A California driver has been cited for using a mannequin - not the required human being - to drive in a carpool lane.

Police in Brea reportedly found the mannequin inside a truck on a congested freeway.

The vehicle is said to have veered out of the carpool lane close to an officer's motorcycle. As the officer attempted to warn the driver to be careful, he noticed the passenger was not actually a passenger.

Police said the driver acknowledged using the mannequin in the carpool lane for some time. The driver told police that he would now accept that he needs to wait in traffic like everyone else.

California law requires that a vehicle have a minimum of two people for carpool lanes.