Carpool – The Wise Drive

March 10, 2022July 18, 2024

Babies in the Carpool Lane

Q. Are babies considered a person when it comes to carpool lanes? Can a single driver and an infant count as a two-person carpool?

A: In 1974 Washington established carpool lanes for “efficient utilization of the highway” and “conservation of energy.” (This was the peak of the oil crisis.) The strategy was simple: reduce traffic by putting two or more would-be solo drivers into the same vehicle. Based on that, you might think the law would insist that only licensed drivers count toward carpool occupancy requirements. That is not the case.

August 19, 2021July 18, 2024

Urban Driving for Country Folk

Q: As a country guy, driving in the big city, I get confused by the diamond lanes and pay lanes and assorted left lanes in the Seattle Metro area. My wife and I travel through there, and we wonder what the rules are for the various lanes. Can we take our 5th wheel trailer in the diamond lanes or express lanes? Do RVs follow truck or car laws? How does one get a pay lane pass and what are the costs?

A: Despite having one set of traffic laws for the whole state, driving in Washington can be quite diverse. If you live in a rural community you probably have to leave your county to find an HOV lane, and if you live in an urban area you may have never encountered a tractor on the roadway. This week we’ll help out the country folks with lanes you’ll only encounter on urban roadways, and next week we’ll explain to city folks how to drive in the farmlands.

July 14, 2019July 18, 2024

Hearse in a HOV Lane

Q: There is a national story circulating about the driver of a hearse who, when pulled over for traveling in the HOV lane, said he thought it was okay because there was a body on board. It was not okay, but he got off with a warning largely because of his unique excuse. However, I took a look at the RCWs and I don’t see anything in them that prevents you from doing that here. A morbid, but interesting possibility . . . Would it be legal in Washington?

A: Okay, this might get a little metaphysical, so chant your mantra, find your center, or do whatever you do before asking the big questions about life. Before we get to the deep questions though, I’d like to point out that the stakes are about to get higher for HOV violators. On July 28, the new HOV law takes effect. Actually, the law is the same, but the penalties got steeper. In addition to the original fine of $136, legislators have added an additional $50 for a first offense and $150 for a second offense in a two year period. There’s also a $200 add-on for anyone that uses a “dummy, doll, or other human facsimile” in the passenger seat to try to fake out the cops. That adds up pretty fast; if your second offense includes a faux human, you’re looking at a $486 ticket.