Today is the day.  Nearly one year ago, NC Governor Mike Easley signed the  Move Over Law amendment into law.  For twelve months we have anticipated this day, July 1, 2006.  The amended law is now in effect. 

There are many people who I need to thank for helping us to reach this point:

 - Secretary Beatty, Colonel Clay, Lieutenant Clendenin and many others from the NCSHP and NC Crime Control and Public Safety for their efforts of raising public awareness and for their support of our efforts.

 - NC Department of Transportation for providing signage as well as the use of the Amber Alert message boards to publicize the Move Over Law as well as getting the rumble strips and emergency roadside areas installed.  You have probably saved more lives than any.

 - Rep. Ray Rapp, Rep. Bill McGee and Senator John Snow for sponsoring the bill that became law.

 - An extra thank you for Rep. Ray Rapp and his assistant Dot Barber for their never-ending support of our efforts.

 - Tony Adams of the NC Outdoor Advertising Association for his support with the bill and our current efforts to raise funds for our billboard fundraising campaign.

 - Tim and Susan Hayes for traveling to meet us for many public awareness forums, even when Susan was days from delivering their second baby.

 - Stan Cogdill, there are just not enough words to express my gratitude.

 - The families of Trooper Calvin Taylor, Trooper Anthony Cogdill, TN Trooper Todd Larkins and the thousands of other families of those who lost their loved ones on our roadsides for supporting our efforts.

 - Firefighters across North Carolina who have donated more funds in 2005 and to date in 2006 than any other group (see you in Greensboro in August).

 - The NUMEROUS media sources from local outlets like The Mountaineer, Smoky Mountain News, ClearChannel and WLOS to our friends in the national spotlight like Allen Levine with Good Morning America.  You have saved thousands of lives.

 - Asssitant DA Pam Smith for helping me sort through legal lingo to write our proposed amendments.  Otherwise it just would have said “Don’t do it or else!”

 - Howard Cohen, Steve Austin and the group at ResonderSafety.com for the daily updates.  You are my daily reminders that we cannot stop what we are doing.

 - My family for bearing with me through burnt dinners and missed moments because I could not drag myself away from the computer.  I do all of this for you.

The list could simply go on forever.  If you are reading this and your name was not included, well it should have been.  If you are reading this, then you have done your part.  You have told at least one other person about the Move Over Law.  I thank you.

In the past three years I have made many new friends, most of whom I may never have the chance to meet in person.  We e-mail daily, weekly or monthly or sometimes less than that.  We have been brought together by tragedy or the need to prevent one.  From Pennsylvania and Tennessee to Texas and California I have had people touch my heart in a way I never imagined.  You did not e-mail because you were bored and had nothing to do.  You e-mailed me because you needed to save lives, probably because of one you had lost.  Jacci Mosley with fallenofficersremembered.com who lost her brother and Tina Larkins  (TNMoveOver@aol.com), who lost her husband, TN Trooper Todd Larkins, after losing so much spend their days trying to save the lives of complete strangers.  Sue Miller, Communications Coordinator Monroe County Intermediate School District in Michigan for helping to produce “Sarah’s Story.”  Sarah, a young woman who hit a Michigan law enforcement officer became the subject of a DVD to help save lives.  Go here to learn how to get a copy of “Sarah’s Story.”

With all of this help and all of this support, are we done?  Have we told enough people?  Have we raised enough awareness?  At the time of Trooper Calvin Taylor’s death in 2001, only 5 states had a move over law on the books.  As of today…40 states!  Are we there yet?  Is it time to move on to other things?
The answer…NO!

Until we have raised enough awareness that this compliance of this law becomes as second nature as putting on your seat belt, we have to continue.

The real question is “Will we ever get there?”  I don’t know.  In North Carolina and Florida, the efforts of state agencies to promote the Move Over Law are outstanding, but still the tragedies occur.

Right now, someone is feeling the breeze of car or truck coming too close to them as they are doing their job.  We pray it is not worse than that.  A trooper’s pant-leg is ruffled by the breeze of one too close.  A tow truck driver’s hat is blown off as he is assisting a motorist.

July 4th is one of the deadliest holidays of the year on our nation’s highways.  Please keep your speed down and pay attention when you drive.  My husband is working the graveyard shift through the 5th.  Please don’t give him a reason to pull you over.  Please don’t give him the opportunity to come home and tell me that he had a close call.  Please, just let him come home.

Be safe.  Pay attention when you drive.  Move over and slow down.  Lives depend on it.  Even yours.