By Tim Schewe
Ask DriveSmartBC:
My question is about HOV [high occupancy vehicle] lanes: Since there is a solid line to separate HOV traffic from regular traffic how do we safely apply the move over for the ‘let faster traffic go by’ problem?
There is more depth to this question than first appears. The solid line means that it is illegal to move from one lane to another. In addition, the HOV lane is specifically exempted from the slower traffic keep right rules. However, if you choose to drive at a speed that is lower than the normal speed of traffic, you must use the right hand lane available for traffic.
Does that mean if everyone else is speeding, you want to follow the speed limit and qualify to use the HOV lane, you cannot? Ultimately that might be the question for a traffic court justice.
I often choose to use the right hand lane even if I qualify to use the HOV lane because I am uncomfortable not following the speed limit. When I do use the HOV lane I generally have a bulldozer sitting on my back bumper or other drivers weave around me, increasing the risk of collision for all of us. Self-preservation outweighs convenience in heavy traffic.
Tim Schewe is a retired constable with many years of traffic law enforcement. To comment or learn more, please visit DriveSmartBC.ca