OPTICAL POLARIZATION BASED TAMPER-PROOF DRIVER'S LICENSE AND IDENTIFICATION CARDS

THE USE OF FALSE DRIVER'S LICENSES AND OTHER IDENTIFICATION CARDS TO OBTAIN ALCOHOL BY UNDER- AGE DRIVERS AND BY REPEAT OFFENDERS WITH SUSPENDED LICENSES IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY SUCH DRIVERS ARE MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO FATALITIES, INJURIES AND PROPERTY DAMAGE. THEDEVELOPMENT OF TAMPER-PROOF DRIVERS' LICENSES AND IDENTIFICATION CARDS WILL SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THIS PROBLEM. DUE TO HIGH-VOLUME REQUIREMENTS, SUCH LICENSES AND CARDS MUST, IN ADDITION TO BEING TAMPER-PROOF, BE ALSO EASY AND COST-EFFECTIVE TO MAKE AND USE. PREVIOUS METHODS TO PROVIDE SECURITY FEATURES IN DOCUMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL DUE TO VARIOUS REASONS, INCLUDING EASE OF COUNTERFEITING AND HIGH COST OF IMPLEMENTATION. IN THIS PROPOSAL, WE PRESENT A PROGRAM FOR DEVELOPING NOVEL OPTICAL TECHNIQUES TO PRODUCE TAMPER-PROOF DRIVERS' LICENSES AND IDENTIFICATION CARDS. THE NEW METHODS ARE BASED ON EXPLOITATION OF CERTAIN UNIQUEPROPERTIES OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC POLARIZATION OF LIGHT. THE KEY FEATURES OF THE PROPOSED TECHNIQUES ARE THEIR HIGH LEVEL OF IMMUNITY TO ABUSE, AND THE LOW COST OF BOTH PRODUCING SUCH DOCUMENTS AND DETECTING SUSPECTED TAMPERING. WE BELIEVE THAT THE INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES DESCRIBED HERE WILL BE EXCELLENT CANDIDATES FOR IMPLEMENTATION IN A WIDE-SCALE NATIONAL TRAFFICSAFTEY PROGRAMS.