These are the Fantastic Benefits of Carpooling

With more and more people becoming environmentally conscious and financially savvy, the concept of carpooling has really taken off lately. And we are not just talking about kids being driven around by soccer moms in minivans either. We are talking about adults who work together and live geographically close to each other sharing rides to and from the workplace.

The concept of carpooling or ride-sharing has its great share of amazing benefits, ranging from the financial to the environmental, and even to one’s overall lifestyle. It is, therefore, no surprise that more and more working professionals are choosing this incredibly convenient mode of transportation and even actively encouraging it.

So what are the reasons why more and more people are now choosing to carpool, rather than commuting by themselves? Let us count the ways:

It’s a great way to save on gas.

This is probably the most obvious reason. These days, fuel prices are constantly yo-yo-ing between extreme highs and moderate lows, so the average motorist is sure to feel the strain in their wallet. Sharing a ride with coworkers will definitely lighten up the load significantly in the long run because you will also be sharing fuel expenses to a certain degree.

Car owners also save on vehicle maintenance costs.

By carpooling with coworkers, your vehicle will not be used as often as when you are commuting on your own. This means that your vehicle’s wear and tear will be considerably less. This translates to huge savings in maintenance and repair costs for the long term. Not only that, your car is sure to last longer.

You save on parking costs.

These days, parking fees cost an arm and a leg, especially in bigger cities. By carpooling with coworkers, you no longer have to shoulder such a cost on your own. This saves you more money that you can then use for other things and worthier pursuits.

Not only that, a lot of companies and buildings actually offer premium parking spots for carpoolers, so you also get dibs on the best parking spaces and maybe even save a few minutes walking to and from your office. If you’ve ever had to spend time driving around a crowded parking area just looking for a decent parking space, then this is a real treat that you can’t help but appreciate and a worthwhile benefit in itself.

Carpooling helps reduce traffic congestion.

Carpooling lets you do your part in improving the traffic situation in your town or city. This is because when several people share one vehicle, it goes without saying that fewer vehicles are on the road during rush hour. This way, traffic moves more steadily and considerably more swiftly, as opposed to a one car to one person ratio. Not only that, some cities have special express lanes for High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV) such as carpools, so you get to your destination a lot quicker.

You reduce your stress levels.

Let’s face it—driving and dealing with traffic is a very demanding and often stressful activity that requires good reflexes, hand-eye coordination, split-second decision-making, and much more at all times. This means that you are constantly on your toes each time you get behind the wheel, which can give you unwelcome tension. By carpooling, you get to be the passenger for a few days each week, which means that you are able to put your feet up and relax and take it easy from time to time. So really, that’s one less thing to be stressed out about!

Making friends is made easier.

Carpooling is a great way to spend time with your coworkers outside of the office and foster friendships. By riding to and from work together, you have more time to chat and get to know each other, giving you more opportunities to forge lasting relationships.

You do your part in saving the environment.

And last but definitely not the least, you do your part in reducing your carbon footprint by just carpooling. This is because fewer cars lead to fewer greenhouse gas emissions and lesser fuel consumption.

Indeed, carpooling has a lot of benefits that you can enjoy both in the short and long term. Which benefit is most important to you?