Survey: Two-thirds of travelers approve of body-scanners
2010-12-01
A recent survey conducted jointly by the Washington Post and ABC News finds that two-thirds of American travelers approve of the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) full-body scanners, which produce highly detailed images of a passenger's body with the intention of detecting hidden weapons or explosives.
Passengers who expressed this sentiment claimed to value terrorism prevention over the protection of personal privacy, Reuters reports. About 32 percent of respondents reportedly expressed opposition to the scanners.
One-half of survey respondents disapproved of the full-body scanners alternative, the pat-down. Passengers who opt out of the full-body scan must be patted down by TSA staff, according to the news source.
One-third of respondents expressed some concern over the potential health hazards of the full-body scanners, but most did not find these potential hazards to be a major concern.
Most survey respondents also indicated that the new security screening measures would not be influencing their decision to fly over the holiday season, according to the news source.
The poll was reportedly conducted on a random nationwide sample of 514 adult travelers.
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