Making a conclusion like that about such a diverse group is pretty ridiculous. Some of us may be more relaxed, some not. I do not buy into the assumption that the most dangerous aspect of driving is speed. Your speed compared to the speed of traffic is a much more relevant concern. I suspect the ones cranking as much mpg as humanly possible, who have top FE scores to live up to, have motives that distract from safe driving. Any of us who talk on the cell phone or futz with the radio while driving are no better off because we're hybrid drivers. And especially the ones going erratic speeds and crawling up hills to hypermile - going dramatically different speeds than that of traffic, make a hazard out of themselves. We're all different and all have motives and habits that are safe and unsafe. Your generalization is wishful thinking IMO.

 

You are right, I am generalizing quite a bit. It will take me a while to get used to all the new gadgets, my 96 civic is pretty straight forward. Hopefully I can make it through the first couple of weeks without a fender bender while I get used to the car. Something every new car owner has to do.

My original intent was to compare my "practicing techniques" which are more influenced by improving gas mileage than saving 10 seconds and zooming out into traffic. And so to that extent, excluding cell phones or Nav displays or just plain bad driving, is driving safer.

 

I have certainly noticed this effect on myself. I feel more relaxed driving without the pressure of trying to get everywhere fast. My wife appreciates it too. Though I must say that the FE display has a way of altering my priorities sometimes in ways that might not be truly safe. Reminds me of when I used cruise control a lot and would allow myself to cut things closer than normal to avoid the admittedly small inconvenience of dropping off cruise and re-accelerating.