Keep it in the family – car sharing can work for everyone

Have you ever been surprised at how many cars turn up when there’s a family get together? Too often, solo car journeys aren’t necessary, and families have more vehicles than they need. It’s wasteful and many want to find better and greener ways of car usage.

A couple with two grown up children at home can have four or more vehicles between them, but too often, these are simply parked outside, while owners pay for tax, insurance, and servicing – and let’s not forget depreciation.

What’s more, many are now working from home and so don’t need the car for the daily commute.

Is the street where you live is filled on both sides with cars and the air can seem uncomfortably polluted?

The only way things will change is to take action. We need fewer cars and to find car sharing solutions – so why not start with the family unit?  People want to find greener ways of living and if a family lives in reasonable proximity of each other, they can make this work.

There needs to be organisation, so why not look at online calendar apps? These allow family members to book dates and times when they need the car or van.

The summer months with lighter evenings could be the ideal time to try this out. Perhaps family members will be having more days out in the holidays, so it’s a perfect opportunity to see if a sharing arrangement would work.

But, no matter how well people get on, car sharing must be handled respectfully and responsibly. That means paying your share if the car is borrowed and making sure it’s returned at an agreed time and in a clean condition.

Borrowing a car is also made easy by short term car insurance. GoShorty covers drivers aged 18 to 75, making car sharing work across the generations. Whether it’s a shopping trip or a break away, temporary car insurance cover can be bought for an hour up to 28 days. It’s so simple to buy and incredibly flexible – car sharing is the future, and it could be in your family’s hands.