Car sharing instead of owning a car

People who use car sharing rather than owning a car usually drive much less.
With a car sharing service, you are more likely to choose other options when they exist, which means less pollution and lower use of energy and resources.

The reason is simple. Most of the cost of owning a car is fixed: you pay for it whether you use it or not. Since you are paying anyway, you tend to drive it as much as possible, and you are less likely to take public transport or a bike.

Car sharing usually combines an hourly rate with a small monthly fee, so every trip has a visible cost. This is a strong reason to drive less. It also saves resources: each shared car replaces between 5 and 20 private cars on the road.

It works best for people who need a car for a few hours, a few times a month, for example to do the grocery shopping.

On the other hand, car sharing is usually only practical in cities with a good public transport network, or where cycling is easy all year round.

It is an excellent way to drive less, and it can save you thousands of dollars every year.