Fines for People not using Carpool Lanes – Yes
Absolutely! People are fined every day and expected to pay what in my mind is a ridiculous amount of money for being in a carpool or HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lane simply because they are driving without the minimum amount of people required during the highest traffic hours.
The concept of the carpool lane in larger cities is intended to alleviate some of the mess, accidents, and traffic on highways during certain hours, such as early mornings and "rush hour" after work. It was also developed to encourage "carpooling" as a way to decrease some of the environmental issues we are facing.
Not to mention it's a quick way for the government to make some extra cash. Being fined for driving in the carpool lane is not considered a moving violation (at least not in California) and your insurance will not increase. What does happen is your savings account will decrease. At a minimum of $450 per violation, this is very lucrative incentive and easy target for the local highway patrol.
I am not saying people shouldn't be fined for driving in the lane if they aren't supposed to be there. Breaking the law deserves a ticket. However; for many people it's not feasible to use a carpool lane. You may have children that you take to school or daycare and then you're off to work. You may not have many, if any friends or family nearby going in the same direction.
It is a system that is only successful for those of us that have a work environment where we become even somewhat friendly with co-workers and possibly live in the same areas.
Therefore; when you see a carpool lane barely being used ask yourself, "why should I be fined for using this lane when they should be grateful SOMEONE is using it, and there are litterally hundreds of cars on this same road right now with at least 2+ people in them that fulfill the requirements to use the precious "carpool" lane."
These lanes do serve a purpose as I stated before. But statistically, if the government were to do any research over a period of time they would see that these lanes are not used nearly as much as they should or could be. Brining us back to the fact that it pulls in a lot of income for the State.
You may argue that every car that carpools helps our environment. This is true, every little bit helps, but wouldn't it seem logical to require more people to use this lane to get the environmental effects we really need to see a significant change? And if you can pass a law that fines people for being in the lane when they don't fit the profile, then you should be fining the people that DO fit the profile for the lane that are choosing not to use it.
Saying "I would have to change lanes to get to my exit in traffic" is not an excuse for not using the carpool lane. Plan ahead and begin changing lanes earlier.
If this beloved lane was created to help the environment and eliminate traffic then start fining the correct people. The ones refusing to use the lane. The ones bogging down my lane when I don't have the option to enter the carpool lane and get around them.
I assure you when you begin fining people that should be in the carpool lane your State income will more than quadruple and you will start to see a significant change in the usage of this lane and a significant change in our environment.
