Can I use the HOV lane when there is an incident in the general purpose lanes?
No, you cannot take it upon yourself to use the HOV lane as a single occupant vehicle (SOV) during an incident. Whether or not to open up the HOV lanes due to an accident or some other type of blockage is a decision made between the Washington State Patrol (WSP) commanding officer at the scene and WSDOT in Central Traffic Management. They have the authority to – and often do – open the HOV lanes to all traffic. The decision is based on many factors and they will flag vehicles into the lane if that decision is made.
