Giving your friends a lift seems like a fairly innocuous thing and will be commonplace for the vast majority of motorists across the country.
For the most part, this is something that is completely legal and will not run you into any trouble.
However, certain instances could see motorists face a hefty fine and even invalidate their policy.
This is the message from Bournemouth and Pool police forces who are issuing a clampdown on illegal lift sharing.
Drivers who charge their friends for a lift could be in trouble with the law, it has been reported.
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Any driver seen to be making a profit from giving other people lifts could be penalised by the police.
Motorists are allowed to receive some payment for fuel but any driver profiting or advertising lifts online could face a hefty fine.
In fact, the offenders could face fines of up to £2,500 illegally operating as a taxi.
In addition to this, drivers are also likely to invalidate their car insurance too and most insurers won’t cover drivers charging passengers money.
While motorist giving friends the odd lift for cash is unlikely to babe caught, some drivers advertising the lifts on social media sites such as Facebook could be punished if found out.
For example, earlier this year a Facebook group based in Bournemouth an illegal taxi firm was exposed after it was found over 5,000 people were involved.
A spokesperson for Dorset Police told the Bournemouth Echo: “We are aware of several Facebook groups which have been created in order to share lifts in and around the Bournemouth and Poole area.
“When getting into a vehicle with an unlicensed and unvetted stranger, you have no knowledge of their background and risk your own personal safety.
“Before offering a lift in exchange for money, you should speak to your insurance company as this could invalidate your insurance and may result in your vehicle being seized by police, a fixed penalty or prosecution resulting in a fine, points on your licence or disqualification from driving.”