RSF 104, Investigation into OCR Technology Performance and New ITS-CVO Technologies

Abstract RSF 104, Investigation into OCR Technology Performance and New ITS-CVO Technologies Kentucky utilizes license plate readers (LPRs) and USDOT readers (USDOTRs) for 16 Kentucky Automated Truck Screening Systems at weigh stations and virtual weigh stations around the state. The Kentucky ITD team would like to investigate the performance of the technology in other jurisdictions to determine if there products, techniques, or services that could improve the performances of Kentucky’s LPR- and USDOTR-based systems. In recent years, personnel reductions in the Kentucky State Police-Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (KSP-CVE) have made the state increasingly reliant on technology. Kentucky ITD team members want to build on past successes and investigate new ITS-CVO technologies utilized by other states or technologies offered by private sector vendors with commercial vehicle enforcement applicability. In August 2019, KTC analyzed the accuracy of 14 KATS systems around the state. LPR accuracy rates ranged from 52 to 87 percent, and USDOTR accuracy rates from 50 to 90 percent. Variation in performance was considerable. Kentucky would like to survey other states and vendors to gather information about their systems. Researchers will use this information to recommend best practices concerning the use of OCR-based technology for commercial vehicle screening. State roadside inspections declined from 86,125 in FY 2018 to 61,585 in FY 2019 – a drop of 28.5 percent. As a result, Kentucky wants to research innovative ITS-CVO opportunities that will further increase the efficiency and effectiveness of commercial vehicle inspections.