7 Financial Perks of Being the Only Driver of Your Car

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Car ownership has its challenges. From the moment you first drive away, you’re responsible for cleaning it, feeding it, protecting it against accidents and preventing theft. Not to mention maintaining it, so it stays on the road and keeps you safe. That’s a lot of responsibility.

Before you regret your decision and start wondering if ride sharing is a better option, remember owning your own car has plenty of perks too. It supports your lifestyle, allows you to be spontaneous, keeps you connected with friends, family and the community – and all in comfort and style. It’s an extension of you.

Research from an Australia-wide survey found more than 50% of women over the age of 35 never share their wheels. Surprised? We were too, but it makes sense given the benefits owning your own car and not sharing it with others.

At PD Insurance we understand car ownership can be expensive, so we like to reward people’s efforts to drive safely and look after their car. Smart, savvy drivers don’t need the extra financial pressure or stress that comes from putting everything on pause to get the car fixed.

So, in this blog we’ll discuss the financial perks of being the only driver of your car. Keep an eye out for our list of lifestyle, safety  and cleanliness perks too. They’ll give you even more fodder for saying no to sharing the driving of your car.

car insurance broker helps holds paperwork on different types of car insurance

1. Reduce Financial Risks by Controlling Car Care

Car sharing may appeal when you’re considering helping out your partner, friends or family members, but think again. Sharing the responsibility of looking after your car sounds great in theory, but what happens when your co-driver doesn’t pull their weight? It’s a risky financial move.

When you’re the only one behind the wheel, you’ll get to know – and care properly for – your car inside and out. You’ll have much more control in optimising the money you put into it, and over keeping yourself safe on the road.

Being the only driver means it’s easy to keep tabs on your maintenance schedule and how well your car is running. By this we mean responsibilities like conducting regular oil checks and keeping up with the optimum tyre pressure (reducing fuel consumption and how often you need to replace tyres).

If you’re 100% in control you’ll action warning lights quickly. You’ll quickly attend to any warning signs (smells, sounds and so on) that your car isn’t running as well as it should. When maintenance issues go unnoticed a vehicle can quickly nosedive into dangerous territory, literally.

Sharing servicing and maintenance responsibilities might also cause you to miss scheduled services. This isn’t just a safety risk, it will increase your ongoing car costs. Ignoring indications something is wrong could cost you thousands.

Only one driver also means less distance travelled by your car, meaning lower running costs (replacing components like the battery, spark plugs, brake pads, the fuel pump and so on). It also means reduced wear and tear on the car’s exterior over its lifetime. Common issues such as windscreen chips and cracks, worn wipers, paint scratches, scraped tyre rims, dents etc can be a real pain in the back pocket.

Regular TLC will save you money (as will doing your research on how to save money on your car insurance). Can’t argue with that.

2. Avoid Unexpected Fines or Speeding Tickets

Your partner conveniently forgot to tell you about that parking fine (and it’s in your name). Your sister ran a red light in your car and had no idea, but now the ticket has arrived in your mail she’s broke and needs to pay you back in instalments.

Forget having to fork out for expenses that aren’t yours and then needing to chase the payback. Car co-ownership isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

3. Take Advantage of Discounted Car Insurance

You’ll find that most insurance providers believe savvy people who look after their cars should be rewarded. That’s why some offer an exclusive driver/only driver discount on your comprehensive car insurance, if you’re the only driver of your car. That’s one less thing to worry about!

On the flipside, read about the pros and cons of car sharing.

4. Never Be Left with an Empty Tank of Fuel

You’re running late for your job interview because your cat threw up on your shoes. You have exactly 8 minutes to get to where you need to be. When you finally get into the car you turn the key only to find the tank empty. Oh, the rage. Now you’re going to be late and you need to foot the petrol bill.

That’s one of the big perks of being the only driver of your car – you’ll never be inconvenienced. You know what’s ahead of you and you plan for it.

Imagine if you missed a job opportunity, had to buy a ticket for a later plane, needed to pay for roadside assistance when you unexpectedly ran out of fuel… you get the picture.

5. Easier Calculating and Claiming Car Work Expenses

Do you use your own car for work-related activities? If you travel between two places of work, carry specialised equipment, deliver/collect supplies or use your car to attend work-related conferences or meetings, you may be able to claim some of your car expenses at tax time.

You’ll need to keep a diary or logbook of business use (noting the odometer reading and distance travelled) to claim a portion of car expenses.

Who wants the fuss of trying to calculate your claimable portion of car expenses it you split them between co-owners? Not us. Time to simplify your life and stop sharing your car.

6. No Car Sharing with a Dodgy Driver

You’re a careful driver, but how is your co-driver behind the wheel? Even if they’re not so bad, sharing the driving with someone means your car is on the road more often. So, statistically, it’s at a higher risk of being in an accident.

If you’re the only driver, you’ve got full control over how it’s driven and used – saving you money, time and hassle.

These benefits are surely enough to lower your stress levels and increase the joy of driving. After all, if you’re going to invest in a car, you might as well reap the benefits while saving money where you can, right?

Don’t forget to also check out our lifestylesafety and cleanliness perks of being the only driver of your car.

And if you’re looking to save more money on a new car insurance quote, we can help you find ways to save on your next premium.

Click below to get your award winning car insurance quote.

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