I was contacted recently by someone needing information about “struck-by” statistics. These statistics are incredibly difficult to come by. It is only recently that law enforcement agencies and the like have begun tracking “struck-bys” and still many do not. Even when they are tracked, an accident could be classified as a pedestrian or “run-off” road accident. So the truth be told…there is no concrete tracking system for “struck-by” statistics. However, most departments have their own. The statistics are the visible scars left from the injuries of the struck-bys…Though it is the invisible scars that scare us the most. The scars on our hearts and souls from those we have buried. We don’t need numbers and percentages to remind us of what we have lost.

Although it would be wonderful to have a means of tracking “struck-by” statistics, we really don’t need them to mandate whether or not we should take the time or the money to educate motorists. All we need to do is go out to the interstate, stop on the side of the road and close our eyes. Can you feel the breeze? So can the thousands of men and women who work our nation’s interstates and highways. The breeze is the only thing we need to remind motorists to MOVE OVER & SLOW DOWN.

________________________________________

Our 2008 mini calendars have arrived. The calendars are 2”x3” with a peel-off back perfect for your computer or dashboard. They are $3 each and you can go to http://www.f-o-r-s.com/home/move-over-store to download an order form. If you are unable to open the form, please e-mail me and I will mail or fax one to you.

I will be out of town for several weeks in December and then will be having shoulder surgery on January 16th. If you plan to order calendars, shirts, bumper stickers, etc., I would appreciate your ordering as soon as possible. Otherwise, orer fulfillments could be delayed.

DONATION TIME!! The year is almost up for your 2007 tax deductible donations. You can either go to our website www.f-o-r-s.com and select “make a donation” to donate online, or you can send in your checks or money orders to the address below.

Please be sure to visit our website and see some of the new sections. We are still working on updating some information, so if you don’t see what you are looking for please let me know. Don’t forget … if you have STRUCK-BY accident scene photos (non-fatal), please forward them to us and we will place them on the video and media section. FORS is now the proud owner of a laptop computer. As soon as I figure out how to create PDF files, I will make the forms more user-friendly.

Our good friends at WWW.RESPONDERSAFETY.COM have put out a great Roadway Safety poster for free download! Be sure to check it out!

In the coming week or two we will be announcing some wonderful news. A national transportation safety agency is taking on Move Over education!!! There will be a great deal of national coverage for Move Over Laws! They are also producing a PSA that will be available for media outlets and other agencies to use for education purposes! We really are looking forward to sharing this with you!

Attention South Carolina residents….we now have a FORS-SC division. If you are interested in helping in SC, please let me know and I will put you in touch with Amy Soesbee and Laurie McGinness, our FORS-SC division reps.

Finally, we are still seeking volunteers who would be willing to organize and run fundraisers for FORS. If you have the time and the energy to do this, please let me know.

As always, Move Over & Slow Down for Stopped Emergency & Public Service Vehicles…Our lives depend on it…The life you save may be your own.

Respectfully,
Lara Feinberg
President & Founder
Families for Roadside Safety, Inc.
141 Spirea Drive
Waynesville, NC 28785
www.f-o-r-s.com

Please, MOVE OVER & SLOW DOWN for Stopped Emergency & Public Service Vehicles…
Our Lives Depend On It!

Six years ago today my husband called me and asked for me to pull off of the highway.  My children and I and a dear friend were returning from a trip visiting my family, but were still about eight hours from home.  When we were safely off of the interstate and I was standing outside of my vehicle I heard the words that I will never forget…”Calvin’s gone.” 

On October 3, 2001, Trooper Calvin Taylor was killed in the line of duty.  He was returning to his patrol car after speaking with a motorist he had stopped when he was run over by a tractor-trailer.  Not only was Calvin killed, but Cheryl Adams, one of the motorists he had stopped, was killed as well.  Calvin was my husband’s best friend. 

Two days before Calvin was killed, North Carolina passed the Move Over Law.  We were one of only five states with such a law.  Very few people knew about the law besides the legislators who voted to pass it and a trooper from down east who had asked for the law to be written.  Six years later we are one of forty-three states with a Move Over Law.  The public is much more aware now, but there is still a great deal to be done.

Once a year, my family and I have the pleasure of joining hands with Calvin’s family as we create a circle around a bonfire.  My children wait excitedly each year for the wonderful experience.  So, two weeks ago when this reunion took place, and when held hands with this amazing family it was no surprise to feel the warmth and the love.  Calvin’s family, after being struck by too many tragedies, still gather because they can.  They gather because they have the strength from those they have lost and from those who still gather by their sides.

Today I will watch as my husband puts on his running shoes (as he does several times a week), but today will be different.  Today he will run with a friend he has forever lost.  He might run a little faster because he can hear his friend’s voice and he can feel him in his heart.  Today lives will be saved because of one that was lost.  Trooper Calvin Taylor is gone, but will never be forgotten.  Rest in peace Calvin.  Your brothers are safe.

For Calvin, his family and those who have said a sad “good-bye,” we ask that you please remember to Move Over and Slow Down.  It will not bring Calvin home, but it will bring home thousands of others.