WA I-405 HOV Violator Proves Two Dummies Are NOT Better Than One

This time the driver tried dummies in both the front and back seats, but they got the skin color all wrong. Doh!

Washington State Patrol Trooper is "No Dummy"

The Washington State Patrol posted on social media after finding another HOV lane driver caught on I-405 with fake passengers. Well, I guess it was technically three dummies, although only one was responsible for paying the fine. If you don't know, HOV stands for "high occupancy vehicle" and is open only to vehicles with at least 2 or more people inside during different times on Washington State highways. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, "HOV, HOT, and express toll lanes are strategies to maximize the movement of people on existing roadways by managing the number of vehicles in the lane to stay below capacity, providing more reliable speeds and increasing the advantage of using transit and high occupancy vehicles." One small detail about the law is that ALL PASSENGERS MUST BE REAL HUMANS.

Washington State Patrol HOV Enforcement

These obvious dummies were easy to spot and the Trooper was content to deliver a large ticket to the 3rd dummy in the car. "This morning, Troopers in south Snohomish County were working HOV lane enforcement. A trooper spotted a vehicle in the HOV lane and was no dummy! (The) driver was stopped and cited. #YourWSP" HOV lane violators are one of the most common tickets that the State Patrol writes in a month. Last September, the Washington State Patrol wrote over 1,600 HOV tickets during emphasis patrols in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties showing just how often HOV violations happen. What most people do not seem to understand is that by putting a fake passenger dummy in your passenger seat, you actually increase the fine by $200. WSDOT explains it clearly saying, "For a first violation the fine is $186, and all subsequent violations within a two-year period increase to $336. If a doll or dummy is placed in the car, an additional $200 will be added to the fine." I am not sure if this HOV violator received a $200 fine for each dummy or if the Trooper considered them one.