I drive quite a bit less aggressively. My last car was a turbo Subaru with ~450HP, but to get to the power you had to really get into it and once you're in boost you're not going to let off immediately. Now with torque available at all times I don't have to get to it since I have it on demand. That and no exhaust note diminishes the "fun" of flooring it.
-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Does Your Tesla Make You A More Aggressive Driver?
- Thread starter AB4EJ
- Start date
SW2Fiddler
We Are Cognitive Dissidents
Well, I now come to a complete stop at stop signs. Nobody else around here does that, not ever a complete, wheels-still stop, but in the S85, even stopping for a couple of seconds to look again, you know that by 20-30 yards further you'll have lost no time really. No 'first gear' to avoid or rush thru.
I tend to be a bit more opportunistic in some circumstances. In particular, if there's a hole in traffic that I can zip into, I'll do it. I don't think it's dangerous, but I know that other drivers don't expect a car to be able to move that quickly, so a bystander may be put off by the apparent display of aggressive driving. But to me, it's just a matter of taking advantage of the resource available.
As for me - and Jenny - given that the other half dozen or so vehicles in our fleet average (and median and mode) 0-60 in 3.1.......miles......the Tesla most definitely has made both of us less unaggressive drivers. No tickets yet, though.
I am simply astonished that I tend to be less aggressive with my P85D. Typically I'm pretty aggressive, and yeah I definitely accelerate quicker and more often than I used to in my last car (hybrid). But it is simply because I can, especially when I'm at the front of a stop light. But in terms of being aggressive relative to other drivers the P85D takes a lot of the fun out of it; outperforming another vehicle that has no change to win and requires no skill on my part isn't all that exciting.
That's an interesting and positive idea. It is said that driving includes a couple of major components: skill and attitude. To the extent that having a Tesla changes your attitude, this could be a safety plus, i.e., moving away from the mental state that you are in some kind of "competition" with other drivers on public roads.
In another area, has anyone ever had a crash or close call due to distraction from doing something on the touchscreen?
mknox
Well-Known Member
Not so much with the car's primary controls, but I do have to check myself when using the Audio system. Sometimes the interface will be slow (more so with TuneIn than Slacker) and I can find myself distracted trying to scroll through menus and find stuff to listen to.
Jaff
Active Member
I'm not sure there is a "one size fits all" answer here.
If I'm on a drive where range matters. I'm very careful about watching my range ergo driving sedately...if range is not a consideration and conditions permit, go ahead & hang 10!
If I'm on a drive where range matters. I'm very careful about watching my range ergo driving sedately...if range is not a consideration and conditions permit, go ahead & hang 10!
I may tend to find openings in traffic that maybe I would not have attempted in my Prius. I do, occassionally make a pass that I wouldn't try in a less powerful car. But all in all, once the honeymoon period ended, I think I'm about as safe and calm as I ever was (taking into account my Type A personality).
Johan
Ex got M3 in the divorce, waiting for EU Model Y!
A very interesting thread.
As I have only had my 85D for 3.5 weeks and a bit over 1000mi (all local - no road trips), I may not yet be qualified to answer the question. Having said that, I feel the instant acceleration and power of the model S can make one somewhat more aggressive at least in the minds of other drivers. With TACC, I find myself somewhat less inclined to pass a slightly slower vehicle unless I am on a multi-lane highway. So at this point, I think the OP's question can be answered as yes and no.
As I have only had my 85D for 3.5 weeks and a bit over 1000mi (all local - no road trips), I may not yet be qualified to answer the question. Having said that, I feel the instant acceleration and power of the model S can make one somewhat more aggressive at least in the minds of other drivers. With TACC, I find myself somewhat less inclined to pass a slightly slower vehicle unless I am on a multi-lane highway. So at this point, I think the OP's question can be answered as yes and no.
I will expound on my answer and say that I feel a certain responsibility on the road when I drive. I feel like it's my duty to continue to advertise the car when I drive. That means not lolly-gagging at stop lights, it means passing in the left lane instead of being the one being passed, it means keeping the car clean, it means using your turn signals (so they know the car has them standard, unlike BMW's where they are an added option most don't opt for), it means answering questions when asked, it means being honest about the limitations (you do need to charge it), it means not parking like a dick, it means being polite to pedestrians, especially those that can't hear you, etc.
People still need to see this is a no compromise car. But the best marketing is when they see a blur blow by with only a chrome T on the rear.
NigelM
Recovering Member
A) No, I tend to drive more defensively. (There's nothing like sitting in a Roadster and having some giant SUV come drifting across beside you).
B) No.
Olle
Active Member
- If you have a Tesla, do you find that you tend to drive it more aggressively that other cars you have owned?
. When conditions are safe, I accelerate faster from stoplights and intersections because the rush of power without noise just feels sooo good, still after 2 years… I occasionally pass others on country roads where it wouldn't have been safe or even possible in other cars. Not sure if it counts as more aggressive though.- Have you gotten more tickets for speeding or other aggressive driving than in other cars?
-Never got a ticket with any car, except for parking
I can relate - I also have a tiny sports car (not a Roadster), and I notice some things I used to notice when driving a motorcycle:
- you are more vulnerable
- you are more agile
So, you tend to be more wary of other traffic, but you can also drive out of many situations. We had a running joke at GM when I was there, that everyone should be required to drive a motorcycle, at least part of the time; that would make them both more defensive drivers, and also more aware of smaller vehicles on the road. Maybe a small sports car has a similar effect.
The jury is still out on the topic of whether the big touchscreen is distracting, but from the comments so far, I am guessing that most Tesla owners are aware of this possibility and take care to avoid it...
anxman
Member
I've wondered this as well, but I agree with the previous posters who cited the insanely high repair costs as a strong deterrent to driving any more aggressively than in another car.
I see other car drivers and motorcycles do insanely dumb stuff around me on the highway every day and generally, I just don't care any more. I figure that if they want to try to hit my $125k car and pay for the repairs, that's on them.
I see other car drivers and motorcycles do insanely dumb stuff around me on the highway every day and generally, I just don't care any more. I figure that if they want to try to hit my $125k car and pay for the repairs, that's on them.
I would have to say that I may not drive more aggressively, but I do accelerate more aggressively in my Tesla - but it's really hard not to. There is no loud engine to rev or transmission to shift. The car just makes a whooshing sound and then it's gone.
I really love the acceleration of the Model S and will usually try to get a front-row slot at a stoplight if I can. I have learned to be very cautious at stoplights though since my wife's Taurus was totaled about 10 years ago. She was at a red light in-between a delivery van and a pickup truck and the light turned green. All three started moving forward, but both trucks stopped. She had limited visibility to either side and didn't see a lawn-crew truck and trailer running two very red lights at the split intersection. Her car T-boned the truck and was totaled. She was shaken quite a bit, but walked away with only an airbag burn on her arm. The kicker was that despite several eye witnesses, the cop declined to give a ticket to the red-light runner because the officer "didn't see it happen". And this was in a city that had a strict red-light policy campaign at the time. Needless to say, I am very careful at intersections, but love to accelerate to the speed limit when it is safe to do so. I probably only use 1/2 throttle 99% of the time which is generally sufficient to put a Tesla grin on my face and add a bit of enjoyment to my 15 minute commute.
I really love the acceleration of the Model S and will usually try to get a front-row slot at a stoplight if I can. I have learned to be very cautious at stoplights though since my wife's Taurus was totaled about 10 years ago. She was at a red light in-between a delivery van and a pickup truck and the light turned green. All three started moving forward, but both trucks stopped. She had limited visibility to either side and didn't see a lawn-crew truck and trailer running two very red lights at the split intersection. Her car T-boned the truck and was totaled. She was shaken quite a bit, but walked away with only an airbag burn on her arm. The kicker was that despite several eye witnesses, the cop declined to give a ticket to the red-light runner because the officer "didn't see it happen". And this was in a city that had a strict red-light policy campaign at the time. Needless to say, I am very careful at intersections, but love to accelerate to the speed limit when it is safe to do so. I probably only use 1/2 throttle 99% of the time which is generally sufficient to put a Tesla grin on my face and add a bit of enjoyment to my 15 minute commute.
MrJones390
Space Boat
coming from a Subaru WRX (manual) I am much more relaxed in P85. Shifting gears in LA traffic made me very aggressive.
Similar threads
