TUCSON, Ariz. - A new Honda Civic hybrid will get around 45 miles per gallon according to Honda, but now Arizona has given people another great reason to drive green.

A pilot program that started Feb. 9, 2007, is allowing certain hybrid models to drive in the high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) or carpool lane, regardless of the number of people in the car.

According to Cydney Demodica, a media relations spokesperson for the Motor Vehicle Department (MVD), there are roughly 8,600 people participating in this program in Arizona. They are capping the number of cars in the study at 10,000.

Only certain cars fit the standards that were set to participate in the study and include the Honda Insight, Honda Civic Hybrid and the Toyota Prius. According to the MVD, the vehicles were selected because they have at least 45 percent fuel efficiency in combined city-highway fuel economy.

“This is part of Governor Janet Napolitano’s clean air initiative,” Demodica said. “Cars get special energy efficient license plates and one person can get into the carpool lane during rush hour.”

According to a statement by Governor Napolitano on Jan. 8, 2007, Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties are experiencing significant population growth that is contributing to continuing air quality problems. She then issued an executive order to direct ADOT and ADEQ to devise a pilot program to allow some hybrid vehicles to use the high occupancy lanes on Arizona highways.

“This will hopefully try to convince people to drive more energy-efficient vehicles,” Demodica said.

According to the MVD, the pilot program will reduce travel time for those in the program and will also promote energy independence and reduced fuel consumption while supporting improved air quality.

“Right now there are around 400 to 450 people signing up a month, so we are expecting to hit the 10,000 mark around this summer,” Demodica added.

According to the MVD, the pilot program may be discontinued by changes in federal regulations or by potential degradation of the HOV lanes.