“Jump in my car, I wanna take you home,” sang David Hasselhoff. And he may have had a point. Car sharing helps to reduce traffic levels, saves on petrol, reduces carbon emissions, and could even help you gain new friendships.

With ever increasing numbers of cars on our roads, and the levels of congestion increasing daily, car sharing may be the answer. Car sharing kicked off in Zurich in 1948, and became incredibly popular in the 1980s. With the current green-trend and worry over carbon emissions, the car sharing idea is set to become the latest trend with car drivers. In fact, there are already a myriad of car sharing websites already setup to cater for those looking to share cars – both drivers and passengers alike.

Most car sharing websites are free and it is quick and easy to match yourself up with someone suitable. Most websites have some sort of security check to ensure the safety of their members, however the usual precautions apply – ensure that if you are intenting to share with a stranger, you tell someone where you are going, and note down the number plate of the car (if you are not the driver). There are also restrictions in place to ensure that drivers do not turn themselves into illegal minicab services by charging more than their fair share for running costs.

Sites will often let you specify certain parameters when looking for a suitable car-sharer – if you are a woman, you can pick if you only want to share with another female, smoking preferences can be taken into consideration, and so on.

The main drive behind the schemes are to get commuters to share. However, it doesn’t end there. There are sites which are specifically aimed at journeys to and from festivals, some are aimed at football fans travelling to away matches, and some allow holiday makers to drive together to allay guilt about flying. Sharing your car can be good for your social confidence too – you never know when you will strike up a new friendship or make a new business contact. This is one way where the internet shows it’s potential for creating communities and bringing people together, rather than turning us into a reclusive, socially alienated community.

Even better news for people in the UK is that the Department of Transport have suggested the introduction of High-Occupancy Vehicle lanes (HOV lanes). Pilot schemes are already out in Leeds and the West Country, and if successful, could be extended to other areas. HOV users could be exempt from tolls and congestions charges and there is talk that HOVs may also be allowed use of certain bus lanes (M4 users keep an eye on this proposal!)

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