A safer laser weapon could help troops stop drivers at checkpoints without “friendly fire” incidents (Image: DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images)

THE Pentagon is working on a laser dazzler that will force drivers to stop without harming their eyes.

When a vehicle approaches a checkpoint at speed, ignoring warning signs to slow down, troops do not know whether the driver is simply careless or a suicide bomber. They need a clear and harmless way of forcing drivers to stop.

Green laser dazzlers designed to temporarily blind drivers were sent to US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan for just this purpose. But …