21,476 tickets from Take Back Our Highways

This is the number of tickets given by troopers in Alabama August 13-17, 2007, during their first "Take Back Our Highways" campaign. It was an effort by law enforcement to set the tone for driver safety. They weren't just pulling over speeders either. Troopers were pulling over anyone whose driving could have been reckless or dangerous for other drivers on the road. Lee Hamilton, who has been a pilot for some time now said, "There are those who hate us for what we do. But right now, I think we are making a positive influence for the department. Look at the big picture. We are public servants, and our job is to protect the public. If someone is driving 90 mph down the interstate, other drivers need protection from him, and he needs protection from himself."

I guess the big lesson here is that when we are driving we just don't need protection from others; we may also need protection for ourselves.