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Ride
sharing with others is a quick way to cut your commuting costs and reduce
your stress. With the cost of a car running $0.40 or more per mile the
savings can add up.
Carpools may be formed
through word of mouth by friends and colleagues, by employers, regional
governments, or through online carpooling services.
However you connect
with others to ride share or carpool you can enjoy a number of real
benefits:
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Carpools save money:
fuel cost, parking cost and vehicle maintenance cost, and in some cases
insurance.
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Carpools decongest
roads.
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Carpools reduce
pollution and carbon dioxide emissions.
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Higher occupancy
rates also can reduce consumption of oil thereby reducing corresponding
political and economic risks, emissions of pollutants.
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Carpools may provide
social connections in an increasingly disconnected society. New online
carpooling services are offering new ways to make social connections
through discussion sites and custom ridesharing services.
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Some larger carpools
offer "sweeper services" of late pick-up options for people having to stay
longer at work. One form of backup is an arrangement with a local taxi
company.
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There are designated
carpool lanes on highways, which may make travel faster.
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As a passenger
rather than driver you have the chance to relax, socialize or even work if
you insist.
The trade offs include:
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Drivers carry the
additional burden of potential legal action from passengers in case of an
accident.
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Carpooling combines
many of the disadvantages of public transportation (lack of privacy, not
on-demand) with the disadvantages of the automobile (low safety, high fuel
consumption).
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Here are 12
suggested
guidelines to make sure the arrangement works for all parties.
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Tends to be rather
complicated to organize and may be difficult to keep together, due not
least to changing travel patterns and needs.
If you can’t work at home or use public transportation, car pooling can be a
great alternative with a number of real benefits.
Here are 35 more
great ways to save money.
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