CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Drivers around Charlotte might notice a sizeable orange device on the side of the road.
Many people on social media believe the device is taking photos of your car to see if you’re texting and driving.
THE QUESTION
Are there actually devices placed on the side of the road in the hopes of catching people texting and driving?
THE ANSWER
Yes, there are devices placed along the roads in Charlotte capturing images of people texting and driving, but according to law enforcement, they are monitoring the behavior of truck drivers and not other motorists.
THE SOURCES
WHAT WE FOUND
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol said they have three of these devices that they can place around the city. Their purpose? To catch commercial motor vehicle operators, or truck drivers, who are on their phones while driving.
According to NCSHP, last year’s fatal collision data shows most of the crashes happened because preoccupied truck drivers failed to reduce their speed or were drifting out of their lanes.
NCSHP said these devices cost a combined $496,000 and were paid for with federal grants. They told WCNC Charlotte that the images captured on the devices are not shared with any other law enforcement entity for any other purpose.
And this comes on the heels of Gov. Roy Cooper proclaiming Oct. 25 as “Buckle Up, Phone Down” day. NCDOT data shows that 712 people died last year as a result of not wearing a seat belt or driving while distracted.
Since June, NC State Highway Patrol says troopers have issued 961 seatbelt violations and 565 handheld phone violations, thanks to information from these new devices.
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