It’s a common gripe from Road Warrior readers: Drivers illegally using carpool lanes without passengers.

For our Christmas list last month, we wished that the CHP would crack down on these violators. After all, why have carpool lanes if anybody can use them.

In response, the CHP offered some stats on its tickets for carpool-lane violations to show that it’s not open-season out there for violators.

For 2009, 1,697 drivers were cited, for an average of 141.4 a month.

For 2010, it was 2,102 tickets for a monthly average of 175.1.

For 2011 through November, it was 1,730 for a monthly average of 157.2.

If you get a carpool ticket, the total fine is $480. CLICK HERE to read about how the $100 base fine mushrooms to $480. So based on the CHP ticket numbers, Sonoma County drivers are paying a total of around $1 million a year for illegally driving in carpool lanes, if they don’t get leniency in traffic court. Click on the link above to see where all that money goes.

CHP Officer Jon Sloat, the spokesman for the Sonoma County office, noted that a Caltrans study found that the Santa Rosa area has a carpool violation rate of less than 2 percent. Ten percent and more is considered significant.

Sloat said the drop in tickets from 2010 to 2011 is “just the luck of the draw,” noting that the CHP’s top priority is safety violations. “Safety first, carpool next,” he said.

He said the CHP used to receive grant money to increase its carpool-lane enforcement but such funding hasn’t been available for a few years.

But he added that just because we see violators, it doesn’t mean tickets aren’t being issued.

“This violation is being cited whether you witness it or not, just like every other one,” he said.

—————

Follow the Road Warrior on Twitter via @PDRoadWarrior