Floral Roadside Tributes

[Hazell B]

You know the sort of thing, a heap of tatty dried or fake flowers fastened to a lampstand at the scene of a car crash.

Am I the only one who thinks they shouldn't be there for more than a short period of time and long term ones are in fact in bad taste? Also, does anyone know if they are legal or not? I mean, it's illegal to put signs up on a roadside advertising something, so surely tributes at eye level should be equally unlawful?

[Donney]

I understand the feelings of the people who put them there, but I think it's rather ridiculous.

[tannat]

I think like any other memorial of that nature, once the items reach their 'sell by date' they should be removed, or refreshend.

I appreciate the sentiment involved, far more than an obit in a newspaper. It's also a healing moment for those contributing, and has less structure than a funeral.

A touching one was located at a nearby school for a child who passed due to cancer. It was nicely done...

[Mark in Oshawa]

I for one am tired of looking at them. People who leave flowers and put up these little tributes often damn near cause accidents stopping to set up their little shrines on the Interstates or highways I have been on.

I am just not of the opinion we should be allowing them. We have gravesites open to all for a reason. Put the flowers where your lost family member is buried.

[Drew]

Imagine if the government / police tried to "crackdown" on floral roadside tributes, I'm sure we'd soon see a post here talking about some nanny state or that they were trying to control us and how dispicable it was to stop greaving families and friends greave for their loved one. Woteva.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Imagine if the government / police tried to "crackdown" on floral roadside tributes, I'm sure we'd soon see a post here talking about some nanny state or that they were trying to control us and how dispicable it was to stop greaving families and friends greave for their loved one. Woteva.

As someone who deplores the Nannystate, I think I can safely say most people on my side of the political fence likely think like I do. There is a time and place for this and at the side of busy highways isn't the place. I am not against government when it is doing something that is so obviously for the good of the public. Freedom to worship or freedom to grieve for a loved one doesn't involve putting shrines on the sides of highways....

[steve_spackman]

I would say that alot of people simple forget about the said flowers/wreath and cant be bothered to risk their lives recovering them

[Drew]

As someone who deplores the Nannystate, I think I can safely say most people on my side of the political fence likely think like I do. There is a time and place for this and at the side of busy highways isn't the place. I am not against government when it is doing something that is so obviously for the good of the public. Freedom to worship or freedom to grieve for a loved one doesn't involve putting shrines on the sides of highways....

You might think, but people get sensitive about their rights as soon as they're threatened. I'd love to see what would happen in 5 years time on this forum, should it ever happen, because I know it'd go in the complete opposite direction.

[Mark in Oshawa]

You might think, but people get sensitive about their rights as soon as they're threatened. I'd love to see what would happen in 5 years time on this forum, should it ever happen, because I know it'd go in the complete opposite direction.

Show me in any constutition where roadside tributes are protected. No one with logic will have a problem with it. Shrines are put up by people trying to make a big show of their grief and how much they care. You don't run society based on emotion....

[driveace]

Road side memorials are quite frequent in Spain and Portugal,with usually a shrine with the diseaceds name and date of death ..I honestly dont think they should be banned .BECAUSE if they were then you are agreeing that the memorial to Henri Toivonen at the fatal crash site should be removed.And i would hate to see that happen

[Alexamateo]

As long as they don't impede traffic, I don't see a problem. You should go to Mexico, you'll find whole shrines built there. Here they tend to be simple crosses and the like.

[BDunnell]

Show me in any constutition where roadside tributes are protected. No one with logic will have a problem with it. Shrines are put up by people trying to make a big show of their grief and how much they care. You don't run society based on emotion....

I presume you have no problem with advertising on the side of the road?

I find such 'tributes', whether alongside the road, outside a school, or wherever often trite in the extreme and rather vulgar. The long-term ones are particularly wrong, and the spelling on the cards and placards is always terrible too.

[schmenke]

I agree. A memorial placed on a roadside is a rather incongruous display of mourning for a loved one, if you ask me.

I've also felt that putting one's life in danger by stopping on a busy motorway to place and/or maintain these memorials is rather hypocritical :mark:

[Easy Drifter]

We have recent one alongside #12 which is a busy two lane highway. So far fresh flowers, a cross and a bridge built over the ditch to it. Somebody has even cut the grass for several yards each side of the scene.
This is for a 14 year old who was riding a bike ON the highway at 2 am. with two friends. No lights on bikes, no reflectors, no helmets. All against the law. The driver didn't have a chance to avoid him. No charges laid.

What the H--- was a 14 year old doing out at 2 am riding a bike on a busy highway?

[sal]

First recall seeing roadside tributes in Mediterranean countries when I went on holiday 20 years ago or so as I guess most people from the UK did. I cant remember seeing these even ten years ago now here they are everywhere even though accidents are supposed to be on the decrease At the least the ones in Spain etc are more like permanent little shrines whereas we tend to go in for the £2.99 bunch of flowers from Tesco tied to a lampost with gaffer tape.

[slinkster]

I mostly only see these in pretty ... "rough" areas.

There's one shrine that I travel past to see my Grandparents in Nottingham and it's been there for about 10 years. Personally I'd prefer to lay flowers at an official burial site rather than at the side of a road.

Part of me wonders if the sight of them makes drivers slow down though...?

[donKey jote]

Loads of them here in Germany.

One nearby for a 6-year old who got ran over by an articulated lorry mounting the pavement at an intersection while he was waiting to cross the road on his way to school. Since then they have put up some bollards to protect the pedestrian crossing a bit more. That one I respect and I feel for.

Another one for "red devil 07" placed on a stretch of dual carriageway within city bounds (50kmh speed limit) alongside the VW factory where the kiddieracers apparently play at night. There are still fresh tyre marks every now and again. This one I feel like covering with dog turds.

[Mark]

I can understand the feelings, but the side of the road is not the place to remember someone. Most people are not remembered at the place they died. You don't see my Mum going and putting flowers on the hospital bed where my Dad died! She puts them on the side of the river where we scattered his ashes, which is only right :)

[Cooper_S]

I read somewhere (so could be completely untrue) that some of the 'shrines' where faked and part of an awareness campaign... people see them and like them of not know they involved a road traffic accident fatality.... can we still say accident or is it incident...

But as with health warning on smoking or drink driving... I question their effectiveness in cutting speed

[driveace]

Well if they act as a warning that cannot be a bad idea.There is a corner near me in Skipton,where there has been 2 really bad accidents.First one 2 girls killed ,second one 1 girl killed. Both i believe inexperience,drove through railings into the canal ,all drowned..Speed kills (in the wrong places)

[Dave B]

I read somewhere (so could be completely untrue) that some of the 'shrines' where faked and part of an awareness campaign... people see them and like them of not know they involved a road traffic accident fatality.... can we still say accident or is it incident...
Round our way the police placed some wrecked cars on roundabouts to highlight the dangers of drink-driving.

They were removed after several people crashed looking at them... :dozey:

[Mark in Oshawa]

I presume you have no problem with advertising on the side of the road?

I find such 'tributes', whether alongside the road, outside a school, or wherever often trite in the extreme and rather vulgar. The long-term ones are particularly wrong, and the spelling on the cards and placards is always terrible too.

Your objection is similar to mine. As for advertising on the side of the road, I dislike it. In some US states, bill boards are just too many and too close to the road. Georgia's I75 north of Atlanta is just ugly as you cross the state line heading south out of Chattanooga TN.

I am in favour of strict sign control and not really tolerating much in the way of shrines. People should not be stopping off restricted access highways such as an Interstate, Autobahn or Motorway to lay tribute to family members. I am not unsympathetic to their loss, but for safety reasons I am against it. I drive out there all the time, I have enough to watch without having some mourning family in their little puddle jumper peeling onto the right lane from the shoulder without any thought.....

[GridGirl]

Well if they act as a warning that cannot be a bad idea.There is a corner near me in Skipton,where there has been 2 really bad accidents.First one 2 girls killed ,second one 1 girl killed. Both i believe inexperience,drove through railings into the canal ,all drowned..Speed kills (in the wrong places)

I know exactly where you mean. The second crash happened almost a year to the day after the first. The canal is right next to the road and that poxy iron fence would never stop you but you have to be driving pretty stupid to go off there, especially when you know your right next to the canal.

I read recently that the first ghost bike place in Britain was recently stolen. Tributes mean nothing to some people.