Oregon Nears Car-Sharing Bill

Wednesday, 08 June 2011 | by Pat's Picks

Oregon is on track to become the second state to allow car owners an opportunity to make some money off their curbed investments. The Oregonian says by re-writing the state’s insurance laws, drivers will be able to rent out their vehicles to friends, neighbors—anyone, really—and not be held liable for any accidents or damaged caused while they weren’t in the vehicle. It’s an attempt to encourage car-sharing in communities under-served by companies like Zipcar. Proponents of the plan cite research that says the majority of American cars sit parked in the driveway for 90 percent of their life span; AAA says it costs about $8000 annually to keep a car gassed up and running.