Tire Anomaly Readers Improve Highway Safety

Item #: 20250006

CONTACTS

Implementing Organization: Motor Carrier
Implementation Lead: Howard Trexler
Development Team: Chad Sheppick and Lane Murphy (approval), Dan Hunter, Kim Banks, Howard Trexler (worked with PrePass Company for installation), Rick Clark, Dan Hunter, Stephen Goodrich (Operations Managers trained and assured proper use.

Article Written By: Byron Stuart
Innovation Council Liaison: Byron Stuart
Innovation Team Coordinator: Quinten Klingonsmith

STATUS

Implementation Date: January 1, 2024
Adoption Status: Fully Implemented
Adoptability Note: What other automated systems could UDOT employ to enhance safety?

APPLIES TO

Topic: Safety and Health
Organization(s): Central Maintenance / Facilities Management, Equipment Operations, Motor Carrier Division, Risk Management, Traffic and Safety, Traffic Management Division
Job Role(s): Motor Carrier Employee, Roadway Operations / IMT
Tags: highway transportation, capital productivity, labor productivity, employee empowerment, crashes, injuries, economic benefits, value of life, value of time, ( adoption ), automation, inspection, products, governance > auditing, policy making, procedures, compliance, law, ( legal ), artificial intelligence ( AI ), intelligent transport systems ( ITS ), highway operations, ( traffic operations ), inspection, law enforcement > port of entry ( POE ), ( motor carrier ), traffic safety > highway safety, trucking safety, vehicle safety, tire, flat, anomaly, truck, freight, environmental quality > pollution > air, noise, quality of life, user benefits

PROBLEM

Port of Entry inspectors are on the lookout for flat, under-inflated, threadbare, insufficient tread depth, or damaged tires. However, it is difficult for them to observe issues on the opposite side of the truck as they pass through the port. It is also hard for agents to see from a distance whether a dual tire is only partially inflated, especially if the motor vehicle is empty and the underinflated tire is on the inside. Stopping every vehicle to check each tire is not feasible, so problem tires are not always noticed.

When a tire fails, it not only threatens the driver but also other vehicles. Tire debris along the roadway also puts those who have to remove it in danger.

CHANGE

UDOT worked with PrePass to install in-road tire anomaly detectors. These tire safety screening systems (TS3) flag trucks when they detect a tire has a potential safety issue or violates current state or federal regulations. Agents can then do an in-depth tire inspection.

The first system was installed at the Perry Port on I-15, followed by the Wendover, Echo, and Monticello ports. Plans are in place to eventually install the system at all fifteen of Utah’s ports of entry.

RESULT

Since its installation, the tire anomaly system routinely helps agents find tires that violate state or federal law. If the tire’s condition warrants, it can be determined as Out Of Service, requiring it to be replaced at the port before being allowed to continue down the road.

For example, an agent from the Echo Port of Entry states, “We opened at 7:00 a.m. the day our system went online. Even though we were closed for a couple of hours due to snow, we found 23 flat tires by 5 p.m. At one point, we only had two parking spots left.”

Discovering tire issues keeps both the motor carriers and the public safe by resolving problems before they cause harm.