Whether deploying technology to peer into the cabs of truck drivers amounts to excessive “Big Brother” monitoring or a smart safe driving policy remains to be seen. But the North Carolina Highway Patrol is using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to snapshot truckers rolling along I-40 to determine if they have one hand on a phone.
“They know what the rules are. They know what the regulations say. Ones that are rolling the dice and not putting their phones down and not looking at the road are really putting themselves in danger by doing this,” N.C. Highway Patrol Sargent Chris Knox reportedly said.
Like many states, it’s illegal for a commercial motor vehicle operator to hold a cell phone while driving.
Installed along I-40, the Acucensus equipment looks like it has something to do with roadwork or construction. The advanced technology is powered by cameras that have the ability to capture still photos inside a truck’s cab. They also take a corresponding picture of the CDL holder’s license plate.
The AI software then takes images of passing truckers and plates to check for distracted driving habits. Chiefly looking for truckers holding a phone while driving or fiddling with electronic devices, the AI alerts troopers when it identifies a distracted trucker. Awaiting troopers turn on the lights and pull over the semi-truck driver. Reports indicate the company responsible for Acucensus can also provide a “countdown” to when the distracted truck driver will pass a highway patrol officer.
If the application of AI spying on truckers and not passenger vehicle drivers seems uneven or unfair, law enforcement officials point to state laws. Anytime a trucker takes their hand off the wheel to even hold a cell phone, that’s an infraction. By contrast, only texting while driving is considered an offense for passenger vehicle operators under North Carolina law. Because the still images cannot clearly identify active texting, law enforcement officials can only effectively use it against truck drivers.
Although Acucensus is currently a limited law enforcement tool, that could also change in the near future. The machine learning technology is quickly advancing and some anticipate it will be able to write and send truckers tickets without troopers pulling them over. Receiving a distracted driving ticket through the U.S. mail or via email may be coming to the freight transportation industry soon.
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