High fuel costs drive motorists to share cars in bid to slash bills

Almost half of drivers are now considering carpooling, with the price of petrol the main reason for doing so, a survey found.

And of the 11 per cent of drivers who currently take turns to give lifts, 60 per cent said their primary reason was to reduce their fuel bill.

Sharing to save: 60% of carpoolers do so to reduce their fuel bill, a survey found

Only 34 per cent shared their vehicles in order to reduce emissions, according to the survey by AA Insurance.

The most common reasons for carpooling were social occasion trips such as going to the pub.

About a third of lift-sharing journeys were to and from work, while sharing was also popular when long journeys were involved.

The biggest bar to carpooling appeared to be punctuality - with 72 per cent of those polled saying that they would be put off car sharing if the person they were picking up was always late.

Other annoying habits which could dissuade people from car sharing were criticising the driving of a fellow sharer, putting feet on the dashboard or seats, loud telephone conversations and eating in the car.

AA president Edmund King said: ‘Car sharing is something that we really believe in. Not only is it a good way to reduce emissions and congestion on the road, but can also save on motoring costs.

‘There is huge scope to become more of a car-sharing nation and our research suggests that we could see a big increase, especially if Government proposals for high-occupancy vehicle or car-sharing lanes on some busy commuter routes go ahead.

‘However to make sure that car sharing is a safe and pleasant experience, drivers should check their insurance policy as well as be mindful of the social etiquette around sharing - especially if they do not know the other sharer very well.’