Car sharing is one of one of the most popular new schemes to help urbanites cut down on their driving. Individuals will choose to be in a car sharing group for various reasons. Car sharing isn't available in every city across the nation yet, though. Starting your own car-sharing program can be a legitimate alternative - but there are surely a few things to keep in mind.

Resource for this article: 3 tips for creating your own car-sharing group By Personal Money Store

1 - Who will own the car?

The first thing you need to figure out is who will be responsible for the vehicle. Unless you start some kind of company out of it, somebody needs to be in charge. There needs to be a basic contract that is signed by anyone sharing the vehicle.

2- Getting insurance

No matter who is driving it, the insurance needs to cover the car. If the driving time is shared 30 to 40 percent of the time, check laws with your state to know what to do. You might not end up ever getting your money if there is an accident and also you haven’t told your insurance business the car is regularly used by others. The other option is to ask all members of the car-sharing network to get their own "non-owner policy" or "broad form" policy - both of which cover the driver and not necessarily the car.

3-The cost of the car-sharing

Figuring out the costs of car-sharing is one of one of the most difficult things for a car-sharing group. Monthly payments can be separate from the operating costs. You are able to have a monthly fee added as the monthly payment split. The operating costs of the automobile are the other consideration. You can add all the fuel, insurance, and maintenance fees together. Divide the total by either individuals or the number of miles you expect to drive the car. To cover all operating costs, set a “per mile” rate for the car. 50 cents a mile is what the US government uses. The price will probably be somewhere between 50 cents and $1 per mile.

It will be worth it to determine what will officially be the costs of sharing. Until ZipCar, Hertz Go, or some other kind of car-sharing network makes it to your city, it can be a great way to lower your cost and reduce your environmental impact.