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Sam Penrod ReportingIt's a busy holiday weekend on Utah's roadways, just as the new HOV express lane officially opens.
Six-hundred people are now paying $50 a month to be in the HOV lane as a solo driver. But there is still a lot of confusion about what the newly redesigned lane is all about.
The big change to the lane is the white lines, telling you when you can and can't get out of or in to the Express lane. And we found a lot of drivers still have questions about those double white lines.
The new express and HOV lane stretches along 38 miles of I-15. But even with several weeks of an awareness campaign, the UHP says many drivers still have questions.
Lt. Al Christianson, Utah Highway Patrol: "The double white line holds you into that HOV lane. You shouldn't go out of that. But there are exceptions."
Those exceptions including moving over to the right for an emergency vehicle, getting out of the lane if you have car trouble, and moving over if there is debris in the road.
Troopers say the double white lines are primarily there to prevent people from using the lane to pass.
Lt. Al Christianson, Utah Highway Patrol: "We don't want to utilize that HOV land as a passing lane. We don't want them to go over that double white line, and we see that too much. We see people coming up behind cars that are going the speed limit, and they go outside the HOV lane to pass that car and then come back in. That's a violation of the law to do that."
Some drivers report finding out too late they can't get out of the HOV lane in the in-and-out areas and are missing their exit.
Lt. Al Christianson, Utah Highway Patrol: "You don't have to be in that HOV lane. Nothing requires you to be there. You might want to drive in a lane other than the HOV lane and see where those break points are and get a feel of where they are between here and Salt Lake, or from Salt Lake down here. The next time you make your trip, plan ahead."
Troopers believe the double white lines will ultimately make the HOV lane safer and say the lane is helping to alleviate gridlock on I-15.
Lt. Al Christianson, Utah Highway Patrol: "We've given them the opportunity to increase the flow of traffic and it depends on them. It really depends on the public to understand what the HOV lane laws are, to adhere to them and work together with the rest of the public to make it work. We can do that."
For the last month, the Highway Patrol has been doing more educating than enforcing the laws of the HOV express lane.
But troopers say if you are still using the express lane to pass, the days of getting a warning are over.
