We’ve all seen them – those crosses and shrines
along the side of the road, marking where someone died in an accident. Many find them offensive and dangerous,
others find them touching and thought provoking. In the past twenty years, roadside memorials have increased and states are now having to enact laws concerning them.
Roadside memorials have had a place on our highways
and byways since man began traveling.
It was only practical, and necessary, from ancient times through the end
of the 19th century, to bury someone where they fell on a journey.
The Spanish brought the tradition of roadside memorials to America. The coffin
bearers would place a stone on the route each time they set the coffin down to
rest on the way from the church to the cemetery. This was a reminder for others to pray for the
deceased. The Spanish word for
this is descansos meaning
‘place of rest’. The use of stones eventually gave way to marking those resting
spots with crosses.
Today, roadside memorials are set up at the place
where someone has died. Family
members seem to be universal in their reasons for creating roadside
memorials: It marks the spot where
their loved one drew his/her last breathe, or where their spirit departed, and
allows families to display their grief to the world.
Those opposed find the memorials ghoulish, a
distraction and hazard to drivers, and a problem for road workers in
maintaining the road’s right-of-way.
Many oppose special exemptions being given for roadside memorials when
the law bars all others from placing signs, advertising or promotions on public
property.
Another problem stems from the use of public space
for personal mourning. Many feel
it is the state’s responsibility to keep roadways and right-of-ways clear of
debris and distractions. And the constitutional
right of the separation of church and state, i.e. religious symbols placed on
state (public) property is being violated. (It doesn’t matter if a Christian cross, Muslin
crescent or Jewish Star of David would be used, it is still in violation of the
separation of Church and State.)
States around the country are finding that roadside
memorials are distracting and dangerous.
With over 50,000 travel-related deaths occurring each year in the U.S.,
the memorials are becoming too numerous, and if not constantly attended to,
quickly dissolve into distracting eyesores.
Although there are no federal laws concerning
roadside memorials, many states in the U.S. are enacting laws to limit or
eliminate them.
In California and Montana, a roadside memorial may
only be put up if alcohol was a factor in the crash.
Wisconsin and New Jersey limit the amount of time a
memorial can remain in place.
Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Texas, and West
Virginia all offer state-issued memorial markers that bear a safe-driving
message and the words “In Memory of” with the victim’s name. These can be placed at the crash site.
The state of Delaware has taken a different approach – offering remembrance
in a memorial garden. These
memorial parks are located near highway exits and at rest areas. They have reflecting pools, landscaped
walking areas, and red bricks –inscribed with the name of someone who died in a
highway accident. The bricks are
provided, inscribed and placed free of charge by the state. Other states such as Illinois and
Maryland are considering offering the same type of memorial gardens. 
In view of the problems with roadside memorials, it
seems that the state of Delaware may have the optimal solution. Experts say the increase in roadside
memorials offers a new way for people to share the grieving process. However, these
memorial gardens will allow family and friends to share their loss without distracting
or endangering the lives of highway drivers. The bottom line must be safety first or the end result
could be another roadside memorial.
~ Joy
