The cameras can do some pretty cool things. They can spot when someone runs a red light or almost gets into a crash. They can even give people more time to cross the street if they need it.
John Gleason, who works for the Utah Department of Transportation, explained how it works:
"[Imagine] you have somebody crossing the road and they stumble, and they just can't make it over there in time. We don't have to do anything manually, it will automatically adjust the time to allow them to cross safely."
These smart cameras use something called LiDar. It's the same kind of tech that fancy cars use to drive themselves. LiDar sends out laser beams and measures how long it takes for the light to bounce back. It's a bit like how submarines use sound underwater, but way more high-tech.
Each camera system costs about $30,000 to $40,000. The state got a big $20 million grant to help pay for it all. If these first five corners work out well, Utah plans to put the cameras in more places.
The cameras do more than just watch for trouble. They can see patterns in how people and cars move. They can tell when someone's walking where they shouldn't be. They can even check how fast cars are going.
And get this - the cameras are right 99.98% of the time when they log what's happening. That's pretty spot-on.
With all this info, Utah hopes to make its roads work better. They might change how long lights stay green or red. They could also find new ways to keep people safe when they're crossing the street.
Source: Fox13
