Desire to conserve resources have led to efforts to incent users to carpool or use public transportation. Carpooling reduces pollution, and reduces the number of vehicles on the road. Aside from environmental benefits derived from carpooling, there are many “perks” and incentives associated with carpool. For example, special High Occupancy Vehicle (“HOV”) or carpool lanes have been instituted in various locations and countries to provide an incentive to carpool. Vehicles are permitted in the designated carpool lanes if they contain two or more passengers depending on the carpool lane requirement of a particular location. In addition, many public and private establishments offer special parking spots reserved for carpools, certain highways and bridges offer reduced tolls for carpoolers, and employees may subsidize vans and buses to incent employees to carpool. There have also been several “carpool challenge” contests were participants compete for prizes and fame by carpooling.
Recognizing the significant benefits and practical incentives of carpooling many drivers will knowingly violate carpool regulations when they are driving alone. To deter the misuse of carpool incentives, violation of the carpool regulation may result in large fines. For example, in some locations a minimum HOV lane violation can subject a driver to a fine of nearly $500. In recent years, although there are many tools and mobile applications developed to help willing participants to organize carpooling and propose routes for carpools, there are no practical and easy management tools to help monitor and confirm the passengers' actual carpooling status other than by a visual confirmation of the passengers while they are in the vehicle. Therefore, there is a need for a user friendly and safe method and technology to confirm that individuals are actually carpooling in one single vehicle in real time so that carpool incentives can be properly distributed and administered, and the proper carpool participants can be awarded credit and incentives for their participation.