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Georgia State Patrol cracking down on HOV lane cheaters

GEORGIA — Carpool cheaters caught on camera. From News Chopper 2, our cameras caught lots of cars on the road, but some of the drivers in the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane may not be following the rules.

The lane is for vehicles with more than one occupant, motorcycles and alternative fuel vehicles.

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Drivers who follow the rules told Channel 2's Dave Huddleston they're frustrated and want to see patrols stepped up.

If you get caught multiple times, officials will start to take points off your license. Huddleston started looking into this story after seeing so many illegal cars in the HOV lanes

"It’s extremely frustrating. I see it all the time,” said driver Amy Banaszak.

Footage we shot during the morning rush, showed car, after car, after car in a HOV lane. Some drivers saw that we had them on camera, and tried to sneak back into regular lanes of traffic. Some drivers told us metro Atlanta traffic is so bad, they understand the temptation to break the rules.

"Part of me is upset about it, but I think you know, I would probably do the same thing if I was in a hurry," another driver told us.

Lt. William Satterfield with GSP's Motor Carrier Compliance Division said his crew is out there every morning, writing tickets and stopping HOV violators.

Unless you're carpooling, have an alternative fuel car or driving a motorcycle, you shouldn't be in the HOV lane. He did admit, they could use more officers to patrol the area, but he said local police officers can also give you a HOV ticket.

Drivers, you’ve been warned. You will only get away with it for so long before you’re caught, like Drew Lynch’s friend.

“He made this really life like looking mannequin and he got away with it for about two years,” Lynch said.