Driving Log Book
 

Does anyone keep a detailed log of their automobile driving?

Information on where you are going, why you are going there, what your odometer reads?

I have heard that a good way to go on a diet is just to write down what you eat every day. Don't judge what you eat or make any changes - just write it all down. The What, Where, and When.

By paying attention to what you eat and recording it makes you think about your future actions a whole lot more.

I would think the exact same thing would work for driving. Ofter we make un-needed trips, but they are just so easy and convenient, why not? Or we may take a route that ends up not being the best.

If we all made a log of where we were going, and why we were going there, I think it would help drop our total miles quite a bit.

Has anyone been keeping a log?
Anyone interested in trying it now?

Keeping a driving log would suit my anal personality, but I see one major issue: privacy.

I'm not one to fear about identity theft or the government tapping my phonelines, but it irks me to know I'm leaving an extremely detailed paper trail of everything I do.

I don't expect anyone to ever find such a paper trail, or much less be interested in reading it, but to know the possiblity exists is enough to turn me off.

Hell, writing on this forum sometimes gets to me. What I write here is accessible by millions of people for as long as this server exists. I'm no hermit and I don't feel ashamed of anything, I just like to lay incognito on certain things...

That's my rationale...I really know it's because I'm lazy...:p

- LostCause

Perhaps you could right in secret code like DaVinci did?

I only keep a log of what I spend on the car, so I can figure out my cost per mile, knowing the cost per mile helps keep trips shorter as well, at $.22 per mile driving 30 miles to the next town becomes a $13.20 round trip.

I'm in
 

Brilliant idea Ben,
Keeping a log of food intake has gotten me from 350 :eek: down to 265 :thumbup: and still going.
Since the idea of keeping a log worked to reduce my consumption of one consumable, the logical extension is that it will help me reduce other consumables. ;)
This time I will use it to track fuel use as a result of driving habits.
Now to go to the BigBox and get another notebook. (I am not sure where the one for food went :o)
Actually I will wait till I am headed that way.
No need to waste fuel to save fuel. :D
Schultz.

eh ehm... --> lazy...

A logbook is a good idea, but they are tough to maintain. I think it takes a unique kind of personality to have that kind of long-term diligence. I mean, who has an unbroken list of diary entries since their youth? :)

A tie-in feature to GPS navigation would be nice. Automatic trip logs...

- LostCause

Wow! Good job! Have you noticed a mileage difference since loosing weight? I know it sounds crass, but it's something I've been wondering about since I'm overweight. I know it doesn't matter in my 4000lbs+ vehicle, but I think about it everytime I see one of those little 1500lbs cars and consider getting one. I apologize if I offend you.

Yes
 

No Offense Taken,
I have been grossly overweight for years.
My doctor had a frank talk with me two years ago and opened my eyes, [scared the hell into me]
He is the one who gave me my food log.
I was appalled at the actual amount of stuff I crammed into my body on a daily basis.
I have changed a lot.
I quit using the log about a year ago but the changes have stuck.
My mileage has gone up but I am not sure if it is due to weight reduction or driving technique.
I would wager it is a combination of both.
S.

I know lots of people who take out the spare tire, just because it's less weight to haul around.

Since you also removed your "spare tire" I am sure it DOES make a difference in fuel economy. May not be a huge difference, but I bet it's there.

Just one more advantage of maintaining a healthy weight.


Easier on your brakes too!

That's why I track things like mileage, financial transactions (not that those can't be traced mostly through other means), and other things using a PDA with encryption software on it. I just went from a Treo to a Nokia N810 for this and many other functions. At the end of the day it syncs all back onto my laptop which, since it's running Linux, is entirely encrypted with keys on a thumb drive. But that's enough of advertising off my paranoia for one thread.