BACKGROUND: Do you ever see a person in the carpool lane and wonder where the second occupant is only to realize they are counting their child as the second occupant? A child, under the age of 16 surely shouldn't be counted as a carpool since they can't technically drive which means there are no less cars on the road, no less emissions in the air.
THE STORY: It turns out that the main reason for an infant child counting as a person/occupant is because it would be too costly for our police officers to constantly check ID's of passengers.
The Washington State Department of Transportation has the following information on its website:
Additionally, the Federal Highway Administration states the following:
There are several other things to consider. The first is that a person, regardless of age, is an occupant. The second thing is that people with children need a way to get places faster for their own sanity! It's not that society should give special treatment or anything but when you have a newborn that is screaming or a 5 year old that needs to go potty, it's good to be able to use the HOV lane to get there faster.
IN MY HUMBLE OPINION: After being a mother of a son with GERD and a daughter with colic, I understand and appreciate why children can be considered an occupant in the carpool lane.