A driver on California's notoriously congested highways put a life-sized dummy in the passenger seat to trick his way into the faster carpool lane, only to get caught for forgetting one detail -- the face.
High-occupancy vehicle (HOV) carriageways are an effort to reduce traffic by encouraging ride-sharing, often requiring there to be at least two people travelling in a vehicle.
Cops in Hayward, near San Francisco, became suspicious when they noticed the passenger in one vehicle -- slumped over, wearing a blue hoodie and a sun hat -- appeared to have no face.
"Reminder: HOV occupants need to be actual people, not your arts and crafts project," California Highway Patrol in Haywood posted on their Facebook page on Tuesday.
Drivers who flout the rules can be fined $490, according to Caltrans, the body that operates the state's freeways.
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