Questions and Answers About Your Commute : Negotiating the Ins and Outs of Car-Pool Lanes

Dear Readers:

We’ve received several letters about the rules governing Southern California’s growing web of High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) or car-pool lanes. Considering the topic, it seems appropriate to deal with several at once.

If you really want to get in the spirit of things, have someone read this along with you.

Dear Traffic Talk:

Is there any regulation about the minimum ages of the occupants in a car in order for one to use a car-pool lane?

I understand the logic in giving priorities to two or more adults in a single car since one can assume they might otherwise be using multiple vehicles. More often than not when I see vehicles pass by in the car-pool lanes, I see an adult and a child in a car.

Does someone at the California Department of Transportation think that the child would otherwise add to the existing traffic congestion by using his own car?

Robert Moffie

Studio City

Dear Reader:

We’ve all seen enough erratic driving to wonder if small children are being allowed to climb behind the wheel, so maybe Caltrans is on to something.

More to the point: Caltrans sets no minimum age for car-poolers because of the enforcement hassles it would create. Traffic officials would rather let drivers with children use the lanes than worry about stopping every car with a youthful-looking passenger who might be under an arbitrary age limit.

Dear Traffic Talk:

I am very annoyed by the double yellow lines prohibiting free passage between car-pool and other freeway lanes. This prevents a slow driver from giving way to a faster driver behind him and prevents the faster driver from passing on the right. This negates much of the advantage of the car-pool lanes.

Forest E. Sloan Woodland Hills Dear Reader:

Slow drivers are a nuisance when you can’t get around them, but there’s little to be done, especially if that “slow” driver is actually doing the legal speed limit.

Caltrans officials are sympathetic, but said allowing cars to enter and exit a car-pool lane would be disruptive and further slow traffic.

Dear Traffic Talk:

I believe the car-pool lanes could be much better used for trucks only. This would free up the balance of the traffic lanes for passenger vehicles. Generally, trucks do not need to change lanes or use off-ramps as often as automobiles since trucks are generally on long-haul trips.

Joe Burrow Van Nuys Dear Reader:

Caltrans officials agree it’s a good idea, but don’t believe existing car-pool lanes are the place to put them.

“Car-pool lanes are our most efficient people movers and they’re not practical for use by trucks,” said Caltrans spokesman Russ Snyder.

Trucks are usually confined to the right-most lane of a freeway because of their slower speeds and the increased wear and tear their weight puts upon traffic lanes. Moving trucks to existing car-pool lanes would force them to cross the entire freeway, Snyder said.

Traffic Talk appears Fridays. Readers may submit comments and questions about traffic in the Valley to Traffic Talk, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth, Calif. 91311. Include your full name, address and day and evening phone numbers. Letters may be edited, and no anonymous letters will be accepted. To record your comments, call (818) 772-3303. Send fax letters to (818) 772-3385.