Carpooling: Saving Time, Money, and the Planet

What is carpooling? Commuters who drive to work together in one vehicle are considered to be carpooling. They could be workers, neighbors, or family members. Some rideshare apps even connect strangers to carpool together to nearby areas.

Why carpool? Because carpooling can save you money on gasoline, reduce your car insurance costs, and help save the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It also reduces traffic congestion and saves you time. With fewer cars on the road, everyone can get where they’re going faster, and you don’t necessarily have to rely on public transport.

Check out our infographic below for more carpooling statistics and how the benefits of carpooling can save you time and money and reduce your stress.

Enter your ZIP code above to compare car insurance quotes to see how much carpooling can save you.

What are the benefits of carpooling to work?

While 80 percent of people drive themselves to work every day, only 9.4 percent of them carpool despite the numerous financial and environmental benefits of carpooling.

Carpooling benefits the environment and our communities. Even if everybody carpooled with just one other person, we’d eliminate countless pounds of carbon dioxide every day while reducing air pollution in general. The higher number of cars on the road continues to have a serious environmental impact. The advantages of carpooling apply to your wallet as well.

If you carpool to work, you can lower your car insurance rates by qualifying for low-mileage discounts and reduced coverage. Imagine paying auto insurance on driving 3 days a week instead of 5. If you’re looking at everyday fuel costs, you can cut your gallons of fuel consumption into a fraction of what it was. This leaves more money and gas for fun activities and spreads out your maintenance on personal vehicles. We pay for cars that have greater fuel efficiency, but you’d save more by going from 100 miles a week to 50 by carpooling.

Even if your car doesn’t use fossil fuels, you can still reduce your maintenance costs on the average vehicle. Your tires won’t wear down as fast, and your brakes will be good longer. Even fully electric vehicle drivers can save a lot of money doing this.

Why is carpooling good for my budget?

The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2011 American Community Survey shows that only around 9.7 percent of American employees chose carpooling to work that year, despite the numerous environmental and financial benefits of carpooling.

According to AAA’s Your Driving Costs 2012, between gas, maintenance, and wear on tires, it costs an average of 20 cents for every mile you drive, which can add up quickly and vary depending on driving conditions.

When driving your vehicle, carpooling allows you to share this cost of the rides with your friend or passengers, or you may be able to alternate the vehicles being driven between your fellow carpoolers, which evenly distributes costs and vehicle wear and tear. It allows you to reduce wear and share costs with other passengers. You’ll save money on gas and maintenance by reducing the number of miles you drive per day.

Carpooling can also save you time and reduce your stress, especially if you live in a busy city. Most major cities encourage carpooling by offering high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, allowing you to cruise by stop-and-go highway traffic based on the number of passengers in your car. If everybody did this, it could mean thousands of vehicles off the road each day and less time on the road for everyone. It could also mean fewer accidents and less time on the road. Your daily commute doesn’t have to be so stressful.

Also, most major cities have carpooling or high occupancy vehicle HOV lanes, allowing you to cruise in the carpool lanes while passing the stop-and-go traffic in the main lanes, which saves you time and increases your gas mileage, saving you on the cost of gas money.

Take a look at our infographic below for more carpooling statistics.

Carpool Statistics Infographic

Our infographic on carpooling statistics below takes a look at the state of carpooling and ridesharing in the U.S:

Where can I find a carpool near me?

If you commute thirty minutes or more, talk to your co-workers or neighbors about carpooling together. Living near someone you work with, or if a co-worker lives on your way to work, is the easiest way to find carpooling near you.

Some commuters also use ridesharing or carpool apps like Waze Carpool that will connect you with drivers and passengers nearby headed in the same direction. You can also put in ride requests or look into public transportation.

Some carpool and ridesharing apps let you choose whether you want to be the driver or the passenger while others don’t. Generally, these apps come with a fee. So test out a few to see which works best with your schedule.

If you don’t own a car and are curious about carpooling quotes and car insurance, read our guides on rideshare insurance and non-owner car insurance coverage to learn more.