Can I share a car with colleagues, family and friends in Tier 4? What you need to know to give elevators to others in the highest Covid restriction level
- Tier 4 rules affect drivers differently than in areas with lower restrictions
- There are travel expenses and best practice recommendations
The introduction of a new level of Covid – Tier 4 – brought a whole new set of rules for those living in areas where the spread of the virus is most widespread.
One of the most common questions about “Cars and Driving” from MailOnline and “This is Money” received during the initial lockdown was the ability to share cars during the restrictions – and whether you can be with other people, especially colleagues the front work, elevators at all can give line that public transport want to avoid at all costs.
Here we explain the car sharing rules for England’s tier system.
Can I participate in the new Tier 4 restriction? Here’s what drivers need to know about the new highest level alarm restriction
London, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and most of Essex and Surrey were included in the Stay at Home lockdown restrictions a few days before Christmas.
There are also high-level threats rolled out across England before the New Year as concerns arise about a faster-spreading variant of the virus.
This new stage is the most inhibiting of them all and has already seen those who live in affected areas have to cancel plans to spend the festive time with friends and family.
While there are some similarities to the lower alert levels, there are new restrictions on the highest level, especially for motorists.
Individuals living in Tier 2 (“Alert”) or Tier 3 (“Very Alert”) are generally encouraged to reduce the amount of travel they undertake, while the latest advice for Tier 4 at home is not to go at all travel unless it is for work, training, medical appointments, or to attend a support or child care bubble.
While motorists living in a Tier 1 area may be able to use their vehicles for a wider range of activities, people should still avoid bringing people outside their home or supporting a bubble to reduce the risk of transmission due to social Difficulty reducing distance while driving ‘.
Regarding Tier 2, Tier 3 and Tier 4, car sharing with people outside your household or support bubble is not permitted – unless the trip is taken for one of the exceptional reasons mentioned above.

The latest Tier 4 “stay home” advice is not to travel at all unless it’s for work, education, medical appointments, or visiting a support or childcare bubble
For example, if car sharing is reasonably required as part of your job or to take someone to a doctor, an allowance will be given.
Where car sharing is important, motorists are encouraged to only do so if they carry the same passengers every time and minimize group size.
Key employees who share a vehicle are also asked to open car windows for ventilation, sit next to or behind other people instead of facing them when traveling in taxis or a minibus – and the distance between people in the cabin to maximize.
Those who use elevators for work, school, or medical reasons should clean their cars thoroughly with standard cleaning products between trips, paying particular attention to door handles, seat belt locks, and other areas that people come into contact with.
If more than one person from different households is in a vehicle at the same time, the government says that both the driver and passengers should wear face covering.

Anyone who uses elevators for work, school or medical reasons should wipe their car thoroughly with standard cleaning products between trips
If you live in a Tier 1 area – of which there are few currently including Cornwall, Herefordshire, the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight – and need to travel to a higher tier area, drivers should follow the rules for this region during the visit.
Tier 4 drivers are advised not to leave their area unless this is one of the listed exceptions.
On Monday, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency also confirmed that driving lessons and testing have been suspended in England, where Tier 4 restrictions are enforced.
Driving instructors are also not allowed to drive out of a Tier 4 area to give instruction to drivers in areas with lower restrictions.