Video: Blaine border crosses over to high-tech security

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BLAINE, Wash. – The border crossing at Blaine adopted a new high-tech security regime Tuesday.

Drivers say it works great and saves time.

The new technology features a radio transmitting chip embedded in federally approved identification, including Washington's enhanced driver's licenses and U.S. passport cards.

The goal of this $352 million in new ID technology is to maintain border security, but do it better and faster. It will hopefully reduce the chances of long and frustrating backups that can happen at peak travel times - like the coming 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. It means Customs and Border Protection officers can make better use of their time.

"You can concentrate on looking at the individual, asking the appropriate questions and then if the person needs to be referred in for a secondary exam, they do. If not they go down the road," U.S. Customers and Border Protection spokesperson Michele James said.

The ID cards with embedded chips light up a screen where officers see a photo, driver's license information and a check of terrorist and criminal databases. The chips do not transmit any private information - just a number

"It's meaningless to anyone but us," U.S. Customs ad Border Protection spokesperson Christopher Milowic said.

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The new technology should speed up border crossings in Blaine, Wash.

They don't transmit that number farther than 10 or 15 feet.

"We don't want to read cards in lane two that we're trying to read in lane one," he said.