Is there really no enforcement of carpool lanes in Utah?

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Some frustrated commuters believe Utah Highway Patrol doesn't enforce carpool lane rules, but data shows thousands of HOV tickets were issued in 2025.
UHP Lt. Zach Randall acknowledges enforcement challenges, like verifying express pass use and passenger count in vehicles.
Troopers prioritize safety, noting increased crashes in HOV lanes from sudden lane changes. Left lane misuse also causes bottlenecks and incurs hefty fines.

SALT LAKE CITY — The KSL Investigators routinely get contacted by frustrated commuters who say nothing is being done to curb drivers who won't play by the carpool lane rules.

In a recent email, one such frustrated customer said the "Highway Patrol does not enforce the HOV lanes on I-15 between SLC and Lehi. Too many drivers using the HOV lanes either don't have an EZ Pass, or don't appear to have a 2nd person."

It's true — many drivers can't resist the temptation to slide into a wide-open carpool lane when traffic gets thick on I-15. And troopers are fully aware.

"This is something that's very difficult to enforce," said Lt. Zach Randall with the Utah Highway Patrol.

But that doesn't mean no enforcement, he says.

In fact, according to data obtained by the KSL Investigators, the UHP issued 3,908 tickets to HOV violators in 2025. That is almost double the 2,266 tickets issued in 2021.

Violations include crossing the double white line, not having an express pass, or not having enough passengers.

But spotting cheaters isn't easy.

A few years back, the KSL Investigators tried to count cheaters from an overpass above the freeway. In the two hours we were up there, most times we could not verify if an express pass transponder was turned on, or whether there was someone in the backseat.

And it's not much easier for troopers on the road, Randall says.

"A lot of times it is difficult to tell exactly if there's a single occupant in the vehicle," he said. "You'll have to kind of pull up alongside of them, and you're trying to verify things like that."

Getting busted in the HOV lane when you're not supposed to be there could cost you up to $351.

Tickets are one thing; there's also a safety factor.

Troopers have told KSL that they've seen more crashes involving the HOV lane. Usually, it's a driver jumping out of the lane when traffic comes to a sudden stop, only to hit the back of another car. Or it's a car jumping into an HOV lane in front of a car already going too fast.

"HOV lane is not a passing lane," Randall said.

So, troopers do watch the carpool lanes — though admittedly, they're not always top priority.

"We enforce HOV lane and left lane violations all day, every day," he said. "But again, there are so many different things that we're enforcing at the same time and taking action on."

Camping out in the far left is another no-no. That's for passing only. Left lane loafers cause bottlenecks and crashes – usually by drivers who try to get around them by darting across several lanes to pass on the right.

Camping in the left lane can also get you a ticket costing $351 in Utah.

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.