I’m a new M3 owner & just got home from my first road trip where I had to charge along the way. M3 was fabulous & all went well & I even down to 13 mi range!!!! The difficult part & the thing I was not prepared for was the other drivers. I was actually frightened by the reactions other drivers have to my car. I was passed no matter my speed or lane and also had a truck with a huge 5th wheel who tailgated me when I was driving 74 in a 70mph zone (I couldn’t go faster for range) then when I moved over to let him by, moved over behind me & continued to tailgate. Finally he passed me on the right then when I tried to change lanes, changed right in front of me (his trailer swaying all over the place) & slammed on his brakes next to another vehicle & slowed down to 40mph! My 9yo daughter was asleep in the back & woke up in a fright! Open to suggestions. What gives?????
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Other Drivers
- Thread starter Weflyem
- Start date
The behavior is completely unacceptable and I am sorry you had to experience that. I’m glad you’re ok. My guess is that he didn’t think you moved out of the passing lane quickly enough and that you were driving too slow in it.
Turlejay
Member
It's like anything else, what people don't understand, scares them. In other cases, ICE sympathizers want to assert their strength with force. I had a situation once where I almost called the troopers. I honestly felt scared for my life. I decided to pull over and let the dude disappear.
Kennymb5384
Member
Some idiots just need to be idiots to fill some sort of missing void in their life. Maybe it’s jealousy, or they don’t want to evolve like our cars have, and unfortunately, that’s not going to change anytime soon...sucks you had to go through with that though.
The good thing about these idiots being the idiots that they are. Not only do they not understand these cars, but they don’t understand what these cars can do. I would suggest clicking the camera icon anytime someone does something stupid like that. This way if something were to happen later, you have that saved video that shows the reckless driving, and could possibly help later.
Hopefully it never comes to that, but better to have your side covered!
The good thing about these idiots being the idiots that they are. Not only do they not understand these cars, but they don’t understand what these cars can do. I would suggest clicking the camera icon anytime someone does something stupid like that. This way if something were to happen later, you have that saved video that shows the reckless driving, and could possibly help later.
Hopefully it never comes to that, but better to have your side covered!
ElectricIAC
Good-Natured Rascal
Pro tip: stay out of the hammer lane if you have range anxiety.
Highly unusual behavior in CA as there are a gazillion Teslas on the road. But that said, there are plenty of jerks everywhere.
btw: as a Californian, you should know --- in your DNA -- that driving only 4 mph above the speed limit in the FAST lane is a no-no; 10 mph is the bare acceptable minimum. Yeah, trucks are limited to 55 mph, but if they are gonna speed they are gonna speed. Even better if they get pulled over as a speeding ticket for a 18-wheeler is huge. Stay out of the FAST lane if you are range-challenged.
Thank you. I was only momentarily in the fast lane in order to pass a semi going 55mph. It’s hard to describe the whole situation but it was frightening. I am going to have to take my defensive driving to a new level.
^^it's a new car and you are (justifiably) a little nervous about taking it out in the real world. Enjoy your new ride.
Puddles
Member
Drivers are selfish and in a hurry, as a rule. I don’t think this had anything to do with what you are driving or how you are driving it. One interaction does not a pattern make. I think you just happened upon one of the ragers.
I had a very similar experience some time back when I was still driving my Forester. I wonder if it was the same imbecile in his fifth wheel.
I had a very similar experience some time back when I was still driving my Forester. I wonder if it was the same imbecile in his fifth wheel.
ElectricIAC
Good-Natured Rascal
Yeah. To take one isolated incident where you were impeding traffic and extrapolate it as Tesla hate is not really fair to those not in a position to go EV.
In Southern California bad drivers are the norm. When someone uses a turn signal I'm pleasantly surprised. I don't think it has anything to do with Teslas. Around here seeing a Model 3 is about as common as seeing a Camry.
Spacep0d
Active Member
As a fellow lifelong driver in California, I gotta agree with some others in this thread.
The posted limit on CA freeways is only loosely-related to the actual flow of traffic. My suggestion is that if you can't use an HOV lane, stay out of the number one lane (furthest on the left, often called the 'fast' lane). You can do 74mph all day long in the middle or rightmost lanes, but when the posted limit is 70 that means prevailing speeds will easily be 80-85+. This is true even where the posted limit is 65 mph in free-flowing conditions. I know this because as a sportbike rider I don't often like to go over 80-83 (mostly due to wind and tickets) but even in the HOV lane I will get people occasionally roaring up on my six. I usually just let them pass. If I come upon someone doing 65 mph, that's considered way too slow for the HOV (in free-flowing conditions) and I will pass these people with impunity (where others just get stuck).
I love the fact that you're writing about your first trip in a Model 3, the very same car I plan to get, but yes this is easily solved if you stay out of the 'fast' lanes when you want to go 74 or slower (especially in a 70 zone where prevailing speeds are much faster). HOV lane is an exception, but even at 74 mph you will find people who are going way too slow and make the HOV less beneficial or efficient for your chosen speed.
Of course, you don't want to be one of those people who confuses posted limit with what people should be doing. Attempting to 'enforce' the speed limit (not that you were doing this) is a bad idea. The prevailing speed is the safest speed on the freeway as it reduces speed disparity and lane-changes (which are the biggest causes of accidents, especially on surface streets). This is why the CA DMV recommends one merge at flow-of-traffic speeds, not within the 'speed limit'. When speed limits are too low, there are more lane-changes (as people have their own idea of what is safe for conditions) and more lane-changes=more accidents.
This is why surface street speed limits are established by an engineering and traffic survey which measures the 85th percentile of drivers without the influence of a traffic-control device in free-flowing conditions. Speed limits are not set by the slowest drivers or by 'concerned citizens', because slower isn't safer if there's too much speed disparity causing too many lane-changes. All of these speed-based road-rage issues are more easily avoided by better lane choices.
I agree that it may not just be a Tesla issue, but it could be a little of column A and B.Congrats on the awesome new Tesla!
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Agreed! However there are times when passing very slow trucks where I was momentarily in the fast lane. I came to the conclusion that the mere sight of a Tesla brings some ugly stuff out of people for whatever reason.
I doubt it was the tesla as much as it was the "barely above speed limit in fast lane". People in prius cars do that too (drive the speed limit or just above or below it in the fast lane) as if they want to "slow everyone else down".
I am not trying to "blame the victim" here, but I am also a lifelong californian, and as almost every other californian said, driving "just over the speed limit" is a no no in the fast lane on a freeway if traffic is such that higher speeds can be driven.
Your original post says you were driving 74 in a 70 zone in the fast lane because "you couldnt go faster for range" and subsequent posts say that you were only "temporarily in the fast lane". Here in california, the fast lane is not the "passing lane" like it is in other states. People drive in it and we dont tend to "keep right except to pass" here. Its my thought that the driver of the 5th wheel saw an "EV tree hugger trying to enforce the speed limit" and it likely had little to do with tesla specifically.
You always could have passed the truck on the right, instead of the left, to stay out of the fast lane if you were not going to drive the speed that was being driven in that lane.
Again, not blaming the victim here, just noting that, you might be able to avoid most of what happened by simply driving to the right side of the freeway if you are not going the speed of traffic on the left, regardless of speed limit. There are also people who hate teslas for some reason, but I think its just as much "EV" hate as it is tesla and stereotyping... especially if you appear to be hypermiling or otherwise slowing up the speed of traffic for "no reason".
I dunno, Puddles, I've had a lot of instances of other drivers getting mad at me just for driving a Tesla. I've had at least a half dozen "coal rolling" experiences with large 4x4 diesel pickups, and numerous other incidents of people driving aggressively just because they didn't like my car. Far more than I ever had previously when I was driving a Honda Accord.
IMO, you're just lucky that you haven't had it happen to you yet.
Spacep0d
Active Member
Also, if one is forcing anyone behind you to slow up to your speed, the damage is done. It's good practice to move out of the way before they get near you, German style.
American drivers could use better lane-discipline in general and to that end we could learn a few things from German driving culture.As a fellow lifelong driver in California, I gotta agree with some others in this thread.
The posted limit on CA freeways is only loosely-related to the actual flow of traffic. My suggestion is that if you can't use an HOV lane, stay out of the number one lane (furthest on the left, often called the 'fast' lane). You can do 74mph all day long in the middle or rightmost lanes, but when the posted limit is 70 that means prevailing speeds will easily be 80-85+. This is true even where the posted limit is 65 mph in free-flowing conditions. I know this because as a sportbike rider I don't often like to go over 80-83 (mostly due to wind and tickets) but even in the HOV lane I will get people occasionally roaring up on my six. I usually just let them pass. If I come upon someone doing 65 mph, that's considered way too slow for the HOV (in free-flowing conditions) and I will pass these people with impunity (where others just get stuck).
I love the fact that you're writing about your first trip in a Model 3, the very same car I plan to get, but yes this is easily solved if you stay out of the 'fast' lanes when you want to go 74 or slower (especially in a 70 zone where prevailing speeds are much faster). HOV lane is an exception, but even at 74 mph you will find people who are going way too slow and make the HOV less beneficial or efficient for your chosen speed.
Of course, you don't want to be one of those people who confuses posted limit with what people should be doing. Attempting to 'enforce' the speed limit (not that you were doing this) is a bad idea. The prevailing speed is the safest speed on the freeway as it reduces speed disparity and lane-changes (which are the biggest causes of accidents, especially on surface streets). This is why the CA DMV recommends one merge at flow-of-traffic speeds, not within the 'speed limit'. When speed limits are too low, there are more lane-changes (as people have their own idea of what is safe for conditions) and more lane-changes=more accidents.
This is why surface street speed limits are established by an engineering and traffic survey which measures the 85th percentile of drivers without the influence of a traffic-control device in free-flowing conditions. Speed limits are not set by the slowest drivers or by 'concerned citizens', because slower isn't safer if there's too much speed disparity causing too many lane-changes. All of these speed-based road-rage issues are more easily avoided by better lane choices.
Congrats on the awesome new Tesla!
In short: keep right except to pass.
It's a really simple rule and a clearly indicated law in Maine.
Unfortunately people choose their lane based on their convenience, which leads to being biased to faster lanes.
For the OP: remember that your car has a dashcam and you can capture video.
ElectricIAC
Good-Natured Rascal
I’d personally be honored if someone burnt $1-3 worth of diesel rolling coal to show their disagreement with my vehicle choice. But I didn’t get a Tesla as an ideology choice.
Msjulie
Active Member
I've only driven across the USA 5 times but I would sadly change your comment to be: "In <where ever you are> bad drivers are the norm"
jkoya
NA2 NSX
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