78% of Americans Favor Full-Body Scans

A huge majority of Americans support the use of full-body scanners in airports, casting privacy concerns aside for the chance of increased air security, a USA Today poll finds. More than two-thirds of frequent fliers say they are comfortable going through the scanners, and a whopping 78% say they should be used. Some 84% of respondents say they believe the machines will help prevent aerial terrorism attempts.

“It would seem much more thorough than the process that we're doing now,” says one respondent “It would put me more at ease getting on a plane.” The poll queried folks who have flown at least twice in the past year. Though public interest in the scanners was sparked by the failed Christmas bombing attempt, just 29% say they are more worried about air travel after the incident. “Security will only get better because of a scare,” one woman says. (More Northwest Flight 253 stories.)