This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

SAN DIEGO — Officials are testing out new cameras on Interstate 15 to crack down on drivers illegally using the express lane.

Scott Koblentz, I-15 Express Lanes Project Manager with SANDAG, says two cameras were placed on I-15 near Miramar Way on March 31 to take a photo of every car that drives by to determine how many passengers are inside. Koblentz says the company behind the cameras, Xerox, claims that the data the photos generates is 95 percent accurate.

The Miramar Way location was chosen because it was the safest and easiest place to test out the cameras. Depending on how well the cameras do during the next month and a half, the Regional Tolling Authority will consider permanently using them there, and implementing more in different locations.

Cameras are also being tested out in Orange County and Nova Scotia, says Koblentz.

Carpool violators currently get slapped with a $401 ticket. Tickets will not be issued during the test phase. Koblentz says it’s unclear how the ticketing process would work if the cameras are formally implemented.

If the system is implemented, a programming upgrade would have to be made so the Xerox system and the current transponder system could communicate, said Koblentz.

Download Fox 5 iPhone app  |  Download Fox 5 Android app