(AOL Autos) -- Letting someone else deal with the day to day expenses of maintaining an automobile (and just paying for what you use) seems to be a novel idea. Joining a "car share," such as the popular Zipcar car sharing service, is gaining in popularity as consumers look to other ways to save money.



Car-sharing services let you avoid paying for gas and insurance, but there are fees and rules.



By using a car share, you're not only shedding monthly car payments, taxes, insurance and upkeep, but you can let someone else worry about whether the old rattle trap will make it another year. You simply pay a fee and drive the car when you need it.



By maximizing the utilization of a single automobile among many users, car sharing services claim they are helping to reduce pollution, too. Every single Zipcar removes about 15 personal cars from the road, the company says. Unclogging traffic and dialing back the amount of single-occupant vehicles burning fuel has a greening effect.



Reducing expenses and saving the polar ice caps aren't the only reasons; there's as much justification for joining a car share as you can dream up, from impressing the client at a business meeting with a fancy car to going over the river and through the woods for family gatherings, all without actually owning a car (or paying for its gas or insurance).



But is a car share for you?



The concept seems best suited to metro areas, where car insurance rates and parking costs can be high. On the other hand, if you work out of your car, use it on a daily basis or live in a more rural or expansive suburban region, you might be better off keeping your current car. AOL Autos: Top 11 distracting things people do in their cars



"The ideal candidates for car sharing are consumers and businesses in cities where owning a car is costly, where there is good public transit, and where most amenities are within walking distance," Zipcar President and COO Mark Norman said.



"In other words, where you don't really need to own a car. In addition, students are ideal car sharing members, given the high cost of ownership as well as the increasing limits on parking on campus." AOL Autos: Cheapest cars to own



Automobiles can be a huge hassle and expense if you only drive occasionally, so we've set out to look at what car sharing involves. AOL Autos: Pay as you drive insurance



How does it work?



The biggest North American car share, Zipcar, aims to be convenient, easy, and technologically savvy. Far more streamlined than an old-school rental car, Zipcar makes getting the use of an automobile about as easy as making a withdrawal from an ATM. The concept of car sharing had its genesis in Europe and has spread to the North American market as interest in frugality and environmental consciousness has increased. AOL Autos: Twenty cars of the future



The first step to using Zipcar is signing up. As a member, you'll get a "Zipcard," which allows you to reserve a vehicle near you via the company's Web site or from a new iPhone application.



Once you've reserved a car (or truck -- the beauty of car sharing services is that you can get a big car when you need it, not when you don't), a pretty neat technology unlocks the doors when you walk near your vehicle (we won't bore you with the details, but if you're wondering, it's called radio frequency identification). When it senses the card on you, the doors unlock, at which point, you're on your way. Cars are located all over metro areas (Zipcar gives you a map to the location of the car you've booked).



While application approval is usually quick, it takes a few days to get the Zipcard mailed to you. If your city has a Zipcard office, you can pick up your card there.



Where can you find car sharing?



Car shares are springing up across
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