| Roadside Memorials | The Toronto Star Wheels - 06/02/02 | |
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It can be a jarring sight; a wooden cross at the road’s edge piled high with flowers, candles, and notes, even teddy bears.
Erected by grieving family and friends, a roadside memorial is a stark reminder that someone special died in a car crash at that very spot. The marker also silently begs passing motorists to slow down, proceed with caution and please, don’t drink and drive. Roadside memorials are, regrettably for the victims, becoming a common sight along Ontario roadways. Although a fairly recent phenomenon in Canada, memorial markers have long been a practice in many other parts of the world including Ireland where actual gravestones stand along the road at places where loved ones have perished. Many of Ontario’s roadside memorials are simple; a solitary wreath or a small white cross, but others are far more elaborate with caches of personal mementoes, photos, hand-written messages and toys. It is a private outpouring of grief in a very public forum; a practice not always understood by people who prefer more traditional rites and rituals. Dr. John Morgan coordinator of King’s College Centre for Education about Death and Bereavement explains, “ When someone dies there is a great need to do something in the face of death. The memorial accomplishes this.” He adds, “Place is important. We can be bonded to a particular place.” The accident site, being the last place the victim was alive, becomes an important place for those left behind. The memorial can be a gathering place where mourners go to seek solace. Experts also point out that roadside memorials afford people the opportunity to grieve in unconventional ways, beyond the confines of a religious service or the traditional funeral home visitation. There are no set hours, no rules of behaviour; everyone may reminisce and pay tribute in whatever way they wish. As well as being a place of remembrance and catharsis, it’s also hoped that these public memorials will serve as a warning to passing motorists and perhaps avert another similar tragedy. “There is the sense of bringing good from evil, by making others aware of the death that occurred at this place, perhaps from speed or alcohol.” says Dr. Morgan. How then could roadside memorials, with all these laudable intentions, have become such a controversial issue? For across North America, many people are opposed to these seemingly innocuous shrines. The most heated debates stem from the separation of church and state; the argument being that religious memorials have no place on public-owned property. While some people believe that a cross is simply a universal sign of mourning, others vehemently argue it is an overt symbol of Christianity. It was for precisely that reason that in 1997 Florida’s Department of Transport replaced all state roadside memorial crosses with generic circular markers that read “Drive Safely” and bear the deceased’s name. The ideological debate over makeshift memorials has even escalated in some places to incidents of vandalism and other hostile acts. Two years ago in Portland, Oregon unknown parties protested by putting up signs bearing black crosses with a red slash though them, some even bore the Satanic mark “666”. Elsewhere, memorials have simply been removed only to be replaced, time and time again by grieving relatives. Critics frequently complain that roadside memorials, both religious and secular, are a hazard. Opponents claim that rather than serving as a warning, these sites distract the drivers’ attention and thus could potentially cause accidents rather than prevent them. Along with littering, obstructed views, and maintenance problems, there’s also a concern for the safety of people who stop and park along the shoulder of busy highways in order erect or visit these memorials. It was safety concerns that led the City of Edmonton to announce a ban on makeshift roadside memorials earlier this year. Despite citizens’ protests, all existing memorials are being dismantled (after the families have been notified). The city does place it’s own black, coffin-shaped “Fatality” markers at accident scenes, but takes them down after six months. The removal of makeshift roadside memorials is understandably an emotionally charged issue; one that few politicians wish to tackle. Although in most areas it’s technically illegal to place such structures on public right-of-ways, many cities diplomatically over-look these structures, unless complaints are lodged or the memorial is deemed unsafe. Bob Nichols, spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of Transportation says, “We try to be as sensitive as possible to the family and friends, but we do have an obligation from a Ministry point of view to maintain the safety along provincial highways. What we don’t want is a display that becomes a distraction and a safety concern.” It’s a concern shared by Sgt. Bob Paterson, Community Services/Media Relations Officer of the Caledon O.P.P. “While fully understanding the anguish felt by family and friends of the victim, as soon as there is a safety issue, either through driver distraction or parking, we’d have to respond quickly.” Sgt. Paterson could recall only one situation over the years where pedestrian safety at a memorial site became an issue, but that problem was quickly and amicably rectified. When queried about makeshift memorials on Toronto streets, Steven Kodama, manager of the Traffic Safety Bureau and Data Centre, acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue and advised that city staff is currently in the preliminary stages of drafting a policy regarding these memorials. Elsewhere authorities have attempted to appease all parties concerned by replacing makeshift markers with government-approved and maintained signs, which are admittedly less compelling. The California Department of Transportation will, upon request of the family and for a fee of $1,000, erect and maintain a memorial sign which reads: “Please Don’t Drink and Drive” followed by “In Memory of (deceased’s name). The Georgia Department of Transport posts similar signs, which are paid for by an additional charge on all DUI fines. In Canada, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) does erect white crosses with memorial plaques in memory of impaired-driving victims, but only with prior approval of the municipalities involved. Ironically while many North American municipalities are busy removing these makeshift tributes, last February in Bedfordshire, England floral bouquets were deliberately placed along roadways near known crash sites. Part of a unique road safety campaign, the flowers were accompanied by a succession of signs, (“Have you got the message yet?” and “Not only flowers die at the roadside.”) During the campaign’s final week the signs were replaced with a picture of a hospital patient who’d had both his legs amputated. The poignant caption read: “She died – I didn’t.” The campaign, which garnered international media attention, was devised by Bill Brady County Road Safety Education Training and Publicity Manager. Brady explains, “It may seem hard hitting, especially if you have had to place flowers at crash scenes for real, but because flowers are seen as a sign that a fatal crash has occurred they make people think.” While statistical evidence is not yet available, both the council and local police have already declared the campaign an educational success. |