FMCSA is testing infrared technology to screen trucks and buses for potential problems with brakes, tires, and gears as these vehicles travel roads near the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. FMCSA said that it will continue conducting infrared testing through Feb. 24 at the games.
The thermal-imaging technology, provided by Burnaby, British Columbia-based Infra Red Inspection System Ltd., allows Utah DOT's Motor Carrier Division and FMCSA representatives to inspect vehicles at highway speeds.
First used during the Persian Gulf War in 1991, the technology has been placed in four vans equipped with high-resolution monitors. Personnel in the vans use an infrared sensor to screen trucks and buses traveling at highway speeds, and the system alerts roadside enforcement officers to identify possible problems.
