DRIVERS have been warned they risk fines of $490 if they violate a law around carpool lanes in a major US state.
High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes are meant to reduce traffic and encourage carpooling, but they’re facing significant problems.
Fines of up to $490 await those caught misusing carpool lanes in a major US state[/caption]
Violation rates have doubled since 2022, with nearly half of HOV lane users on some freeways driving solo[/caption]
Many drivers are avoiding punishment thanks to faulty transponders, as well as using things like tinted windows[/caption]
In recent times, their effectiveness has been questioned following a range of challenges and issues – leading to lawmakers to come down hard on those that break the rules.
According to a report by KTLA, HOV lanes must meet federal standards, requiring vehicles to maintain at least 45 mph during weekday travel periods 90% of the time.
But when they fail to meet this standard, they are classified as “degraded” and graded on a scale of slightly, very, or severely degraded.
Currently, a significant number of drivers are violating HOV lane rules by not meeting the required occupancy – including driving solo.
In Los Angeles, California, violation rates have doubled since 2022, with some freeways reporting nearly half of HOV lane users as violators.
The worst offender is the 101 freeway, with a staggering 57.5% violation rate.
According to the 2025 Caltrans HOV Degradation Action Plan, Automated Vehicle Occupancy Detection (AVOD) systems, designed to catch violators, are being tested – but they face challenges of their own.
Things like window tints, car sizes and visibility hinder their effectiveness, while enforcement is particularly tricky in toll-based HOT lanes – such as the 10/110 Expresslanes.
But converting HOV lanes into HOT lanes has caused additional traffic congestion, with a large majority of vehicles – spiking to 86% – in these lanes are single-occupant vehicles.
This, of course, undermines the purpose of carpool lanes.
Furthermore, 30 to 60% of violators fail to set their transponders correctly, which also complicates enforcement.
According to Caltrans, a HOV lane violation ticket is a minimum fine of $490 – but the fine may be higher for repeat offenders.
Naturally, there have been efforts to resolve these problems at the source, with a pilot program being implemented to study real-time occupancy and deter violations using camera-based systems.
This has led to Caltrans allocating $30 million to improve the most problematic HOV lanes – with public transit set to expand in preparation for the 2028 Olympics.
This is expected to reduce congestion in both HOV and HOT lanes
But the system’s current inefficiencies, including high violation rates and enforcement difficulties, contribute to slower traffic and reduced effectiveness.
Caltrans hopes that a combination of technology, stricter enforcement and increased public transit use will improve the situation over time.
What makes a car a lemon?
Each law has different parameters on what defines a lemon, but generally, a car is lemon when it’s in the shop for longer than it’s on the road.
Progressive Auto Insurance describes a lemon as a car with “a significant defect or malfunction that makes it unsafe to drive,” though exact parameters vary by state. All 50 states have lemon laws covering new vehicles, but only seven have lemon laws to protect used car buyers.
Federally, however, consumers are protected under U.S. Code Chapter 50 covering consumer product warranties. In layman’s terms, the law dictates that consumers be compensated by the manufacturer when “multiple attempts to repair a vehicle under warranty fail.”
What to do if you think you bought a lemon:
- Research your state’s lemon laws and their exact parameters.
- Contact the dealership, especially if it’s still under factory warranty.
- If the dealership refuses to repair the issue, contact the Automotive Consumer Action Program or the National Automobile Dealers Association.
- Send a certified letter to the manufacturer with an explanation of the issue, with documentation and proof that you’ve contacted a dealership.
- Depending on the outcome, you can report the dealership to the DMV for selling a car that needs immediate repairs.
- Consider small claims court.
- Consult an attorney specializing in lemon law through the National Association of Consumer Advocates.
Source: Progressive Auto Insurance
