]

Originally Posted by justme1969

For imposing you will upon others that way. If you are capable of going the speed limit and take pride in obstructing traffic you are just as bad as the 100 mph driver in congested traffic. And just as dangerous! When I am towing and traffic builds up behind me I pull off temporarily letting it go.
I see no joy in frustrating other drivers or forcing them to do things on the road that causes road rage.
No thanks Ill maintain speed and wave as the normal traffic goes bye every day.

1. Driving below the speed limit is not imposing my will upon others. The idea that drivers need to "go with the flow" IS imposing YOUR will on me. Every driver is obligated to follow traffic laws and drive responsibly. There is nothing wrong with going a slower speed than the limit, especially because it is SAFER and more ECONOMICAL for me and everyone else.

2. Driving slow is not dangerous. The morons that eat, chat on the cell phone, and text are dangerous. People that can't look ahead down the road and anticipate traffic flow are dangerous. Those that follow other cars too closely are dangerous. Going below the speed limit is just about the safest thing you can do on the highway. Accidents and traffic jams are not caused by slow drivers. The accidents are caused by the fast drivers that fail to properly navigate the freeway at the speeds they choose to drive. Next time you believe an accident was caused by the slow guy, make sure and tell the cop that you merged into another car at the last minute and it's not your fault because of the slow guy in front of you. Let me know what he says.

3. Everyone has a right to the road, providing they are following the law. You need to respect someones choice to go 55, just as I need to respect people that feel the need to go the speed limit. There shouldn't be an attitude of spite towards people who chose to drive economically.

[doviatt]

"Speed limit" is a limit. Period. Not a speed suggestion nor a minimum. It is the posted maximum limit to be lawful. The careful and safe respectful driving part is up to the individual drivers.
There should never be any peer pressure "to speed up" or worse, to break the law, in doing things as dangerous and complex as driving.

[mikeyjd]

Originally Posted by lordherald

The sad thing is that I am constantly being passed by Insights, Echos, Prius, and other "high efficiency" cars.

Well it's not that sad in a way since those vehicles are probably still getting great mileage while passing you. The sad thing is when a 1ton chevy big block passes you at 80mph. You know they're getting single digit mpg.

edit: I drive 50-60mph on the freeway unless I have a chance at a nice pulse and glide

[101Volts]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

If they can pass it's not really an obstruction.

Yes.

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

And if they can't, tough noogie.

No.

Originally Posted by night9

I feel like if drivers can't observe whats going on ahead of them and they get "stuck behind you" then its their fault for not being an attentive driver.

I somewhat agree with that, Just replace "Can't" with "Don't" and take this in mind; If people choose not to be attentive out of only thinking of their own selves (And their own selves only) instead of others then that's what they choose, And if I were to go and warned someone to not exceed the speed limit and he/she ignored me, Then that's what would've happened and I can't truly say I didn't indirectly warn him/her against a specific accident if he/she got into one.

Originally Posted by doviatt

"Speed limit" is a limit. Period. Not a speed suggestion nor a minimum. It is the posted maximum limit to be lawful. The careful and safe respectful driving part is up to the individual drivers.
There should never be any peer pressure "to speed up" or worse, to break the law, in doing things as dangerous and complex as driving.

+1. And need I say that driving has killed more people in a year than airplane crashes? If anyone doesn't believe me, Look it up!

I don't hate the people who did this to me, But I hate that truck drivers tried to play "DUEL" With me; I did succumb to that pressure on at least one occasion before I started hypermiling but that doesn't mean it's right to bully others into doing dangerous things, Go pass me if it's safe!

And I haven't always been the most courteous driver nor the safest driver when I had the choice. So I may have to speed up a bit on occasion, To not be inconsiderate (Though I still feel better going 37ish than 55 on non-highway roads)

Highways are not single-lane roads, You can pass me on them (Traffic permitting) and I might even slow down for you to pass me faster if traffic allows.

[sheepdog 44]

Thanks for the advice everyone!

I like the idea of the buddy system when i can find one. Going 58mph, i pass at least 5 people doing 55mph or less in two hours, so there are people who make a conscious to drive slow. For me it's better to drive in front of them and have them be the "blocker" directing traffic around me. Then there's zero anxiety till i get used too it. So far at 58mph, i have a lot more reaction time, i'm more relaxed, and i have time to be aware of my surroundings and plan ahead.

Here's a good thread on why driving aware and slower helps ease congestion. Spoiler alert: It's the speeders and tailgators causing stop and go!
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ves-11992.html

Lets be clear that in practice going 55mph will not cause a traffic jam, unless your driving in an innercity highway during rush hour, or just a really congested city. And often driving slower in those conditions is safer. But i don't want any arguments in this thread, (i can get plenty of them on the open road!). The problems people new to the concept like me face are anxiety, peer pressure, judgement etc.

I've found that seasoned hypermilers have a real Zen mentality and are very courteous waving people around them. It's almost the complete opposite of road rage and something to aspire to. When i first got my Insight i would drive fast cause i didn't want people to think my car was slow and underpowered. Now i drive slow because i choose to and it's OK.

[redpoint5]

The most frustrating thing about slow drivers is when they ruin opportunity for fuel efficiency. When I'm headed down a mountain pass, I want to allow gravity to pull me down at a rate that approaches, or even slightly exceeds the speed limit. Timid drivers that put their brakes on and drive well below the limit ruin the opportunity to maximize efficiency. I have the same complaint about those that drive curvy roads and are too timid to take the corners at a reasonably quick speed. Why brake hard just to accelerate hard after the corner?

...and that's why I prefer to drive at 2 o'clock in the morning.

Originally Posted by doviatt

"Speed limit" is a limit. Period. Not a speed suggestion nor a minimum.

Those signs certainly should include a minimum!

Originally Posted by sheepdog 44

Here's a good thread on why driving aware and slower helps ease congestion. Spoiler alert: It's the speeders and tailgators causing stop and go!
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ves-11992.html

Traveling fast during rush hour is not possible in Portland. I've noticed that when I employ the method of allowing a gap to form and canceling out the waves, people behind me tend to adopt the more relaxed method of driving. Perhaps they figure there is no point in tailgating if I'm creating a huge gap ahead of me that anybody could jump into if they wanted. I've found that not all that many people do jump in to fill the gap, and often times they move right back out of the lane in the never-ending quest to find the one that moves the fastest.

[mikeyjd]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Those signs certainly should include a minimum!

In Michigan allot of the signs read:

70mph maximum speed limit
45mph minimum speed limit

edit: I make a concerted effort not to break the minimum speed laws.

[SentraSE-R]

My signature sums up this whole thread.

[Fat Charlie]

You can cancel out traffic waves by not being a moving roadblock. Sometimes going faster than your optimum speed is best overall.

[mikeyjd]

Originally Posted by Fat Charlie

Sometimes going faster than your optimum speed is best overall.

Best in what way?