Researchers say they have successfully tested cameras that can immediately identify and photograph 18-wheelers barreling down highway fast lanes in violation of state law.

In the first of two trials in Paramus last year, the cameras captured the license plate numbers of about 180 tractor-trailers each weekday in Route 17 fast lanes, said Colette Santasieri, director of strategic initiatives at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Police then mailed warnings to the registered owners of the culpable big rigs. Signs reminding truckers not to drive in fast lanes were installed by the state Department of Transportation. Notices were also distributed by the New Jersey Motor Truck Association.

NJIT officials are in talks to develop the technology with various state and law enforcement agencies, said Donald Sebastian, the school's senior vice president for research and development. He wouldn't identify any of the agencies or highways involved, however.

"This area is the gateway for trucks traveling from upstate New York to Florida, and vice versa," said state Sen. Joseph Coniglio, D-Paramus. "The sense is, we need to all work together to get creative in making our traffic flow more efficient and safe."

The camera stations have three components: Once a sensor recognizes a big rig traveling in a fast lane, it triggers a digital camera to take a snapshot of the truck's license plate. Meanwhile, a video camera captures the general traffic pattern to determine whether it should or shouldn't be in the fast lane, Sebastian said.

"We unfortunately have quite a number of accidents involving trucks in left-hand lanes," said Paramus Deputy Police Chief Richard Cary. "These are pretty intuitive cameras that can allow police to know who violated the law."

The truck-safety initiative is one of the latest developments in a burgeoning partnership between Paramus police and the Newark-based technical school.

Cameras developed by NJIT that can spot suspicious people or packages were installed at the Garden State Plaza in 2005. In recent months, school researchers working on a "smart" gun have visited the borough police shooting range weekly to test their product, which prevents unauthorized use.

With the Left-Lane Initiative, NJIT researchers also got to work with state and Bergen County authorities to put a high-tech twist on traditional traffic policing, Sebastian said.

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