Study finds hybrid owners are bad drivers.

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090715-713631.html

Insurance companies often give discounts to drivers of hybrids, perhaps because the image of a tree-hugging environmentalist suggests a cautious type who is a good risk to insure. But hybrid drivers rack up more miles, more tickets and costlier accidents than conventional car drivers, according to a study released Wednesday.

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Best line in the entire article is:

One visitor to the site wrote that driving a hybrid made her feel that "I'm actually doing something."

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Oh yeah continuning to burn fossil fuels is really doing something.

It sounds like Hybrid owners are getting the shaft by auto insurance brokers who have actually done the math to replace parts on a damaged or accident hybrid vehicle. They trump up statistics through their highly sophisticated network of actuaries and statistical analysis departments.

I can see the Borack OBomb'ma hand out coming their way to help'em out through those tough insurance times, those tough to insure hybrids.

I can see the pitty party now in washington dc.

I didn't read the whole article because it appears I would have to pay to do that .

"Oh yeah continuning to burn fossil fuels is really doing something."

If one assumes we all are guilty of consuming fossil fuels, then if the woman went from a 15 mpg suv or something comparable to a hybrid that got twice or more the mileage (given similar miles driven per year by the woman), then I would have to agree that she is really doing something...reducing her use of fossil fuels in a general manner. Now, if she started going 2-3 or more times her miles in a year than before, and her fuel usage still went beyond her old fuel usage...then she or anyone else who does that is an idiot for thinking they are actually contributing to less fossil fuel usage...but still, I suspect the exhaust from her hybrid is about as clean as it can be made and still be a "gasser", is that a fair guess?

Some of them are ok. i've ran into a lot of bad ones.

Dad has an F350 and he's had a few shake their heads at him, while he's running b100.

I'm tired of seeing rebates, etc by the government towards fuel efficent vehicles. Let the economy dictate fuel prices and what vehicles are produced. As fuel becomes scarce, prices will rise and bring more people towards fuel efficient vehicles, and luckily, we have a free market and we can import a VW Lupo when prices rise.... oh wait, nope. We live in a fascist, socialist paradise.

one could make the argument that she isn't "doing something", except reducing the demand on gasoline, thus lowering the price and encouraging others to drive larger vehicles than they might not otherwise.

The one thing she isn't doing is thinking.

Most are horrible drivers. Slow off the line, brake too early, hold up traffic driving the speed limit, coast down hills and to stop lights, afraid to corner at more than .1 g...they suck.

RabbitGTI said:

Most are horrible drivers. Slow off the line, brake too early, hold up traffic driving the speed limit, coast down hills and to stop lights, afraid to corner at more than .1 g...they suck.

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Are hypermiling TDIers any different in driving style?

Although I suppose a true hypermiler would at least corner pretty hard (won't have to accelerate so hard after the corner, thus using less fuel)...

There is nothing more infuriating than someone who can't go around a cloverleaf... I'd be on 3 wheels if no one was in front of me!

Totally unsurprising. Everyone else around them already knows that Prius drivers are depleting the world's supply of smug.

RabbitGTI said:

hold up traffic driving the speed limit

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Whoa! I guess I'm "guilty" of driving the posted speed limit as well... Just think... I thought we were SUPPOSED to drive the posted speed limit. Huh.

cmitchell said:

Whoa! I guess I'm "guilty" of driving the posted speed limit as well... Just think... I thought we were SUPPOSED to drive the posted speed limit. Huh.

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That's fine if you are in the right lane on a multi-lane. I do that too when I'm feeling mellow Most traffic goes 5 over on any kind of road, that the flow. But true, if you like going 25 on an urban street you can.

MrMopar said:

... Prius drivers are depleting the world's supply of smug.

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I disagree. I think they are generating 2 to 3 times the average person's output of smug. We may soon be awash in the stinky stuff.

And yes, of course smug stinks. Why do you think they always have their noses up in the air?

Pushing the envelope around a corner is about the only thing a "hypermiler" can do for fun! At times, it feels that I get more than 1G from my sticky tires ...
At the end of that tunnel(the corner(s), there is normally a held up(somewhat constipated), row of SUV's awaiting to see straight line to "punch-it" back to their normal ~12MPG!
That is what literally SUCKS, me trying to get good MPG's and them sucking it all up !

Cest la vie or "what-ever"(in American)...

Powder Hound said:

Why do you think they always have their noses up in the air?

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Because they like to sniff their own farts?

Similar news, different source:

http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.co...brids-Mean-More-Driving-Repair-Bills-Tickets/