3 minute read
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Implements New Weigh Station Driver Camera System Florida Utilizes Automated Tire Screening System During
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Implements New Weigh Station Driver Camera System
By Brian Beaven, Kentucky Transportation Center; and Jake Kissel, Perceptics
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) recently implemented a driver camera system at its Laurel County I-75 northbound weigh station to help Kentucky State Police (KSP) commercial motor vehicle enforcement officers gather data on commercial truck drivers as they approach the weigh station. KYTC asked Perceptics — which provides the license plate reader, USDOT number reader and overview camera at the facility — to install its Driver Focus Camera to capture a high-resolution image of the inside of commercial motor vehicles so KSP can observe potential safety issues, such the use of cell phones or not using necessary corrective lenses or seat belts.
Technologies such as this can enhance the mix of education, awareness and enforcement that KYTC and KSP use to keep Kentucky’s roadways safe. While driver behavior continues to be a major factor in the cause and severity of crashes throughout the U.S., reliable data on such behavior can be difficult for authorities to collect. With the addition of the driver camera system, KSP officers now have real-time actionable intelligence on what’s happening in the cab instead of having only binoculars to rely on.
As the vehicle approaches the weigh station, Perceptics cameras capture images of the vehicle: the license plate, the USDOT and KYU numbers, and the inside of the cab. These images are fed to the Kentucky Automated Truck Screening (KATS) system where officers can quickly identify the vehicle and decide whether to send it for inspection. With the addition of the Driver Focus Camera, the officer can now see the image of the driver in KATS along with all the vehicle’s information, providing important safety data that they could not capture before. The officer can also use the image to flag the driver for further inspection or as evidence of a violation during a regular inspection.
The camera has proven to be a useful tool in collecting data that can be used to deter unsafe driving practices. In the first six months of operation, officers issued violations for 137 seat belt infractions and several for illegal cell phone use and for drivers not wearing their required corrective lenses.
Additionally, the new camera also allows the officer to confirm the identity of the driver to ensure he or she is not exceeding driving time limits. KYTC is planning to install the cameras at its 13 other locations across the state to provide visual evidence that was previously unavailable to corroborate drivers’ logged times.
While collecting more data on vehicles increases efficiency and safety, the new Driver Focus Camera gives KYTC and KSP more information on one of the most widespread causes of vehicle crashes: driver behavior. This information can lead to new ways of encouraging safe driving practices to enhance their mission of improving highway safety. n
REGIONAL MAP
Region I
Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, U.S. Virgin Islands and Vermont
Region II
Alabama, American Samoa, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia
Region III
Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin
Region IV
Alaska, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Mexico, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming
Region V
Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Yukon
