Specialized cameras at weigh stations in Kentucky are helping ensure that operators of commercial vehicles are abiding by all state and federal laws with the payoff expected to be safer highways and more money in the coffers of the Bluegrass State. The system takes advantage of a technology developed by a team led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Cyrus Smith. In seconds the system can determine a vehicle's safety rating, whether it is stolen or has out-of-service orders and myriad other information. Commercial vehicle enforcement officers typically select trucks for inspection at random, but this system helps them to inspect based on safety ratings and other discriminating factors. And because the system instantly checks registration, insurance and tax status, officers can write tickets to violators. Smith expects the system in Kentucky to become a model for the nation. Funding for ORNL's portion of the project is provided by the Southeast Regional Research Initiative, funded through the Department of Homeland Security.
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