Q: Jim Ewers of Hemet read a question published in a recent On the Road column about whether transporting a corpse as a “passenger” legally allows the driver to use the carpool lane. (We said a corpse does not qualify as a legitimate passenger for carpool lane use). Ewers said, “When I was done laughing, I thought, how is transporting a baby any different? Legislation needs to be passed that would give officers the right to cite any driver whose passenger does not have a valid driver’s license.”
RELATED: Does a corpse count if you want to use the carpool lane?
A: To recap, this discussion began after we published a column discussing how some solo drivers try to use the carpool lanes illegally by placing a mannequin or other “fake” human in their vehicle. Another reader then asked if a corpse counts as a passenger for purposes of using the High-Occupancy Vehicle, or HOV lane. We noted that while the California Vehicle Code isn’t clear, law enforcement does not consider a corpse a passenger in a carpool lane.
As for babies (as well as other unlicensed children passengers) who can’t drive, the California Department of Motor Vehicles, for the purpose of using carpool lanes, defines an “occupant” as “any person who occupies a safety restraint device, i.e., seat belt.” Read more: https://dot.ca.gov/programs/traffic-operations/hov.
Q: Ronnie Zacker of Beaumont asked why the road repair work is taking so long on I-10 on both the eastbound and westbound sides in the Beaumont and Banning areas.
A: The work to which our reader is referring is the ongoing I-10 Tune Up project, a pavement rehabilitation project from Beaumont to Highway 111 near Palm Springs that has been underway for a couple of years and is almost done – or it was until California’s weather got wet and wild. We asked Caltrans for an update.
“The project was delayed due to material shortages, and now because of weather,” Caltrans District 8 spokesperson Emily Leinen said in late March. “They are almost done, but they cannot continue until the weather is better. There is only two weeks’ worth of work left, but we need better conditions to finish.” Here’s the website for details and updates: https://i10tuneup.com.
While we’re on the subject of freeway work in Banning and Beaumont, here’s some positive transportation news for those communities. Plans are moving forward on the future 10 Freeway Highland Springs Avenue Interchange Project, which would reconfigure lanes to the underpass at Highland Springs Avenue and add merging lanes to the ramps, to improve traffic flow and safety. The Riverside County Transportation Commission says this interchange is the main connection to large housing developments plus retail, commercial, medical and employment centers and has some of Riverside County’s highest peak traffic volumes per hour and per month. Engineering, environmental studies, and final design work will be ongoing through summer 2026. Once funding and environmental approvals are in, construction could begin in 2027, according to the RCTC. Visit https://www.rctc.org/projects/i-10-highland-springs-interchange/.
Q: A year or so ago, Caltrans started to widen Highway 189 east of Lake Gregory but the work paused, said reader Tom Chamberlin. He asked when the project would resume.
A: Caltrans District 8 spokesperson Emily Leinen said the project was delayed due to “right-of-way utility items.” It’s been halted and it’s unknown when it will resume, she said.
Do you commute to work in the Inland Empire? Spend a lot of time in your vehicle? Have questions about driving, freeways, toll roads or parking? If so, write or call On the Road and we’ll try to answer your questions. Please include your question or issue, name, city of residence, phone number and email address. Write ontheroad@scng.com or call 951-368-9670.