Driving Costs Driving You Crazy? Share a Car!

Despite the sci-fi movies from a couple of decades ago, the 21st century hasn't delivered on the promise of personal jet packs zipping people quickly and economically around big cities. And since about ¾ of the people in North America live in big cities, the traffic congestion just keeps getting worse.

Most people can't really justify the expense and bother of owning a car, but they can't bring themselves to give up the option of being able to drive a car whenever they want to.

Car sharing is a new and innovative solution for urban dwellers who need flexible access to wheels without the hassle of maintaining a vehicle. Car sharing services give members instant access to a wide variety of cars located throughout the city, available 24 hours a day, at a per-trip cost with no commitment.

Car sharing is as simple as hailing a cab, faster than renting, and as convenient as having your own car, without the hassle and expense. With a car sharing network you'll have access to a whole fleet of cars, vans, and trucks in your city, and you'll pay only whenever you have to use one.

You can simply reserve the vehicle that suits your needs, by telephone or online, and then use the car for a few hours, a few days, or a week. You only have to pay per trip, and you don't have to worry about paying for gasoline, repairs, car insurance, or parking in monthly garages or lots.

There are several car sharing programs to choose from. Zipcar has car sharing plans in major cities across the United States and UK, including Atlanta, Boston, Seattle, New York City, Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Portland, and London.

Every reservation of a Zipcar includes 180 miles, and reservations take only a few second online. According to the company, Zipcar members have reported an average savings of $600 a month compared to the cost of owning a car.

And every Zipcar has been responsible for removing at least 13 personally-owned cars from the road, so members are doing their part to take care of the planet by sharing a ride.

If you drive less than 10,000 miles a year and you don't need to drive a car to work every day, then car sharing might be a good option for you to save money and give you greater mobility, especially if you live in a big city. And not only does sharing vehicles help you, it helps the planet by reducing pollution.