RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. (AP) — Happy holidays. Now pull over to the side of the road.

Motorists may be in for a surprise if they spot flashing red lights in their rearview mirrors in this Sacramento suburb during the holiday season.

Police are stopping law-abiding motorists and rewarding their good driving with $5 Starbucks gift cards.

A traffic officer came up with the idea to "promote the holiday spirit and enhance goodwill between the traffic unit and the motoring public," police Sgt. Tim Curran said.

Local businesses donated money to buy the gift cards.

"They raised a substantial amount of money," Curran said. "They'll be pulling over a lot of people."

I don't like this precedent. This sounds a lot like being pulled over for no reason.

[Agreed. That's fucked up. You want to thank me for being a good driver? Pull over all the fuckers swerving around the interstate, changing lanes without signaling, etc. Wasting an officer's time handing me a $5 starbucks card, that I may not even want, is kind of absurd. -k]

The Associated Press: Police Reward Good Drivers With Coffee