Hybrids belong in the fast lane, study says.
A UC Berkeley study released Monday says banishing lone hybrid drivers from carpool lanes is making traffic slower for everyone. As an example, they cited a four-mile stretch of carpool lane on Interstate 880 in Hayward, California, which has seen a 15% reduction in speed since single-occupant hybrids were expelled July 1.
Among other things, the report's authors found that the additional vehicles in the regular traffic lanes slowed speeds substantially. That slower traffic made it more difficult for the carpool drivers to move in and out of the HOV lanes, slowing them down as well.
