Ontario Driver Charged With Using Fake Passenger to Access Carpool Lane

Ontario police have charged a 21-year-old woman with a carpool lane violation after they found a coat being used to simulate another occupant in the passenger seat.
Upon pulling the driver over, they found the motorist using her coat to simulate another passenger in order to access the less-congested lane.
The driver was charged with an HOV violation, which typically involves a $110 fine and three demerit points.
In Ontario, HOV lanes are reserved for vehicles such as cars, vans, or trucks with at least two passengers, including the driver. Some vehicles, such as buses, licensed cabs and emergency vehicles may use these lanes at all times regardless of the number of passengers.
HOV lanes in Ontario are on the far-left side on many sections of 400-series highways. They are marked with signs, diamond pavement markings, and a striped buffer zone that separates them from other lanes.
It’s not the first time a driver has been fined for faking a passenger to access the lanes.
In 2017, Ontario police charged a motorist driving in a HOV lane with a mannequin in the passenger seat. The mannequin was also fully dressed and carried a comb on its lap.