The roads are full of parents driving their kids to summer camps, sports practices, music lessons, the list goes on ... Carpooling sounds like a good idea, especially with today's gas prices. But organizing a carpool can be a logistical nightmare.

That's why a Connecticut dad came up with a new Web site called Divide the Ride at dividetheride.com. It's meant to fill those empty seats in the minivan and eliminate last-minute phone calls because you can't remember who is driving.

Let's say your son has soccer on Monday night and you find several other families interested in sharing a carpool. Everyone logs onto dividetheride.com. and types in their home address, e-mail address, phone numbers and availability. The Web site creates a schedule of who drives when and e-mails it to the group, along with regular text message and e-mail reminders.

If you have a conflict and suddenly can't drive one day, the site has a "conflict resolution" feature that contacts other parents until it finds someone to fill in. If no one responds, the system sends out a message saying the carpool has been canceled.

The Web site is safe and secure because only people who have been invited have access to information.

And if an organization gets permission from families, all the participants' addresses can be mapped, which allows parents to set up carpools with families who live closest to them.

Another

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nice feature: You can track the number of rides the group has shared, how many miles you avoided driving and how many gallons of gas you saved.

— Maja Beckstrom