A recent study says that American’s spend an average of 17,600 minutes behind the wheel each year. That equals about 13,474 miles driven each year, per person. One way to cut down on miles put on your car is to carpool. But many don’t know the benefits of carpooling.
Benefits of Carpooling
It is obvious that one of the benefits of carpooling is the money you’ll save from less fuel usage. Depending on the size of your carpool and distance of your commute, you could save hundreds or thousands of dollars every year in gas costs. But carpooling doesn’t just benefit your wallet! Let’s look at some other benefits of carpooling.
Reduce your carbon footprint
Did you know that every car annually emits its own weight in carbon dioxide into the atmosphere? Carpooling reduces that amount significantly. If you carpool to and from work, you could probably cut your transportation emissions number in half, or better depending on how many carpool together.
Use of carpool lanes
Many major metropolitan areas have specially designated carpool lanes that are reserved for vehicles with two or more passengers. These lanes are typically less congested than other lanes. This, in turn, cuts down on your commute time and can improve fuel efficency.
Usable commute time
If you drive to work alone every day, the time spent behind the wheel is essentially wasted. You have to remain focused on the road. By carpooling, you can use that extra time you are driving to answer emails, catch up on last minute projects, or make important phone calls.
Save money
I know that we talked about savings in the form of using less gas. But did you know that carpooling in some cities actually means a cash reward? For example, The Clean Air Campaign, located in Georgia, motivates drivers to carpool with gas cards and other prizes.
Reduce traffic congestion
The benefits of carpooling on a large scale are huge. Every carpooling participant takes another car off the road, which means less congested roads and highways. Not only can you take advantage of carpool lanes, but fewer cars on the roads always equals less traffic and congestion. This, of course, leads to better fuel efficiency and less travel time.
You’ll want to make sure your car is in top running form before you set up carpooling. A quick visit to your local car dealer can address any issues or get you in a newer car perfect for carpooling.
