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AI traffic cameras are being used to reduce distracted driving west of the Twin Cities

By
Jason Rantala
Jason Rantala
Reporter
Jason Rantala joined WCCO as a reporter in June 2023. He's a Minnesota native and is thrilled to be telling the stories of those in his hometown.
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Jason Rantala

/ CBS Minnesota

Law enforcement in Minnesota's west metro area has new technology utilizing artificial intelligence to help reduce 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, which 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 tens of thousands of distracted drivers by the end of February.

"We're letting people know this is a problem, they need to focus on driving and they need to put their phones down," said Moore. 

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