Police turning to AI cameras to crack down on distracted driving in west metro

Distracted driving is so pervasive on Hwy. 7 in the west metro that law enforcement is turning to artificial-intelligence cameras to spot motorists who are illegally using their phones while behind the wheel.

With its new Acusensus Heads-Up Camera Enforcement System, the South Lake Minnetonka Police Department detected 10,000 violations on Hwy. 7 in February alone, leading to 300 warnings or citations, said Sgt. Adam Moore.

“It’s a bigger a problem than people realize,” Moore said. “Not a day goes by we are not seeing distracted driving. It [the cameras] is the most effective tool we have right now.”

Four infrared cameras on a portable trailer that Moore describes as “high-power binoculars” snap pictures of passing vehicles. If the system detects a violation, it sends a photo of the vehicle and plate to police within five seconds. Police then can initiate a stop and determine if a violation occurred.

The system does not automatically mail citations. And it deletes photos of vehicles that police don’t stop within a few minutes. A first offense could lead to a $100 fine, including court fees; subsequent violations could cost you $300.

In Minnesota, drivers can touch their phone once to make a call, send voice-activated text messages or listen to podcasts, but cannot have them in their hands at any time while behind the wheel.

In hands-free mode, state law forbids multiple touches, such as dialing a phone number or punching in GPS coordinates. Reading emails or texts, video streaming, gaming and using apps for any purpose other than navigation are against the law.

Yet Moore said officers encountered drivers texting and interacting with TikTok during recent enforcement efforts using the cameras. Some drivers are unaware of the law, but others, he said, don’t believe they will get caught.

One woman, Moore said, told an officer that the camera was wrong and that it was her son in the passenger seat who was holding a phone. When shown the picture captured by a Heads-Up camera, she confessed, Moore said.

The system has been shown to be 80% to 90% reliable in identifying offending drivers, Moore said.

South Lake Minnetonka Police obtained the technology through a grant awarded to the Highway 7 Safety Coalition and is believed to be one of the first agencies in the country to use AI cameras to enforce distracted driving laws.

It’s part of a multipronged approach to curb bad driving behavior. In conjunction with April’s Distracted Driving Awareness Month, the agency will also share social media videos on the topic created by Minnetonka High School students.

“Who do you care about?” one of the public service announcements asks. “Put down the phone.”

Last year, 29 people died in distracted driving-related crashes in Minnesota and 137 people were seriously injured, according to the Department of Public Safety.

On Friday, DPS’ Office of Traffic Safety and the Minnesota Safety Council kicked off its monthlong enforcement effort. Law enforcement will be using pickup trucks and SUVs customized with cameras and equipment to document distracted driving or other dangerous driving behaviors

Moore said Heads-Up acts as “another set of eyes” and hopes it will reduce distracted driving and “change driving behavior.”

A second goal of the camera system is to get drivers to slow down and make the crash-prone corridor safer. In recent years, cities from St. Louis Park to St. Bonifacius have been pushing MnDOT to make safety upgrades along the 20-mile segment.