Stomper or Coaster?

There are 2 types of drivers, Stompers and Coasters. Which are you?

Before you answer that question, be aware that I am a "dyed-in-the-wool" coaster, and believe that stompers are the scourge of the morning and afternoon commutes. Also, you should understand that my purpose in writing this is to convert stompers, or at least make them pause to consider their evil ways.

How do you know if you're a stomper or a coaster? Well, if you rapidly accelerate and decelerate, tailgate, switch lanes constantly to gain an advantage, close the opening if someone signals they want to move into your lane, and such like...you're a stomper. If, on the other hand, You slowly accelerate and decelerate, practice the "2 second rule", tend to pick a lane and stick with it, move with traffic, make room for people changing lanes in front of you, etc...you're a coaster.

Feel free to read on regardless of which kind of driver you are, but the rest of this article is primarily aimed at the stompers.

I could give you a personal "harangue" on the senselessness of stomper driving, but I'll just stick with a few facts:

1. According to fueleconomy.gov, aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town. Sensible driving is also safer for you and others, so you may save more than gas money.
2. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 66 percent of all annual traffic fatalities are caused by aggressive driving actions.
3. Redford Williams, M.D. (Duke University) says that people with the "hostile personality type" found in most aggressive drivers "are four to seven times more likely to die of other health problems by age 50 than are even-tempered people."

Still not convinced? Here's a couple of simple, relevant math problems:

• Let's say your normal commute is 60 miles, and usually takes 60 minutes. That's an average of 60 MPH. However, what if an accident, or road construction slows you down to an average of 30 MPH the first 30 miles? How fast do you need to drive the final 30 miles to make it to work on time?

If you answered 90, you need to figure it again. The only answer to this problem is to allow for such possibilities, or be late.

Next problem:

• In a ten mile stretch of rush-hour traffic with an average speed of 40 MPH, you manage (by your deft maneuvering and intimidation of other drivers) to gain 30 car lengths on me (because I'm coasting), how much sooner will you arrive at the exit we are both going to take?

Well, assuming everyone else is keeping a 2-second distance (and they're not), you will arrive at the exit about 67 seconds ahead of me. Well done!

What I'm trying to impress upon you is that you're just not gaining enough to be worth the increased risk of accident, added stress, and wear and tear on your vehicle. It's not a race. You don't win a prize if you get there first. Leave 10 minutes earlier, relax, enjoy the drive, and experience the rush of joy you feel when you receive the friendly wave from another driver because you made room for him. Even if he's a stomper!