[Publius Valerius]

If you knew how many cops were killed each year after being shot or stabbed after a simple traffic stop, maybe you would be a little more understanding if a cop asks you if he can take a look inside your vehicle.

I don't know what the data are for the most recent period, but during the ten year period between 1988-1997, 688 policemen were killed during traffic stops. I don't have data for the same ten year period, in 1999, there was 23 million traffic stops in the country. Assuming that these numbers are representative, then during each traffic stop, the odds of a policeman being killed are 2.96 x 10^-6 against.

How are these numbers supposed to make me more understanding of their request to search my car?

[SubGeniusX]

I don't know what the data are for the most recent period, but during the ten year period between 1988-1997, 688 policemen were killed during traffic stops.

Please see my post #166

even the information you posted can be "misleading" ... that is total officer deaths during traffic stops, the vast majority are accidental (getting hit by another vehicle, etc) ... in truth as evidenced in my post only about 6.4 officers are Feloniously Killed during "routine" stops each year ...