It was a crisp, cool December day.  You had a lot of housework to do, but that also required a trip to the hardware store.  Rather than dragging your family along, you kissed them good-bye, told them you would be home in an hour and you headed for the interstate.  Five minutes later you were traveling at 75mph in light traffic.  What’s the bid deal if you were 15 mph over the speed limit, so was everyone else.  With another five miles to go you start flipping channels on the radio trying to listen to a game.  With your eyes looking at the radio display you never realized that you had drifted from the lane of travel.   

Suddenly, you heard a noise that startled you and grabbed your eyes back to the road.  You immediately corrected your vehicle, but your heart was beating out of your chest.  The rumble strips just saved your life and that of a tow truck operator that had stopped to assist a stranded motorist. The sound from the vibration of your tires traveling over the rumble strips had probably saved your life and could have been the last sound the tow truck operator ever heard.  The fear you saw in that man’s eyes will stay with you along time.   

An instant is all it takes.  We all do it and we cannot deny it.  Whether we are attending to our children’s cries, reaching for a tissue in the glove box, tuning the radio or dialing our cell phones…we all do it.  What we all do not do is spend the majority of our working hours on the side of the road.  However, thousands of men and women do each and everyday.  Their greatest fear is us.  The motoring public who asked them to be there…to serve and protect us.  Whether by rumble strips, Move Over Laws or by our common courtesy we have to protect them.  They deserve to make it home to their families. 

You might remember last month I told you about AAA Motorsports & Roush Fenway racing’s efforts to help promote the Move Over Law.  On November 16^th, a press conference and kick-off was held at the Homestead Motor Speedway.  Footage from the press conference as well as a Move Over PSA (public service announcement) can be viewed at http://www.aaanewsroom.net/Main/Default.asp?CategoryID=4&ArticleID=583.  You will need to register download it, but it is quick and painless!  You can also view the Slow Down/Move Over AAA PSA at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rF8VcC124E         

ATTENTION MEDIA & OTHER ORGANIZATIONS! The PSA can be formatted with your organization’s logo and used for reproduction.  I have attached the information form.  As mentioned last month, our 2008 peel-off mini calendars are available.  Go to the Move Over Store on the FORS website, www.f-o-r-s.com, and download an order form.  If you prefer to pay via PayPal, please contact me and I will let you know what to do.  As a reminder, I will be not be sending anything out between December 11^th and December 31^st.   There is still time to make a donation for the 2007 tax year.  Go to http://www.f-o-r-s.com/home/donate to make a donation either via PayPal or by check.  Thank you in advance for your generosity.  Don’t forget that you can also do your holiday shopping at www.ibakesale.com and sign-up to ensure that FORS receives a percentage from your purchases! 

A trooper’s family in our district is facing a difficult time right now.  Their daughter, Karla, was diagnosed with cancer several months ago and she faces a long year of chemotherapy and radiation.  There is a wonderful website, www.caringbridge.org, that allows you to visit “Karla’s” page, make donations, send her a message, etc.  Just type in karlaallred.  I am sure the family would be grateful for your thoughts and prayers during this holiday season! 

We wish you all a happy and safe holiday season.  Please remember to Move Over & Slow Down for Stopped Emergency and Public Service Vehicles.  Our lives depend on it.