U.S. tests new vehicle X-ray for airports

CHERRY BRANCH, N.C., Sept. 17 (UPI) -- U.S. officials say they are testing a new X-ray device they believe could increase the chances of intercepting terrorists and drug smugglers at airports.

The Transportation Security Administration has set up the "backscatter" X-ray scanner at ferry terminal in North Carolina that scans each vehicle as it enters the facility.

"Rather than stopping all vehicles or doing random checks, you could run vehicles, especially large-panel trucks, through the machine," TSA Assistant Administrator John Sammon told USA Today Wednesday.

The scanner, which costs around $1.5 million, is basically an arch that vehicles pass through. The machine produces a low-intensity X-ray beam that gives operators a real-time view of what's inside.

USA Today said that while passengers in Cherry Branch, N.C. didn't appear to be alarmed at the scans, some privacy advocates have raised questions about its ability to see through clothing as well as sheet metal.

But Sammon said the scanner was "fairly non-intrusive."