New AI traffic cameras in Minnesota can capture phone usage while driving
Law enforcement is getting high-tech help to crack down on distracted driving.
"We've kind of discovered it's a bigger problem than I think we realized," said South Lake Minnetonka Patrol Sergeant Adam Moore.
Moore is referring to distracted driving, up until now, was typically not caught on camera.
"It's one of the things that plagues Highway 7," said Moore.
In 2024 alone, Moore says Highway 7 saw at least five fatal crashes and many other severe accidents.
"It really all started because our community asked us for a solution," said Moore.
Officers with the department are now employing the help of AI cameras that can recognize when drivers are on their phones.
"It gives us the opportunity to see inside the vehicle," said Moore.
The Australian-based company, Acusensus, built the cameras.
The cameras are being paid for, in part, with a more than $400,000 grant from the state.
"I'm excited to be the ones on the forefront of this," said Moore.
While Moore understands some have privacy concerns, he assures drivers that if police don't take action, photos are deleted within 15 minutes.
The cameras don't automatically issue tickets. Police check and make sure there is actual distracted driving and then pull the driver over.
The department has been using the cameras since Feb. 1 and says officers have stopped more than 100 drivers in the last few weeks thanks to the technology.
"Our agency personally has written about 70 citations," said Moore.
Moore expects the cameras will detect up to tens of thousands of distracted drivers by the end of February.
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LaReau is the senior autos writer who covers Ford Motor Co. for the Detroit Free Press. Contact Jamie at jlareau@ Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. To sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ford CFO outlines how company is working through supply, tariff issues
