Driver-focused cameras target commercial motor vehicles in Kentucky
Kentucky authorities say the use of driver-focused cameras is an effort to limit distracted driving in commercial motor vehicles. Meanwhile, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association said it is apprehensive about the practice.
The Laurel County Interstate 75 northbound weigh station is the first location equipped with driver-focused cameras.
Installed by Perceptics, these driver-focused cameras capture near real-time, high-resolution images of the vehicle, license plate, U.S. DOT and KYU numbers and inside of the cab. These images are then sent to the Kentucky Automated Truck Screening system for officers to identify if a vehicle inspection is needed, according to the Perceptics website.
Law enforcement officers encounter issues when using binoculars to observe a driver and have no way to provide a driver with proof of an infraction, says the website.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is planning to install additional driver-focused cameras at 13 other locations across the state.
When asked if additional cameras would focus on vehicles other than commercial vehicles, the agency told Land Line that, similar to the Laurel County, “the focus is on commercial motor vehicles.”
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet also said, “Federal regulations specific to commercial motor vehicles were considered” before installation of the cameras.
OOIDA apprehensive
OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh expressed the Association’s apprehension with the practice.
“We are always concerned when we hear of more surveillance on truckers in the name of safety,” Pugh said. “There are many more questions that need answered about whether these are well-meaning or just more intrusive efforts against truckers in Kentucky.”
According to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, a high-priority grant from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was used to fund the installation of the driver-focused cameras.
“It would seem we could spend those dollars much more effectively in helping make the roads safer for the public than what some in-cab viewing camera will do,” Pugh said.
The number of commercial motor vehicle operators that comply with federal regulations will provide a gauge of success for the cameras, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said. LL