The driver survey conducted...

The driver survey conducted by insurer Privilege showed that 1 in 5 motorists are likely to try to share their journey, and that those in favour of the lanes outnumber those against 2 to 1, with nearly half of all motorists in favour.

Surprisingly, 1 in 12 already share their car journey to work with colleagues, by the end of 2006 this is expected to be 1 in 8, rising to 1 in 6 by the end of the decade.

Most surprising is that congestion-busting is not the only benefit of car pools - motorists seem to drive more safely when it"s not just them in the car. 10 percent of drivers say they have been in an accident when driver alone, compared to just 5 percent of those who were driving with passengers.

The figures for being stopped by the police are similarly dramatic - drivers were twice as likely to have been stopped when alone compared to when carrying others.

Could it be that we value other people"s safety ahead of our own, or is just that we"re shamed into driving more responsibly when there"s someone sitting next to us? Either way, car sharing schemes looks like a good thing, for a variety of reasons.