Speeders and cheats abusing HOV lanes, RCMP say

Improvements along Highway 1 from Vancouver into the Fraser Valley are creating new headaches for Mounties who patrol the road.

High Occupancy Vehicle cheats are being stopped at a record rate and RCMP patrolling the nearly complete road say they’re seeing alarming speeds along the east and westbound lanes designated for drivers with passengers.

“We are seeing some ridiculous speeds — some over 160 km/h along the stretch from 200th to 160th (streets),” said RCMP Const. John Stables of the Port Mann Freeway Patrol.

He feels the HOV cheats and speeders are making the drive unsafe for people obeying the rules.

“We could write tickets all day until our hands cramp up,” said Stables.

And while they’re catching record numbers of drivers without a passenger in the HOV lane daily, Stables said the big concern is safety.

In January, the RCMP issued 386 tickets for HOV infractions, a huge spike from the 115 issued in the same month a year earlier. HOV sneaks face fines ranging from $109 to $121.

Stables said the speeders who are also HOV cheats often move into the other non-HOV lanes when they see patrol cars. And those lane changes, he said, are often dangerous.

“People who are alone will jam on the brakes to try and get in the other lane and put everyone at risk to avoid us,” he said. “I saw someone almost get hit by a semi because of that.”

Stables said he has drivers tell him that they’ll continue to use the HOV lane even though they’re getting a ticket. When stopped, Stables notes they hear every excuse in the book from drivers. He’s heard from officers that they’ve stopped someone with a blow-up doll, and Stables has pulled over someone who had a wig on a Styrofoam head to avoid detection.