Called the sheriff's department this morning about a strange car leaving my neighbors house when they spotted me (neighbors dont' stay there, just come every other weekend or so) a little before 5am.   My driveway is pretty long.  You can't even see the house from the road.    I turned like I was heading the same way and they took off.  I never got close enough for anything but a general description of the car.  I've never done this but felt it was the right thing to do.  Any negatives to doing this?

No downside to it, other being told to myob.

If something happens later, at least there's been a report.

There was a rash of burglaries in my area a few years ago and I had a photo and description of a car casing houses which matched another report. This led to the capture of the thieves.

I'm in a similar situation, you don't end up in my driveway or my neighbors' by accident.

That was my thoughts,  at least get a record.  You always hear, "Don't invite the man" but there are exceptions.

Got a call from a daughter that a car was sitting in our drive while I was at work. I work close by so I ran home and he was in the neighbors drive that is used as headquarters for our ambulance service. When he got back to his car I talked to him from the seat of my truck. He said he was from another state and investigating some historical houses for a company. I suggested he might want to talk to the sheriff if he was going to be walking around houses just to let him know what was going on. After I left I called the dispatcher and gave her a description of the car and told her what he had said.

My point is I have no reason to think he was lying and think he was being truthful. I was polite the whole time I talked to him. However, if he did have other intentions, now the sheriff had a  description. Also, he knew somebody had gotten a look at him and took enough interest to find out what he was doing so it might not be the best place to stay around. You did the right thing. We all have to look out for each other.

"See something, say something" is always a good idea, even if it turns out to be nothing.

Better safe than sorry.

  If you in my driveway you are 1) coming to visit or 2) lost AF. But then again, I shoot deer from my front porch.
 But yes OP, a paper trail is nice to have if bad things happen.