Indiana starts virtual weigh station pilot program along I-94

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Updated Mar 26, 2021

DSC_0453Truck drivers traveling along I-94 in northwest Indiana will be part of a pilot program in the state testing weigh-in-motion sensors that are embedded in the pavement.

The Indiana Department of Transportation, Indiana Department of Revenue, Indiana State Police and Purdue University are partnering with Kapsch TrafficCom to study a new way to weigh trucks on the highway.

The system Indiana is testing, developed by Kapsch, combines cameras with in-pavement scales to identify and weigh trucks as they pass by, eliminating the need for trucks to slow down to go through a weigh station. When combined with federal and state compliance information, the system can provide a real-time compliance assessment, according to INDOT, to help law enforcement target overweight trucks.

The cameras in the system will capture the DOT and license numbers of the passing trucks, allowing law enforcement to pull details about a carriers’ operation.

“The use of technology to automate the enforcement of oversize/overweight permit laws and ensure all carriers are legally travelling on Indiana’s roads levels the playing field for all carriers operating in the state,” INDOR Deputy Commissioner James Poe said. “Ensuring carriers have the proper credentials protects Indiana roads and drivers.”

Once the pilot program is complete, the Joint Transportation Research Program at Purdue University will review the results to ensure accuracy of the sensors and provide recommendations to possible legislative changes for enforcement policies.

As it stands, Indiana lawmakers would have to pass a new law to allow for the collected data to be used to issue citations.

A video showing the system in action can be seen below:

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