Poor License Plate Software in Tollways
From Daily Herald | Critics call for reform of toll collection system
A story on the toll system in Chicago points out the need to ensure the software you use fits your needs. In this case, cameras are setup to snap pictures of toll cheats. Software is then used to read license plates and send out notices.
A big glitch is that the software can’t read all the various permutations of Illinois license plates. Specifically, the software can’t read the smaller vertical letters on some license plates such as the PV on the Illinois prevent violence plate. This problem is compounded because nonstandard plates often have the same main letters, e.g., “1234″ Illinois environmental plate or “1234″ regular plate. This ensures that the standard plate will be labeled as the cheat.
Consequently, slower humans are brought in to check this. Not surprisingly, there are lots of slip-ups. The problem could be averted by updating the software or changing license plates. This is a significant problem. There is already $78 million in lost tolls with tens of millions of dollars potentially lost every year.
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