The benefits of sharing a car
curve

The benefits of sharing a car

As the number of people living in urban areas continues to grow, so does the popularity of car sharing. With its environmental and economic benefits, lots of people are choosing to share a car rather than own one.

In this guide, we’ll explore what car sharing is, the different reasons why you might want to share a car, and how to make sure you have the correct insurance for sharing a car.

 

What is car sharing?

Car sharing is pretty much exactly what it sounds like – people sharing a car for regular travelling, usually in an effort to help reduce costs. This can include borrowing a friend or family member’s car to take a trip of your own, or sharing a car with other people if you’re all going to the same place, such as commuting to work.

Car sharing means you only use the vehicle when you need it, which can often cost you less than owning a car full time. A recent report found that 55% of commuters would consider car sharing as an alternative to their current commuting mode, and that more than 11.3 million car owners are open to exploring more flexible ways of getting access to a car, rather than owning a car outright.

 

What are the benefits of sharing a car?

Sharing a car offers a range of financial, environmental, and practical benefits.

You can save money

Owning a car often comes with big costs, including fuel, insurance, servicing, running costs and more. Sharing a car can means you can split many of these costs and only pay for what you use.

For example, you can save money on fuel by splitting the cost with whoever you share a journey with. Or if you have a long-term car sharing arrangement with a friend or family member, you could agree to split maintenance costs such as servicing and repairs.

If you’re sharing someone else’s car, you can also take advantage of short-term car insurance, meaning you don’t need to pay for annual cover. If you just need to use the car for a few hours, that’s all you need to pay for.

“Car sharing is a great way to take cars off the road and reduce the amount you spend on travel at the same time”, says community-led charity Greener Kirkcaldy. “If you have more people in your car going to work, the football, or a gig, then you can split the cost of petrol between the people in the car, thus saving each of you money. Also, if you are going to a place where you need to pay for parking, then you can split that cost too.”

It’s good for the environment

Car sharing helps to reduce the number of vehicles on the road. Fewer cars mean lower carbon emissions and less air pollution making it an easy way to contribute to a positive environmental impact.

More people sharing a car will also lead to fewer parking areas needed, helping us to conserve our green spaces and even create new ones in our local communities, helping wildlife thrive in the process.

Reduces congestion

With more people sharing a car, there will be fewer vehicles on the road overall. This can help to ease traffic congestion in busy urban areas and reduces the demand for parking spaces.

In many major UK towns and cities, you can find 2+ passenger lanes which you can use when car sharing. This means that you can reduce the time spent in traffic by using these specific lanes for car sharing.

It’s convenient and flexible

Need a compact car for a trip into the city, or a campervan for a weekend away? Car sharing gives you the freedom to access the right vehicle when you need it, without the long-term commitment. Borrowing your friend or family members car is easy to do with short-term car insurance.

 

When might I need to borrow a car?

There are plenty of situations when borrowing a vehicle makes perfect sense. Here are some common scenarios:

  • Moving house: when it comes to moving house, it can often be a challenge fitting everything you need into a car. Borrowing a larger car or van from a friend or relative can be a cost-effective way of getting your belongings to your new house.
  • Picking up furniture: whether you’re making a trip to IKEA or you’ve spotted a bargain on Facebook Marketplace, fitting furniture into a car can be a struggle. Borrowing a larger car or van can make your trip a whole lot less stressful.
  • Weekend getaways or day trips: you might be planning a road trip holiday, but you don’t own a car. Borrowing a friend’s car means you can take your family away for a long weekend. Or maybe you have the car sorted but you want to share the driving? Short-term car insurance means you can split the driving between passengers to let everyone have some time behind the wheel.
  • Visiting remote areas: sometimes you need to get somewhere that’s just not possible with public transport. Whether you’re back home for the summer or running errands, it can be inconvenient to rely on public transport to remote areas. Sharing a car with a friend can be a solution to this problem.
  • School holidays: if you’re a student home from university or college for the summer, it can often feel as though you’ve lost your freedom without a car to get you to all your summer plans. With short-term car insurance you can borrow a friend or family member’s car and be on the road in minutes.
  • Motorhome holiday: looking to get away for a UK or European break? Road tripping in a motorhome is the perfect way to do this. With short-term insurance you can borrow a motorhome and get on your way in no time, all you need to do is find a friend or family member’s motorhome to borrow.
  • Buying a new car: whilst this can be an exciting time, it can also be a logistical nightmare. To drive a new car home once you’ve bought it, you need to ensure you have the correct insurance to be able to do so. Short-term car insurance is a great solution to be able to drive your new car home on the same day before you purchase your annual policy.
  • Emergencies: you never know when you might need to drive someone else’s car. Whether yours has broken down and you need to get the kids to school, or the person you were road tripping with feels too ill to drive. Short-term car insurance from Dayinsure is the solution, allowing you to be fully covered and on the road in as little as 15 minutes.

 

How do I ask to borrow a friend’s car?

Asking to borrow a friend’s car doesn’t have to be awkward. A little courtesy can go a long way in making the process smooth and stress-free. Here are some easy ways to approach it:

  • Be open with your friend about why you need to borrow a car and for how long you’ll ned it
  • Assure them that you’ll take good care of their car
  • Offer to cover fuel and cleaning costs
  • Show them that you’re legally allowed to drive it with short-term car insurance, without it affecting their no claims discount
  • Ask in advance, not last minute
  • Make sure you return the car in the same state as when you borrowed it so that if you need to borrow the car again, your friend will be more trusting that you’ll look after it

 

Am I insured if I borrow a car?

One of the most important things to consider when borrowing a car is insurance. In most cases, you are not automatically insured to drive someone else’s vehicle. However, you do have several options when borrowing a car with short-term car insurance.

With Dayinsure, you can borrow a car from as little as 1 hour up to 30 days. This means you only have to pay for the time that you actually need the car. If you need the car for a weekend away, you can insure yourself on it for those specific days, or if you just need it for a couple of hours to run some errands, you can insure yourself for just those couple of hours. For complete peace of mind, all our temporary insurance policies are underwritten by Aviva, our key partner, or other insurers, and our breakdown cover is provided by the RAC. For more information on getting insured when borrowing a car, take a look at our FAQs.

 

Take out temporary insurance for your car share with Dayinsure

Whether you’re borrowing a friend’s car for a road trip, a family member’s van to move house, or sharing the drive into work with a colleague, short-term insurance from Dayinsure is here to help.

✅ Comprehensive cover from 1 hour to 30 days

✅ Flexible, easy to arrange policies

✅ Save money using our app

Get a quote today and you can be on the road in minutes!