CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- North Carolina state troopers spent several hours Wednesday monitoring a stretch of dangerous interstate.

They targeted the section of Interstate 77 south from the Tyvola Road exit to the state line, aiming to catch speeders and aggressive drivers.

Sgt. Darren Conrad's perch on Tyvola Road let him track traffic on 77.

"We've already stopped 18 vehicles right at an hour's time," he said.

Conrad uses a laser gun called LIDAR. It can clock a specific car as far as 1000 feet away. He then radios an awaiting trooper to make the stop.

Between January and June of 2007, there were 428 collisions on the stretch of interstate. It's a narrow stretch of highway where Conrad said drivers tend to fly.

"With an increase in speed, your injury and fatality rate increases in collisions," Conrad said.

After a highly visible enforcement effort last year, Conrad said there was actually a 22 percent decrease in wrecks.

"The ultimate goal is to reduce collisions and save lives," he said.

After five hours of enforcement, the team stopped 40 vehicles, resulting in 52 charges.