RALEIGH — The North Carolina Attorney General's office had a nice problem: how to spend a $150,000 collected in a lawsuit against a telephone solicitor.

They finally decided to spend it on 500 stop sticks. The triangular tubes contain spikes that will puncture a car's tires. The sticks are placed on roadways in front of vehicles involved in high-speed chases. Officials hope the devices will cut down on such chases and save lives, especially those lives of innocent bystanders.

Attorney General Mike Easley says the money will be well spent.

The stop sticks will bring a speeding car to a halt in three seconds. Right now there are about 100 of them in use in the state.