Carpool Lane Laws & Times
Carpool lanes, also called High Occupancy Vehicle -- or HOV -- lanes, were constructed pursuant to the Federal Clean Air Act of 1990 and the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991. Specific restrictions are determined by the states, so laws and times of enforcement will differ from state to state.
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Minimum Occupancy
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You don't have to be commuting to work to be allowed to use the carpool lane; kids count as passengers. The minimum occupancy per qualifying vehicle is posted at every carpool lane. In most states, a minimum of two people per car is required; however, in some highly congested metropolitan areas, the minimum occupancy is three.
Qualifying Passengers
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You may consider your dog to be a member of the family, but the law doesn't. Children qualify as passengers after they have been born. Pregnant women do not count as two passengers. Pets do not qualify.
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Hours of Enforcement
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If hours of enforcement are limited, it will be posted Carpool lane restrictions are enforced 24 hours per day, seven days per week, unless specifically posted otherwise. Some states open carpool lanes to all traffic during off-peak hours, but it must be posted.
Motorcycles
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Motorcycles are almost always permitted to use carpool lanes Single riders on motorcycles are permitted by federal law to use carpool lanes. States can, however, overrule this provision if they determine that it is unsafe.
Entering and Exiting
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Entering and exiting carpool lanes are permitted only over broken white lines. It is illegal for any vehicle to enter or exit a carpool lane over a solid-white or double-yellow line. Entering and exiting is only permitted over broken white lines.
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References
- Photo Credit major traffic jam 2 image by Aaron Kohr from Fotolia.com sleeping in a car image by Renata Osinska from Fotolia.com cool dude dog image by Sirena Designs from Fotolia.com clock image by Kkatka from Fotolia.com la moto image by richard villalon from Fotolia.com lightway 14 image by Joshua Peterson from Fotolia.com
