New Camera Faster Than Eztag Scofflaw
A camera installed by the Harris County, Texas, Toll Road Authority on the Sam Houston Tollway has the ability to detect when motorists in the EZ Tag electronic toll-payment lanes are avoiding tolls, instantly alerting police to the presence of habitual violators.
If the information matches data available on a list of the county’s most frequent toll violators, the camera can send information regarding the car’s appearance, location, and license plate to the police, who can then apprehend suspects such as Antonio Chamorro, who was 25th on a list of the highway’s 200 most frequent toll evaders.
Chamorro now owes approximately $16,000 in lost tolls, administrative fees, and court costs. With the success of the system’s first catch, Harris County plans to implement similar cameras on all toll lanes.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Houston Chronicle (10/15/05) P. B3; Guzman, Monica .
