Car Share Club

Car Sharing - A Neglected Solution?

With congestion continuing to rise on Britain’s roads a number of solutions have been proposed, raising tax being the main one. However, every day in the UK there are over 10 million empty seats on the roads. Worse still, the vast majority of these empty seats are during the rush hour, with average occupancy for commuting only 1.2. The solution appears to be simple - car sharing. This is further supported by recent research which found that over 50% of commuters would car share on their way to work if they could find someone suitable to share with.

Car sharing has often been talked about but only ever considered to be a small scale solution, unlikely to have a significant effect on congestion levels. Again, the evidence suggests otherwise. A 25% increase in car occupancy levels would result in the number of commuting cars on the road falling by 21%. Put another way, if everyone shared a journey to work just once a week then the effect would be similar. With over 50% of people happy to try car sharing out this could be an attainable target.

So why has car sharing failed to take off in a big way? Put simply, a lack of funding. Without the money to raise awareness of car sharing and the ways to go about finding someone to share with, the concept of car sharing is always going to be doomed to being an insignificant solution.

Why hasn’t the funding been provided by the government, particularly in light of the many reports that have come out over recent years highlighting the potential of car sharing? One can only speculate but to governments the idea of car sharing isn’t so attractive. It generates no additional government revenue and is in fact likely to reduce it, particularly with the decline in fuel consumption. Compared with the prospect of continuing to dramatically increase taxes on motorists, many of whom have no choice but to use their cars, car sharing doesn’t stand a chance.

The benefits of car sharing are also often vastly underestimated. Car sharing does hugely reduce petrol consumption for the individuals involved and if promoted in a large way then congestion and pollution could be reduced significantly. Other benefits include reduced parking problems and the lower mileage done by each car means that they depreciate less rapidly.

However, one statistics that is overlooked is the impact of car sharing on road safety. The number of speeding fines handed out in the UK in 2005 reached the 2 million mark. With road safety being of such apparent importance the statistic that the likelihood of having an accident is reduced by 50% if there are two or more people in the car should make the relevant authorities sit up and take note. The way to increase road safety is to promote car sharing. The added fact that it is also makes driving cheaper for the individual, and reduces congestion and pollution, should encourage people to take car sharing seriously.

Becoming involved in car sharing is very straightforward. Liftshare.org was established in 1997 and now has over 130,000 members one million journeys registered. It’s also free to join, with a simple registration form to complete before you can register a journey and begin searching for travel companions. Whether you’re traveling to work, a festival or a sporting event car sharing is possible.

By: Charles Cridland -

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Charles Cridland founded YourParkingSpace.co.uk, a site where you can rent out your private parking space, or find long term parking spaces for rent.

How To Keep Your Car Running Costs Down

Your car doesn’t have to cost a fortune to run - here are a few ways in which you can reduce the cost of owning and running your car:

1) Insurance: It may seem obvious but get a number of quotes before you take out insurance. Try using comparison websites but remember that no single website offers quotes from every insurance company. You can increase your voluntary excess to bring down the cost of your insurance and think about whether you need fully comprehensive insurance - if your car’s old, it may not be worth it.

2) Driving style: The biggest influence on fuel consumption is driving style. Basically, the smoother the driving style, the more economical it will be. You’ll also find that fuel consumption increases rapidly when the cruising speed goes up.

3) Leave the car at home: If your journey is less than ten miles, the engine won’t reach its normal working temperature. This means higher fuel consumption and more wear and tear to the engine. Instead try to find a car share, use public transport, walk or cycle.

4) Fuel: This is the biggest day-to-day expense. Shop around for the cheapest fuel and consider using supermarket petrol stations as well - if it’s a supermarket you shop at regularly look out for vouchers giving you a few pence off per litre - fill up a whole tank and you could save quite a bit.

Keeping your car safe is another way to keep the overall cost down, as theft or damage from vandalism can also be very costly, as well as a great inconvenience. Here are a few simple ways to deter thieves.

1) It sounds obvious but don’t leave your car unlocked if you’re just at the petrol station - your insurers may not pay up if your car is stolen.

2) Don’t leave the ignition key in. It doesn’t matter if your car is in the garage or you’re just nipping indoors for a moment, remember to remove those keys!

3) Don’t leave valuables visible, or in the glove box for that matter. Lock them in the boot in a suitable safe box or take them with you. Vehicle documents should never be left in the car as a thief can use them to sell the car.

4) Park smart. Choose a car park with an attendant and go for a space in a busy part. If you’re parking after dark, opt for the most well lit area you can find.

5) Have an electronic immobilizer fitted. These stop the engine from being started. Mechanical devices, such as steering wheel and gear lever locks, are simple, high visibility deterrents.

6)Fit an alarm. These add another layer of protection - a good deterrent, especially for on street parking.

7) Fit a tracker. If your car is your pride and joy, a tracker might put your mind at ease. They’re expensive but at least your car can be traced if it is stolen.

By: Glynis Shaw

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Written by John Somer of www.autouseful.co.uk, the new UK online motoring store for car accessories, motoring gifts and car care products like Zymol wax.

Autouseful Car Accessories and Motoring Gifts

Car Hire Switzerland: Where To Go & What To See

The country is divided into 4 areas; there is the German-speaking north, the french speaking West, the Italian speaking south and the central area that is very Swiss.

The biggest city in Switzerland is Zrich, which, even though is the most important city culturally and economically, is not the capital. In both 2006 and 2007, Zrich was named city with the best quality of life in the world. There is so much to see and do in the city it would be impossible to list them all, but some of the best include the Grossmnster, the Landesmuseum, Kunsthaus (a major art museum), and the Lake Promenade.

With your car you can visit places outside of Zurich city like Alpamare Waterpark - the biggest indoor water park in Europe, or Atzmannig Theme Park. Or maybe you’d like to see the Rhine Falls - the biggest waterfalls in Europe. They are located 3km south of Schaffhausen about an hours drive north of Zurich.

Switzerland Car Hire Tip: When driving in Switzerland you’ll be driving on the right. Many of the smaller cities and towns might have car free areas in the city centres. In these cases, park outside the centre and then walk into the city.

Winterthur and/or Saint Gallen are within easy reach of Zurich.
Winterthur is a major city about half an hours drive from Zurich. The city has 17 museums and galleries and most of them are definitely worth a visit, including the Swiss Science Centre and the Oskar Reinhart Collection.

Saint Gallen is an attractive town, whose main attraction is the Saint Gallen Stiftsbibliothek, in the Abbey of Saint Gall.

From Zurich you can head north for Basel and south for Lucerne.

Switzerland Car Hire Tip: To drive on the motorway you’ll need a Vignette (sticker) stuck to your windscreen. For 40CHF you can get a Vignette for an entire year.

The city of Basel is around an hours drive from Zurich on the A3. Basel is one of Switzerland’s most beautiful cities. The city sits on the border with both France and Germany; and is part of the Regio TriRhena, which is a region shared between France, Germany and Switzerland, that all share a common heritage. The city is home to the oldest university in the country, the University of Basel founded in 1490. If you are visiting the city during the annual festival of Fasnacht (celebrated all over Switzerland and beyond, but Basel goes all out for it), in 2008 Feb 11-13, you can be sure of a lot of fun but almost no sleep!

Switzerland Car Hire Tip: The roads in Switzerland are generally all excellent. The speed limits are 120km/h on motorways, 80km/h on main roads, and 50km/h inside in towns. If you’re caught speeding, especially within city limits, there are hefty fines. These fines will also track you back to your home country, so best to not speed in the first place.

Lucerne is also about an hours drive south of Zurich. If you choose to visit Lucerne, you’ll not be disappointed. This city was the first to join the Swiss Confederation and is also the setting for the story of William Tell who shot the apple from his son’s head (though William Tell came from Altdorf which is located just across the lake, so why not visit there too). While in Lucerne you can check out the Wasserturm and Kapellbrcke, which together form the most popular landmarks in the city.

Switzerland Car Hire Tip: The legal alcohol limit is 0.5, which is much less than the 0.8 in the UK and Ireland.

From Zurich you can travel to the capital Bern, along the A1. It is about 1.5 hours drive depending on traffic.

Bern the official capital, is the 4th largest city in Switzerland and is the seat of governance for the country. It’s located in the German speaking area of Switzerland. Some of the main attractions for the city include the Bundeshaus Government Buildings, Einsteinhaus, various museums and The Clock Tower near the city centre which has an amazing display of animatronics technology that starts a few minutes before the hour, every hour.

Switzerland Car Hire Tip: Some Mountain Roads can be very narrow and have numerous blind bends, so beep the horn when approaching blind corners.

Continuing on towards Lake Geneva, you’ll finally arrive at Lausanne. This city is located in the french speaking area of Switzerland and is also home to the International Olympic Committee. The city is also home to two major universities so as you can expect the city has a very active nightlife, particularly in the district of Flon. After visiting the Old Town you can visit some of the many museums in the city such as the Collection de l’Art Brut, the Palais de Rumine, the Olympic Museum and the Muse Historique de Lausanne.

Switzerland Car Hire Tip: On a narrow mountain road, buses have right of way at all times. Cars going uphill have priority over cars coming downhill.

Carrying on along the northern shores of Lake Geneva, you’ll eventually arrive at the city of Geneva itself. The city may be smaller than Zurich and not the national capital, but in many ways it’s the international capital. Within the city you should find the headquarters of the Palais des Nations (European branch of the UN), World Health Organization and UNICEF. Some things worth seeing consist of the Jet d’Eau, Cathdrale St-Pierre and any of the many museums which include the Museum of the International Committee of the Red Cross (The Red Cross was founded in Geneva), the International Museum of the Reformation and the Muse ARIANA.

Switzerland Car Hire Tip: GPS devices with radar are banned in Switzerland so it’s best to check what kind of GPS you have before you take to the road.

In 2008, Switzerland, along with Austria, will host the Euro 2008 soccer championships. The cities that will host the games in Switzerland will be Basel, Zurich, Bern and Geneva. The opening ceremony, first match and all of the Swiss group games will be played in Basel.

By: Mairead Foley

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Mairead Foley writes for www.novacarhire.com/“> www.Novacarhire.com/ where you can book car hire at airports, ferry ports, rail stations, cities and towns all over the world.

Visit Novacarhire.com for all you need to know before you take to the roads in Switzerland, like where to go and what to see with your car hire. Book your Car hire Switzerland now.

Carbon Footprint, What’s Your Shoe Size?

One in five drivers is suffering from ‘Green Guilt’ according to research by Prudential.
There appears to be a trend that those who live and/or work in the city are more sympathetic to the problem of pollution. Whereas, in direct contrast, those who live rurally are said to be less likely to worry. Do we take our environment for granted; the answer to this question seems to be, unfortunately, yes.

3.5 million drivers confess to owning 3 or more cars, this would send the average carbon footprint rocketing skywards. There are some benefits to be had by decreasing your carbon footprint, cheaper motor insurance is just one of them.
So what can you do to make your carbon footprint smaller; Why not consider switching your fuel to join those who already benefit from cheaper tax and insurance in the diesel owning portion of the population. Diesel engines are typically much more fuel efficient than their petrol counterparts.

Ask yourself the questions; ‘Could I manage with a smaller engine, could I car share, can I take the bus? And you will find the answer to these questions is more than likely to be ‘yes’.

There’s also the option of converting your car to run on Liquid Petroleum gas.
This is a BI product of off-shore oil production and can be commonly sourced at most large petrol stations. It is seen as a good stop-gap between high emission petrol engines and a future environmentally friendly fuel source. On average it will cost you half the price of petrol (although returning only half the fuel economy); the advantage to the environment outweighs the negative aspects due to much lower emissions.

So when you decide to next swap your car, consider changing to a more environmentally friendly engine. Who knows, you may even save money on your tax and car insurance.

The conclusion it seems, has to be, what can ‘you’ do to help the environment?

By: Chris Rowlands

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Shrink your Carbon Footprint and you could save money, who wouldn’t like cheaper car insurance?

With stealth green taxes announced of late, it is prudent to do everything possible to reduce your Carbon footprint, especially if your motor insurance and tax take a nice cut
too.