New driver-focused cameras provoke violations in Kentucky

In September, the Kentucky Transportation Authority installed cameras focused on drivers at weigh stations down I-75 in Kentucky.

The cameras were an attempt by the authorities to reduce the level of distracted driving among truckers. The Cabinet of Transport considered the driver’s compliance with federal regulations as a success criterion.

As it turned out in March, these cameras lead to numerous violations of the use of seat belts and keeping a logbook.

OOIDA Executive Vice President Levi Pugh expressed the Association’s concerns about this.

“We’re always concerned when we hear about increased surveillance of truckers in the name of safety,” Pugh said. “There are still many questions to be answered about whether they are well-intentioned or just more intrusive actions against truckers in Kentucky.”

“It would seem that we could spend those dollars more effectively helping to make roads safer for the public than some in-cab surveillance cameras do,”  Pugh said.

The installation of the cameras was financed by a grant from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.