警察不論是取締交通違規，亦或實施犯罪偵查，每須透過攔停交通工具之方式為之。可見警察對交通工具實施攔停與搜索，以及後續之盤查措施，實係警察行性勤務中相當重要具具高可見度的作為之一。隨著我國機動車輛數之成長，預車輛零組件變得更加精密複雜化，未來警察交通攔停等執法問題勢將持續受到個方的關切。 依一般學者通說認為，警察維護治安之任務，主要為危害防止與犯行追緝，而此兩大任務之具體實施，經常須透過攔停交通工具，檢查人與物而遂行之。前者，如依道路交通管理處罰條例(以下簡稱道交條例)對交通違規行為予以防止或取締；後者，如酒醉駕車者違反刑法第一百八十三條之「公共危險罪」之規定是。 惟曩昔我國法制就警察攔車輛之要件、程序、應行注意事項與救濟等，由於法制不完備或規範過於概括、不明確，致使警?在執行車輛攔檢措置時，履生爭議。因，在司法院大法官釋字第五十五號解釋「推波助瀾」下，警察職權行使法乃因應而生。該法第八條乃就警察攔停車輛之要件、得採取之措置與相關事項為進一步之規定，俾能強化警察攔停交通工具之正當性與合法性。而揆諸該法第八條條文內容，實係多參酌美國法制上對交通工具攔停之相關作法而定。因此，如能深入瞭解美國警察對車輛攔停之要件、性質、程序、所依據之法理及相關事項等具體作法，再進一步比較我國與該國之異同。吾人以為將有助於釐清相關問題之爭端，並作為我國警察在實施交通攔停措置時之重要參考依據。 故本文乃以美國法制為例，論述警察交通攔停與盤查之權限。其內容乃以美國法制為主軸，並以我國警職法、道交條例及刑事訴訟法相關規範暨學說為輔，加以比較分析兩國警察交通攔停、搜索與盤查之異同。最後希冀引荐他山之石，牌能作為今後我國警察法制與交通執法實務之重要參考。

When police to ban the traffic violation and to investigate crime behavior, they are usually by stops of motor vehicles. Stops and searches of motor vehicles are an important and highly visible part of routine police patrol work. They will continue to require the attention of people from all walks of life in the coming years as the number of motor vehicles of the road grows and vehicle gadgets become more sophisticated in Taiwan. Questions about what the police can and cannot do in motor vehicle cases are addressed by the Court each year in U.S., and this trend will continue as the case law on motor vehicles becomes more extensive and refined. It is important that the police be familiar with the laws on motor vehicle stops and searches because a large percentage of arrests and searches are either made in or related to motor vehicles, and a lot of day-to-day police work involves motor vehicles. The law on vehicle stops and searches is best understood if discuss under three general headings: vehicle stops, vehicle searches, and vehicle inventories.