Carpool Frequently Asked Questions
- What's the difference between carpooling, vanpooling, and ridesharing?
- Why should I carpool?
- Do I have to carpool everyday?
- If I don't have a car, can I still participate?
- How do I find other carpoolers?
- How do I know carpooling is right for me?
- I've just found some matches on the rideshare website. What should I do now?
- Is ridesharing safe?
- Are carpoolers supposed to take turns driving?
- What are some ways to organize picking up and dropping off people on carpool days?
- Are there any insurance or liability issues I need to be aware of?
- How much should a non-driver in a carpool pay?
- How much money can I save by carpooling?
- Is my information private?
- I've received an email from a potential carpool match that has asterisks (*) in it. What does that mean?
- What if I have an appointment or errands to run before, during, or after work?
- What is good carpool etiquette?
- How will carpooling benefit me?
A carpool is simply two or more people agreeing
to make a trip sharing one vehicle, often a regular car. A vanpool is basically a carpool of lots of
people, usually seven or more. Because of the size of the group, vans are the most frequently used vehicles for
vanpooling. See Vanpool FAQ for more information on the vanpool program.) Ridesharing is another term for two or more
people traveling together in one vehicle. It can be used interchangeably with carpooling and can also include vanpooling.
When you carpool, everybody benefits. You save money and lessen the stress of
driving everyday. You also play an important part in helping ease traffic congestion, cutting fuel consumption,
and reducing air pollution and global warming. Ridesharing is also a great way to network professionally and share
business ideas and opportunities. Driving with company can make trip a more pleasant and enjoyable experience.
Not unless you want to. Carpooling can be set up to be as structured or as flexible as you and your fellow carpoolers want. Carpooling just once a week saves 20% of the pollutants you would normally be putting into the air. Every time you share a ride, you're making a difference.
Sure! Just indicate you need to be a passenger when you register for
ridematching.
The easiest way is to create an account on the RTC RIDESHARE website. The online matching service will search our files for other people with similar travel patterns to yours who are interested
in ridesharing. Carpool members can include work or school associates you already know, or people who live near you
and work at a nearby employer. It's your choice whether we search every record for matches for you or if we only
search the records of people who are also employed where you work. Occasionally, the rideshare program ends up
helping people meet their neighbors by matching people who work near each other
and live close by each other, but have never met.
It's also a good idea to talk to your Human Resources department staff and see if they would like to help promote carpooling. Refer them to the website and the link to information for employers shown on the home page.
You really won't know if it's a good long-term solution for you until you try it. To work well, it does require some coordination, cooperation and flexibility from those participating. Keep in mind that it can take a little time to create a good, functioning carpool. Be patient with it if you can. If you decide it's
not for you, you are under no obligation to continue.
You can
send an instant-email to any of your matches through the rideshare
website. We've composed a sample
message you can use as is or modify as you like.
Once you've
made the initial contact and the match has responded, we suggest you set up a
time and place to meet in person to talk about possible carpool
arrangements. Some good topics to
address at this first meeting include:
- How often would you like to
carpool, at least initially
- Who wants to drive, and how
often
- Meet up/pickup time and place
for both ends of the trip
- Food, beverage, smoking and
perfume/cologne usage
- How long drivers will wait for
tardy passengers
- Who is notified if someone is
sick
- Payment amount and frequency if
not sharing the driving equally
If it looks
like everyone wants to try out carpooling, you should:
- Choose a date to start.
- Exchange contact information.
- Make sure drivers have valid
licenses and auto insurance.
Statistics show ridesharing is very safe; however,
it is always important to keep personal safety in mind, particularly when
trying something new. If you are
considering ridesharing with people you do not know, we suggest meeting in a
public place like a local coffee shop before starting to carpool. The meeting will serve two purposes. First, you'll have a chance to discuss your
ideas on setting up a carpool without committing yourself to it. Second, you'll be able to assess your comfort
level with the other person(s). Ask
questions and trust your instincts. If you feel uncomfortable about someone,
don't carpool with that person.You can
simply say it doesn't seem like a good match to you.
It's also a good idea to talk to your Human Resources department staff and see if
they would like to help promote carpooling. Refer them to the website and the
link to information for employers shown on the home page.
They can,
but it's not a requirement. In fact, a
carpool may include people who never drive at all. It's a good idea to decide ahead of time on an amount passengers
will pay to help out with the driving costs.
See below for tips on determining a fair amount of compensation for the
drivers.
If a
carpool does switch drivers, this can be done on a daily basis, a weekly basis,
or longer, depending on the carpoolers' preferences. This may also change over time as new people join the carpool.
There
are a number of different ways to manage the logistics. If carpool members live close to each other,
the driver can simply come by each person's house to pick them up. If that's not feasible, then carpoolers can
meet at one of the member's houses or a centrally located public place. Keep in mind that there are also some park-and-ride lots (see homepage download link) throughout the region that can serve as a meeting location.
On the
other end of the trip, there can be multiple stops or one centrally located
spot for dropping people off.
Insurance policies vary, and it is a good idea
to check your policy-primarily the exceptions/exclusions portions. General liability insurance covers
passengers, and most policies would not exclude carpool members, but it is
worth checking. Another good reason to
call your agent is to see if you'll qualify for a carpooling discount.
It will vary depending on the carpool. If participants rotate the driving equally,
money doesn't have to change hands. If
the driving isn't equal, passengers generally chip in to help cover the
driver's expenses. Some guidelines to consider include how much the driver
spends on gas and a reasonable vehicle wear and tear estimate. Below is a table provided by AAA to show
some average operating costs per mile.
|
Operating Costs per Mile (in cents) |
| |
Small Sedan |
Medium Sedan |
Large Sedan |
Average |
| Gas |
7.4 |
9.4 |
10 |
8.9 |
| Maintenance |
4.5 |
4.7 |
5.5 |
4.9 |
| Tires |
0.5 |
0.8 |
0.7 |
0.7 |
| Cost per Mile |
12.4 |
14.9 |
16.2 |
14.5 |
Keep in
mind that this table does not include parking fees. Depending on your carpool, it may be appropriate for a rider to
help pay for some of these expenses, too.
Learn
more about the true total costs of driving and calculate the cost for your
specific vehicle by clicking on AAA's Cost of
Driving download link on the home page.
Savings will vary based on a number of factors
including how often you carpool, the number of people in the carpool, the
distance you travel, and the type of vehicle you drive. Use the link on the home page to the cost
calculator to estimate both your personal savings and the air pollution reduction.
Yes.
Please refer to our privacy policy
for more information.
All emails sent via the RTC RIDESHARE website pass through a profanity filter. Asterisks indicate words that have been removed by the filter. As with any email you receive, the decision on whether or not to reply to it is your individual decision. If you ever receive an email that you find particularly inappropriate or upsetting, please forward it to rtcsmarttrips@rtcwashoe.com.
If you have
an appointment or errands before or after work and need your personal car,
don't plan to carpool that day. If your
appointment is during work, then plan to drive the carpool that day so you'll
have your car.
If you
currently are in the habit of using your car to do errands, go to lunch or go
to appointments during the work day, it's a good idea to ease yourself into
carpooling. You might try doing it just
once a week initially. Then, find ways
to reduce your dependence on your car so that you can carpool more often: bring your lunch to work, bundle your
errands, take care of some errands on line, etc.
Every
carpool is unique, but good etiquette is essential to keep it running
smoothly.Good etiquette takes into
account communication, courtesy, and the safety of everyone in the
carpool.
Do:
- Communicate with your fellow
carpoolers. If you're running a
few minutes late, call them and let them know, but don't let it become a habit. If you can't carpool on a particular
day due to a schedule conflict, give your carpool partners ample notice so
they can make other arrangements.
- Drive safely at all times.
- Keep your vehicle clean and in
good condition.
- Respect any rules the carpool
has agreed upon, such as restrictions on smoking, eating, or drinking.
Don't
- Make a habit of being late.
- Ask your carpoolers to make
extra stops along the way so you can take care of personal errands.
- Bring up controversial topics
such as religion or politics unless you know your carpoolers very
well. While some people may enjoy
discussing or even debating the issues, others may prefer a quieter
commute.
- Have lengthy cell phone
conversations while you're in the carpool.
There are
many benefits to carpooling. If you are
currently driving every day, you're going to save money on driving costs by
carpooling. Your gas expenses will be
less and whenever you are a passenger there will be less wear and tear on your
vehicle because you'll be driving it less.
That will mean lower maintenance costs for your vehicle and if you
reduce your vehicle's mileage a lot, less depreciation of your vehicle's value.
In many cases, the savings can be significant.
You'll also be helping reduce traffic and to keep the air clean which
will help reduce global warming.
Use the
link on the home page to the cost calculator to estimate both your personal
savings and the air pollution reduction.