HOV Rules

Preaching to the choir my friend. I often think that if the troopers hired a few new "HOV Cops" that they would more than pay for themselves with all the tickets written, if the fines paid were funneled that way.

By the way, I was LOL when I saw the sport coupe this morning.

Cheers,

Glacier

No problem, let me know what they say in response to you. I think if enough people complain, they will do something more about it. It appears that the money that is made from the fines goes to a state literary fund for the schools but that still means the more they ticket, the more money for a good cause.

Juli, Here is a POC at the state police:


Lieutenant Colonel E.A. Stockton, Director of the Bureau of Field Operations for the Virginia State Police asked that I thank you for and respond to your e-mail of March 2, 2004 concerning HOV violations.

We certainly understand your concerns regarding those motorists who flagrantly violate the HOV laws on a continual basis. Our Department continually addresses these concerns with increased enforcement and issues hundreds of tickets each year for these violations.

It may interest you to know that during 2003 troopers issued 19,042 summonses for HOV violations. You may be assured that we will continue to address the problems you identified and ensure our available resources are effectively and efficiently utilized.

Following the attack at the Pentagon additional enforcement and security responsibilities have impacted on manpower and our immediate priorities and patrol activities.

Please be assured we are using every resource we have available to effectively address HOV violations on our roads and enforce the other laws we are charged with enforcing.

We recently began a program to increase enforcement and visibility on the HOV lanes to address those violators who routinely use the HOV lanes for their commute.

With regards to funds, all revenue collected by the courts as a result of a traffic summons goes into the state literary fund. This fund is primarily used to support capital improvement projects for schools throughout Virginia. No funds are returned to the state police.

I am also forwarding a copy of your e-mail to Captain G.M. Counts our Division Commander in Fairfax to make him aware of your concerns and for appropriate action.

Thank you for your concern for highway safety.

Bud Cox
Management Analyst
Virginia State Police
804-674-2127
bcox@vsp.state.va.us

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USA, I checked deeper into the website and did uncover info that suggests drivers should get off at the next exit. In the FAQ link on the HOV Systems page is the following question and answer:

Q: I got a ticket for traveling alone in the HOV lanes -- but I had entered the HOV lanes several minutes before the HOV restriction went into effect. What gives?

A: If you are traveling without the required number of people in your vehicle, you must exit the HOV facility once the restriction goes into effect even if you entered the HOV lanes before the restriction began. The bottom line is, you must have the required number of people in your vehicle anywhere in the lanes during HOV hours.

The first part of the answer suggests some leeway for getting out of the lanes after the restrictions take effect. Maybe a better answer would be "Plan your trip better to avoid being in the HOV lanes when the restrictions start."

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I went and saw this. It looks like they've revised it a little. I think it used to be more explicit that you could get off at the next exit. Maybe they felt it was being abused by people jumping in one minute before the restrictions kicked in.

Ultimately, I think it has to come down to a rule of reasonableness. If you're in there at 3:30 and you're between Shirlington and Seminary, no cop should give you a ticket provided you get off at Seminary unless he's a total arsehole. Similarly, in the morning, if 6:00 hits and you're maybe a mile south of Newington, it's a bit unreasonable for a cop to ticket you unless you fail to exit at the Springfield flyover. (Or another situation--if there is a wreck in the express lanes and people can't get to an exit prior to HOV hours, you can't exactly hold them responsible. Otherwise, you'd have to enact HOV 24/7 because of the POSSIBILITY that a wreck could occur.) The point being--the cops can tell if you were genuinely in there prior to the HOV hours, or if you rushed to beat the clock in there by one minute. Most cops are more likely to be lenient on someone who was in there at, say, 5:40 AM than someone who cuts down the on-ramp from the Franconia-Springfield Parkway at 5:57--and they should be.

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Originally posted by USA
[br]Now, my understanding from VDOT's web page is that if you are in there with fewer than the required number when the HOV begins, you have to get off at the next exit....

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Unless there is conflicting information somewhere else, what I find on the VDOT website (www.virginiadot.org) is an HOV link that takes you to a page describing the HOV system. From there, you can link to an explanation of HOV enforcement, which says, "If you do not have the minimum number of people in your vehicle when the restrictions begin, you are a violator - even if you entered the lanes before the restrictions began." That's justification for "HOV--No Excuses" crackdowns.