Virginia State Police targeted HOV violators on Interstate 395 during a large-scale crackdown Thursday morning.
Police went after the violators in response to growing complaints about the number of drivers using the lanes illegally. To use the high-occupancy vehicle lanes on I-395, a driver must have at least two passengers.
Police handed out 25 tickets costing $125 to first-time HOV violators in Arlington between 6 and 9 a.m. A second-time offender received a $250 ticket, and a fourth-time violator got a $1,000 ticket. An additional eight tickets were issued for other traffic infractions.
“If we weren’t out there enforcing, you wouldn’t have an effective HOV,” said 1st Sgt. James DeFord of the police’s Arlington office. He said state police regularly targeted HOV violators, and he tried to hold at least one crackdown each month in his area.
“It helps,” said Sgt. Kevin McCall, who headed up Thursday’s initiative. “We do see a reduction in numbers [of HOV violators over time].”
Last year, police caught 18,269 people using HOV lanes illegally in Northern Virginia, with much of that resulting from the HOV crackdown.
Funding for HOV enforcement, which usually means paying officers overtime, comes from clean-fuel license plates sold in Virginia. About $1 from each $25 hybrid vehicle registration fee goes to state police so they can monitor the lanes.
“It’s not about the money that this brings in, because state police doesn’t get any of the fines,” DeFord said. “It’s about deterring people from violating the HOV.”
The state police plan to hold another HOV crackdown during morning rush hour on I-66 inside the Beltway next month.
