The Virginia House of Delegates has passed a bill that would double fines for people who repeatedly violate high occupancy vehicle rules on Northern Virginia highways.

The bill would for the first time treat HOV lane offenses as moving violations. Those caught breaking lane rules more than twice within five years would be assessed three points to their license, which could cause them to lose driving privileges and pay higher vehicle insurance bills.

A first offense would remain a $50 fine, but the second would increase from $100 to $200, a third violation from $250 to $500, and subsequent offenses would jump from $500 to $1,000.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Bill Mims, R-Leesburg, told Washington, DC’s WJLA TV he thought the Senate would accept House amendments and send the bill to Gov. Mark Warner’s desk. The governor has said he supports the bill.

Mims said his bill – SB508 – is aimed at the driver who “doesn’t believe that the laws apply to them.”

A 2002 Virginia Department of Transportation traffic count found HOV violations ranged from 38 percent on Interstate 65 to 35 percent on Interstate 95 and 28 percent on the Dulles Toll Road.