C.J. Norton's Legacy

C. J. NORTON, a 3-year-old toddler from Lynnwood struck and killed by a delivery truck in 1994, gave his family cherished moments and lasting memories. Now, after a long legislative battle, C.J.'s tragic death may soon produce an even greater good: safer streets for kids.

The only grandson of Times reporter Dee Norton, C.J. was hit in a backing accident by a truck that had no rear-view mirror to give its driver a direct look behind. Every year in the U.S., about 100 children ages 1 to 4 are killed in similar accidents by a vehicle backing up.

For three years, the Norton family has asked lawmakers to pass a bill requiring back-up warning devices or 10-inch-wide convex mirrors on all commercial delivery vehicles with cargo boxes up to 18 feet long. The reasonable proposal was held hostage by the usual political suspects - anti-regulation resistance, union wrangling, bureaucratic inertia, and alarm about the added costs.

Persistence has paid off. This week, state legislators sent "C.J.'s Bill" to Gov. Gary Locke. It has not only bipartisan support, but the support of the Washington State Patrol, which studied the issue last year.

No safety-device is fail-safe. And no legislative mandate can substitute for parental vigilance or driver responsibility. But there is a growing body of evidence that the devices have had a significant impact in saving lives - proving them to be well worth the economic cost. When FedEx conducted a one-year test, for example, backing accidents fell by a third. The U.S. Postal Service and Airborne Express adopted the mirrors for their truck fleets soon after.

Gov. Locke should not hesitate to sign this modest bill, born of grief but grounded in sound, responsible and compassionate public policy. It's time, finally, to transform the love of C.J.'s family into C.J.'s Law.