Your driving is being "reviewed" daily... or why driving politely will save you money

Your driving is being "reviewed" daily... or why driving politely will save you money; (not to mention countless lives)

Ever wonder what that nice policeman is reading when he goes back to his car and decides whether to let you off with a warning or to write you a ticket?

He's reading all the comments commercial drivers have called in about you cutting them off, weaving from lane to lane, generally driving unsafely, etc.,etc.,etc.

There's a little-known program that enables randomly-selected (actually, I'm pretty sure your driving record is one factor they use in selecting you) commercial drivers to call an 800# and report unsafe or impolite driving to the CHP and DMV.

Even if you don't ever get pulled over, it is one of the reasons why you may either get to simply renew by mail or (ugh) have to go spend a lovely day at the DMV to renew your license even if you haven't had any accidents.

So it will catch up to you no matter what.

I know for myself that I've reached a point where I don't bother to call in unless someone is driving pretty badly- I'd pretty much be on the phone all day long trying to sweep back that tide with a handbroom, and we all have weaved a bit when on the phone, changing radio stations, etc. So when the officer sees multiple comments that you tailgate, cut people off by changing lanes inches from their bumpers (yeah, I'm talking about you new BMW owners who think your magic car can't possibly harm anyone since they're so stuffed with magical technology that compensates for your obvious lack of common sense and driving ability) or even even ONE comment like that can ensure you get cited instead of being let off with a warning.

I wish everyone had GPS so they could see that driving this way DOES NOT save you time or get you there sooner.

The only things that do are;

a) Leaving sooner

b) Leaving sooner by running to your car instead of walking (good for cardio too)

c) Using your time machine to go back in time, slap yourself on the back of the head to remind yourself to leave sooner

d) setting your watch back and insisting that that is the correct time. Doing so in a loud, manic voice while bulging your eyes and letting a little foam form at the edges of your lips will likely convince the person you're talking to that it's not worth arguing the point with you, which for all practical purposes is the same as convincing them, since they will accept your statement, and back away slowly while avoiding eye contact.

*If the above statement (d) seems perfectly logical to you, you should immediately seek help from a trained mental health practitioner.

Returning to the BMW issue for the moment, that's not a class thing with me, i.e., as if I resented someone in a nice car, I have had a Mercedes before, so I know all too well that driving aggressively will anger people more than if you had cut them off in a Honda, and that's not the case here- I think these are first-time BMW owners who can just barely afford to buy one, especially now since the maintenance is included.

They probably feel like they want to get their money's worth since it's such a really nice car to drive, and also, it's just plain fun to drive that way.

I'm pretty sure too that it's first-time BMW owners, since they haven't considered that if they hurt or kill someone driving that way that they will be sued to pieces and lose everything. Or maybe they have, and the car is the only thing of worth they have, so if it's totaled in a fiery crash, well, obviously there's nothing else to get.

So as we see from these examples, your driving habits are a pretty good indicator of your financial status, and regard for your fellow mans well being.

Put more simply, whether you're a complete A-hole, or just a thoughtless clod.

They will learn eventually when they overestimate their driving skills one too many times, and inevitably crash, or have enough people road-rage them for acting like jerks- we can only hope it's before they hurt or kill someone.

And for pete's sake BMW, please raise the price of your cars for the sake of us all.

Thanks for letting me get that off my chest, and please drive carefully. Driving faster to make up time will save you 10-20 seconds for every 15 minutes driven AT MOST. Obviously not worth it.

Best, Eric