7 Reasons to Start Car Sharing in 2020
3PR is always looking for ways to make roads safer and less congested. One of the most successful ways to reduce the number of vehicles outside school is to introduce a car sharing scheme.
Car sharing means establishing groups of families within a small radius who can share lifts to and home from school. Each parent or carer in the group will only need to carry out a few journeys a week and then allow their child to travel with another family throughout the rest of the week.
Car sharing involves making journeys with your neighbours.
Whether you want to save money, look after the environment or boost your child’s social skills in 2020, car sharing has tons of benefits for both you and your family!
1 | Improve the parking situation
There are very few primary schools that don’t have parking problems. Car sharing with just one other family will free up an extra space outside school, which will make the roads much safer. Schools could also introduce priority parking for car sharing groups to further incentivise families to take part in the scheme.
Car sharing reduces the number of vehicles on the road.
Many parents and carers idle at drop-off and pick-up time, which has a negative impact on both adults’ and children’s health. Ideally, all drivers would turn off their engines whilst waiting to pick up or drop off; however, fewer cars on the road outside school would naturally reduce emission levels in the area and contribute towards cleaner air.
2 | Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
The maths is simple: two people travelling in one car produce roughly half the emissions of two people travelling in two cars. This doesn’t only improve air quality, but also prevents some of the damaging effects vehicle emissions have on our health.
Car sharing helps to reduce emissions.
Motor vehicles produce roughly 75% of all carbon monoxide, which can cause dizziness, vomiting and (in severe cases) death. Other air pollutants can cause asthma, bronchitis and cancer, which risk lives and put a strain on our health service. Help to reduce these risks by carrying out fewer journeys and switching off your engine whenever you can!
Air pollutants and vehicle emissions put a huge strain on our health.
3 | Save money
We all know running a car is expensive, especially with rising fuel prices. After paying for petrol, insurance and MOT, drivers then have to fork out for “wear and tear” costs!
It goes without saying that the more journeys you carry out, the higher your maintenance costs will be. The good news is that car sharing could help you to save cash, as fewer journeys to school means fewer trips to the petrol station. Furthermore, fewer cars around the school will mean less chance of a collision, which could lead to costly repairs and insurance claims.
Save unnecessary travel costs by car sharing.
4 | Reduce stress
Research has shown that commuters who drive experience higher heart rates, blood pressure, anxiety and stress than those who walk, cycle or use public transport. These factors combined lead to road rage, where commuters often lose concentration and drive more dangerously. Children who witness road rage may start school in a bad mood or be irritable or upset throughout the day.
It’s easy to get stressed when driving in busy areas.
Car sharing means fewer cars on the road, fewer journeys and less time sat in traffic. This will make journeys safer and happier for everyone involved.
Fewer cars on the road means less road rage for drivers.
5 | Social benefits
Being part of a car sharing group will enable parents who live in the same neighbourhood to get to know each other better. In fact, this is fundamental to a successful car sharing group, as it’s vital that adults trust each other with the care and transportation of their children.
Get to know other parents in your neighbourhood by establishing car sharing groups.
Children also get the chance to meet pupils from other year groups and potentially other schools. Socialising with others could boost your child’s vocabulary and emotional competence and may put them in a better mood for the day. Whilst eavesdropping on these conversations, parents and carers may also discover issues they hadn’t been aware of, giving them a great insight into their children’s mind and mood.
Children can make new friends through car sharing groups.
6 | Reduce traffic on the road
Car sharing means fewer cars on the road, which may result in less wear and tear on our streets, which is costly for the government. Potholes also damage cars and bikes and result in road accidents. Reducing the number of journeys would avoid (or at least minimise) this damage and save both councils and vehicle owners lots of time and money.
Less traffic means better road surfaces, which saves both drivers and the government time and money.
Fewer cars on the road also result in fewer road accident casualties, of which there were over 1,700 in 2016. Having more passengers (especially children) in the car also forces drivers to pay greater attention to the road, thereby reducing the likelihood of an accident from careless driving.
Car sharing could help to reduce the number of road accidents.
7 | Save time
Do you find yourself running around like a headless chicken when leaving for school? Just think how much calmer you’d feel knowing you only had to do the school run once or twice a week! This would give you more time to get to work, complete your housework, enjoy your hobbies or take other children to other schools.
Car sharing will give you more time for housework and hobbies.