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carpool question

zphreak

zphreak

- - - - - - - -
Joined
May 7, 2004
Location
Elk Grove
Moto(s)
'06 CBR1000RR
Name
Sam
I know the bridges are 3 or more .. but what if you're driving a car with only 2 seats (Z, Miata, CRX ... etc)
 
Still 2. 80 west near Richmond is like that. 3 people or more in a car, but 2 is ok for a truck.

Bridges are two or more. Unless it is posted on the bridge that you must have 3, all carpool lanes are 2 or more people in a cage.
 
The Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate are 3 or more, unless it is a true two-seater.

I could be wrong, but if your truck (or car) has three or more seatbelts, you'll need at least three passengers to qualify for the carpool lane. I know some of those pickups have two bucket seats with a little "bench" in between them. The bench has a seatbelt, although you'd be hardpressed to squeeze more than two people into the cab, but it still means it is technically not a two seater.

My 350Z on the other hand... :teeth

Edit: an informative article in the SF Gate about HOV lanes and the Bay Bridge: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/11/08/MNG4K9NRU71.DTL


Tri-me said:
Still 2. 80 west near Richmond is like that. 3 people or more in a car, but 2 is ok for a truck.

Bridges are two or more. Unless it is posted on the bridge that you must have 3, all carpool lanes are 2 or more people in a cage.
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The LEO would have to be a TOTAL prick to give you a ticket for having 2 in a pickup on a bench seat with 3 belts.
 
Agreed, but it's a $350 chance I'm not willing to take! :laughing


DarthRider said:
The LEO would have to be a TOTAL prick to give you a ticket for having 2 in a pickup on a bench seat with 3 belts.
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I went to a CaFords gathering and some guy had a new Cobra R which has onley two seats in it the rear seats are not added in the R version, well he was tellin us how he got a ticket for onley having two people in the car and it was thrown out in court. He said he tried to explain to the LEO that the car came stock with no rear seat but the LeO called Bs and wrote the ticket.

some people need more hotrod training. lol
 
Here's my pet peeve regarding car pool lanes: I drive a 2500 Dodge 4wd P/U - it is registered as a commercial vehicle in CA because it is designed to primarily carry products/equipment not people. However, it has 6 seatbelts. Do I get to use the 2 passenger rule for the carpool lane since it's a truck/commercial vehicle? Or do I get out of paying commercial vehicle weight fees since it's a passenger vehicle with more than two seats/seat belts and I don't get the 'break' on the 3 person car pool lanes?

I'd rather not pay the weight fees.....

Brian
 
Ha! Only way you're getting out of that commercial fee is if there's a camper mounted on it, then you can change the classification thru the DMV. You'll get car type plates, too.

But, if you get caught on the road without the camper, the ticket will be very expensive, as in hundreds of $$.

I was in traffic court many years back, and some lady was bringing her truck home from the body shop, even had a receipt for a $2500 paint job. Judge told her to take a long walk on a short pier, and wouldn't drop the $550 fine a penny.
 
I heard porsche 911s are considerd 2 seaters and the 2 seats in the back are actually 'emergency seats' so it too should qualify using the 3 or more carpool with 2 people inside
 
brichter said:
Ha! Only way you're getting out of that commercial fee is if there's a camper mounted on it, then you can change the classification thru the DMV. You'll get car type plates, too.

But, if you get caught on the road without the camper, the ticket will be very expensive, as in hundreds of $$.

I was in traffic court many years back, and some lady was bringing her truck home from the body shop, even had a receipt for a $2500 paint job. Judge told her to take a long walk on a short pier, and wouldn't drop the $550 fine a penny.
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Actually, it has to be a permanently attached living quarters - slide in camper or p/u shell don't cut it. Friend of mine had a '69 Dodge P/U that had been previously registered as a house car due to the shell. He took it off to move some furniture and promptly got cited by CHP.

It is an interesting dilemma though. Is a modern P/U a commercial vehicle or a passenger vehicle when it has 6 seat belts......

Brian
 
So what determines whether a vehicle is a 2 or 4 seater? The number of seatbelts installed by the manufacturer? If my car, a '79 Fiat Spider, has a padded "luggage shelf" (as it is called in the manual) that looks like a small back seat, but it never had seatbelts back there (not even an option when new), is it technically a 2-seater? That would be nice!

Thanks!
 
if there were no seatbelts installed in the back, then that space wasn't meant for passengers.

2 seater.
 
DarthRider said:
The LEO would have to be a TOTAL prick to give you a ticket for having 2 in a pickup on a bench seat with 3 belts.
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If the carpool lane is for 3 people and you only have 2, no matter what type of vehicle, you'd be in violation.
 
Rel said:
If the carpool lane is for 3 people and you only have 2, no matter what type of vehicle, you'd be in violation.
Click to expand...

Bzzt. Incorrect.

Generally for cars that have only 2 factory seat belts installed, 2 people are ok.
 
If car pool is three or more but you vehicle is full to compacity (sp) 1 seater, two seater. Then you are concidered carpool. This was in the news several years back.
 
zphreak...u have that full video of that girl in your avatar? god damn she is sweeet! haha....
 
A true 2 seater will be fine in the carpool lane anywhere in the bay area. Bench seat pickups are fine...as long as they only have 2 seatbelts. If it has 3, then you need 3 people.

As always, motorcycles are fine all the time.

brash

Little piece of trivia here, does anyone know why the carpool lane on HWY 80 is for 3 people and not 2 like all the others? Do you know why the hours are 5:30 am to 10:00 am and 3:00 pm to 7 pm for both directions on HWY 80?
 
I was told one time, but can not remember the answer. Something to do with the Bay Bridge if I remember right.
 
Brash47 said:
Little piece of trivia here, does anyone know why the carpool lane on HWY 80 is for 3 people and not 2 like all the others? Do you know why the hours are 5:30 am to 10:00 am and 3:00 pm to 7 pm for both directions on HWY 80?
Click to expand...

Nope, but I'm dying to find out! Thanks for all you do for this forum Brash!
 
deaconblues said:
if there were no seatbelts installed in the back, then that space wasn't meant for passengers.

2 seater.
Click to expand...

But if the vehicle was manufactured before seatbelts weren't mandatory (i.e. a factory-installed option), well, that's a whole new ball of wax!

Of course, if you're commuting in such a car, you deserve any ticket coming to you.
 
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