NCJ Number
145774
Journal
Police and Security News Volume: 9 Issue: 4 Dated: (July/August 1993) Pages: 19-22,27
Date Published
1993
Length
5 pages
Annotation
The Technocar 2000 for use in traffic law enforcement has a video camera that sends a digitized image of the scene back to dispatch at timed intervals and other state-of-the- art features.
Abstract
The Technocar 2000 is a prototype vehicle currently being tested by traffic safety researchers at the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI). The vehicle is a 1991 Camaro outfitted with some of the most advanced communications equipment in the world. It uses a voice radio, spread spectrum technology, a global positioning system, and the latest video camera and computer hardware. After the police officer punches in the license plate number on a keyboard or touches a video screen display, he or she can leave the patrol car. A pen system computer has the vehicle registration information displayed by the time the officer reaches the contact vehicle. Using the computer pen, the officer can read the bar coded vehicle identification number (VIN) on the dashboard to see if it matches the registration, or the VIN can be read automatically by the computer through a "smart tag" broadcast from the stopped vehicle. The offending driver's license can be swiped like a credit card through a slot on the computer, and a digitized photograph from the State driver's license file appears on the screen. Plans of the TTI to further research, test, and evaluate the Technocar 2000 are noted.