I want to share the story of a Missouri law enforcement officer who tragically lost his life. Michael Newton was a State trooper for the Missouri highway patrol. He stopped a vehicle on Interstate 70 in Lafayette County for a routine traffic violation on May 22, 2003. He and the other driver were sitting in the patrol car when they were struck from behind by a pickup truck carrying a flatbed trailer. Trooper Newton died at the scene. The driver he had stopped suffered serious burns. Trooper Newton was only 25 years old. He left behind a wife, two young sons, many loving relatives, and a community that deeply mourned his loss and was very grateful for his service to the State of Missouri.

Unfortunately, there are many more stories in Missouri and around the country like this one. Our police officers, our ambulance workers and drivers, our firefighters all are constantly dealing with the dangers surrounding a vehicle that is parked on the side of the road, maybe because the police officer pulled it aside, or because it had been abandoned, or it was on fire. It is all too often the case that our first responders working on those situations are injured or killed by a passing vehicle.

According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, vehicle-related incidents are the No. 1 cause of police officer injuries and the No. 2 cause of police officer deaths.

In 2003, 193 people lost their lives in crashes involving emergency vehicles, including 141 lives lost in crashes involving police vehicles, 29 lives lost in those involving ambulances, and 24 lives lost in crashes involving firetrucks. In 2004, 73 out of 153 police officer deaths were vehicle related. Not all of those involved parked cars, but most of them did.

The Senate approved an amendment I offered to the Highway bill requiring the Secretary of the Department of Transportation to compile a list of best practices to promote compliance with Pass with Care laws which govern how motorists pass and yield to first responders?vehicles. My amendment requires the Transportation Department to conduct an analysis of the various state and local laws that deal with the safety of first responder vehicles, and from that analysis develop model legislation that States can adopt should they choose to do so.

Unfortunately, only 27 states have Pass With Care laws. Fortunately, Missouri is one of them, and the Missouri Highway Patrol has been conducting Pass With Care enforcement operations throughout the state to promote awareness of and compliance with the law. My amendment would guide the remaining states in drafting laws that would save lives.

The amendment also calls for a nationwide publicity campaign through public service announcements, developing a Web site, providing informational materials, to increase public awareness of this crucial safety issue.

Our first responders dedicate their lives to saving lives. If more people realize they can help protect them by quickly and safely pulling over when they hear an emergency siren or being more careful when they see a first responder vehicle parked on the road or the shoulder, that will reduce the risks for our law enforcement, health workers and firefighters.

Senator Jim Talent (R-Mo.) was elected to serve Missouri in the U.S. Senate in November 2002. Previously he served in the U.S. House of Representatives (1993-2001) and the Missouri House (1985-1992).