The Minnesota State Patrol is set to implement state-of-the-art systems at weigh stations to detect and address issues with commercial vehicle tires.
Under a newly formed partnership, 15 Tire Anomaly and Classification Systems (TACS) developed by International Road Dynamics will be supplied to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. These systems will be added to the existing Virtual Weigh Station sites, which are currently utilized by the state patrol for weight enforcement and traffic data collection.
Through IRD’s Virtual Weigh Station software, law enforcement will have access to web-based tools that allow for remote monitoring of vehicle records, including valuable insights obtained from weigh-in-motion sensors.
By utilizing advanced technology, the Minnesota State Patrol is taking proactive steps to ensure that vehicles on their roads are equipped with safe and properly inflated tires, ultimately enhancing overall road safety for all drivers.
This advanced system is capable of performing efficient screenings of commercial vehicles at highway and ramp speeds, and is comprised of the following components:
- In-road sensors for tire detection and measurement.
- Roadside electronics to capture information from the in-road sensors and pass this information to the weigh station.
- Weigh Station Work Station, Software and Graphical User Interface, to present information to weigh station operators.
The TACS system will seamlessly connect with the Virtual Weigh Station interface, providing real-time information on the exact whereabouts of vehicles with unsafe tires. Mobile enforcement teams located downstream from the checkpoints will be able to quickly spot trucks with tire issues, including flats, missing tires, or underinflated tires.
Based on the TACS screening, officers will give citations to drivers of vehicles that don’t meet safety standards, temporarily suspending them from service until any hazardous tire issues are fixed.
“MnDOT’s decision to upgrade their Virtual Weigh Station systems with TACS shows how important tire anomaly screening is for the state’s efforts to improve commercial vehicle safety,” said Rish Malhotra, IRD president and CEO, in a release.
Source: Trucking Info
