With tough economic times and gas prices on the rise, commuters in the Bay Area have another reason to carpool – $100 in FREE gas. 511 Rideshare is offering up Rideshare Rewards which is an incentive program for drive-alone commuters to give carpooling a try. Registration for the program is simple. New carpoolers register at 511.org by clicking on the “Rideshare” link.

Throughout a 90-day period, participants submit commute logs online to earn up to $100 in Rideshare Rewards. Commuters can also get free help finding a carpool match through the 511 RideMatch Service at 511.org. Assistance is also available by dialing 511 and saying “Rideshare,” Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Tags: Bay Area, carpool, commuter, free gas, Rewards, RideMatch, rideshare

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Cars are a necessity but maintaining these vehicles normally carry another financial burden in the form of car insurance. But with GMAC, all of these may seem better and truth of the matter is, they have a program that can very well be beneficial to current motorists bucking the financial trends.

For people who have a short commute, work from home, use mass transit, carpool or choose to ride a bike or walk more for their health, the Low-Mileage Discount offers an opportunity to significantly reduce what they spend annually on auto insurance.

“People who drive fewer than 15,000 miles a year can opt in to the program and save up to 54 percent on their auto insurance simply by being an OnStar subscriber,” says Wade Bontrager, senior vice president of GMAC Insurance. “Using OnStar’s pre-existing Vehicle Diagnostics capability, with the customer’s permission, GMAC Insurance would receive a monthly odometer reading from the customer’s vehicle. If their total mileage for the year doesn’t surpass 15,000 miles, we then adjust their annual premium lower based on their abbreviated driving habits.”

As another way to help keep driving costs down while conserving energy, GMAC Insurance offers these five tips:

1. Maintain your vehicle. Keeping up with your vehicle’s maintenance can significantly reduce the cost of future repairs and vastly improve gas mileage. OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics monitors your vehicle’s key operating systems and will tell you exactly when you need to change your oil, eliminating unnecessary oil changes.
2. Keep your tires inflated. Pumping up your tires to the proper PSI is the easiest, most cost-efficient way to reduce gasoline use. OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics also runs monthly checks of your tire pressure.
3. Lighten your load. Every extra 100 pounds of weight you carry can strip away 1 to 2 percent of fuel efficiency. Take out those sand bags you might have added to the trunk for winter driving, remove the bike or ski rack if you aren’t using it, and unload any other unnecessary cargo. However, make sure to leave the essentials, such as your emergency safety kit.
4. Don’t idle. Picking the kids up from school? Waiting out front while someone runs into the store? If you are stopped for more than 30 seconds, shut the car off to avoid wasting gas.
5. Easy on the gas pedal. If you accelerate hard at green lights and when traffic lets up, you might want to think twice. Jerky, stop and start driving can hurt your gas mileage.

(Source) Press

Tags: car insurance, carpool, conserving energy, financial burden, financial trends, fuel efficiency, gas mileage, gmac insurance, odometer, odometer reading, sand bags, ski rack, tire pressure, vehicle diagnostics

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