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CNN Sunday Morning

High-Speed Pursuits go High Tech

Aired May 20, 2001 - 08:35   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: From the pursuit of higher education now to the high speed pursuit of criminals. Those high speed chases you see on local and national TV are becoming more common. In California, there's new technology, though, to help police catch these speeding law breakers.

Here's CNN's Hena Cuevas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HENA CUEVAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A high speed chase through downtown Los Angeles, police in pursuit doing everything they can to avoid this. One person dead. Ask anyone here, and they'll tell you high speed chases are a part of life, shown live on local TV.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, goodness, did he clip that car right there?

CUEVAS: Even included as a warning on restaurant delivery menus. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 1999, more than 300 people were killed in crashes involving police chases. Thirteen percent of those were in California, the highest of any state.

(on camera): So, it's no surprise that the state, with the help of the city of Monrovia, is leading the way in testing the latest in intersection safety devices using technology from the space program.

(voice-over): These traffic light boards are automatically activated by a transponder in the trunk of the car when the emergency vehicle's siren goes on.

UNIDENTIFIED POLICE OFFICER: It helps us that when we're approaching the intersection and it is already green for us. We don't have to stop or slow down. We've already been preempted for our green signal.

CUEVAS: They show drivers when a pursuit is in progress and give police and the car they're chasing a clear intersection.

CHIEF JOSEPH SANTORO, MONROVIA POLICE: If we can give them the straight right of way, green lights down the street, we're better off than giving them all red lights down the street because at least the green lights will cut down on the injury to innocent people. CUEVAS: The system, which costs about $25,000 per intersection, can handle more than one emergency vehicle approaching the intersection from different directions. Whoever arrives first is given the right of way. With thousands of accidents caused by high speed chases, this is one system that hopes this becomes a thing of the past.

Hena Cuevas, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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