Virginia DMV Installs In-Road Sensors to Detect Truck Tire Defects

Using in-road sensors, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles was able to identify and remove 13,000 unsafe tires from commercial vehicles traveling on Interstate 81 in one year.

The sensor technology, called Tire Anomaly and Classification System (TACS), enables weigh station technicians to identify commercial vehicles traveling with flat, missing, mismatched or underinflated tires and call the driver into the station to arrange for a repair.

TACS was installed at the Stephens City Motor Carrier Service Center along I-81 near Winchester in June 2020. An average of nearly 1,200 unsafe tires are detected each month. This year, DMV will install the TACS technology, produced by International Road Dynamics Inc., at the Troutville Motor Carrier Service Center on I-81 near Roanoke and the Alberta Motor Carrier Service Center on I-85.

"Tire blowouts can cause serious crashes. By detecting unsafe tires, most times before a truck driver even knows there is a problem, we can prevent crashes from occurring and save lives," said DMV Commissioner Richard Holcomb, the Governor's Highway Safety representative.

DMV operates 13 permanent motor carrier service centers and 12 mobile crews throughout the Commonwealth. A typical motor carrier service center is staffed with size and weight compliance agents who weigh vehicles, collect truck data and partner with the Virginia State Police to issue citations for non-compliance.