While driving along your local roads and highways, you will sometimes notice a small monument along the shoulder or several meters away in a grassy area or on an embankment. These roadside monuments (known as Descansos in Spanish) can appear anywhere, such as at intersections, in the curves of a road or near guardrails, and usually indicate where a person suffered a car accident that resulted in their death, either immediately or later as a result of injuries sustained. Street monuments are not new both globally and globally. but also a historical level. In the town of Ellington, Connecticut, one of the first American street monuments was that of Samuel Field Knight, a boy who died in 1812 at the age of ten. The owner of two similar headstones, one on the side of Pinney Street, the other in Ellington Center Cemetery. Historians believe he is buried in the cemetery, but the huge block of stone is a roadside monument. So why have there been controversies in recent years about these physical testimonies of love and sorrow? There are several things to consider, especially when it comes to how the state government handles a case. There are security issues, religious affiliation and complaints of eye pain. Many even take it personally, says Rodney Lyle Scott: Unlike a typical tombstone or other monument, it`s not a marker indicating a body`s final resting place. This is a sign that this was the place where someone died, but it is only for car or road accidents. Even in states where these monuments are not approved, many local governments allow them to stay for a temporary period.

Since governments understand that the family must mourn the loss of a loved one, they are generally not quick to withdraw these tributes. In case they are removed, a clue will be left on the marker field to let the family know why. Although street monuments are common, this does not mean that they are always allowed. These monuments remain legally in a delicate middle way. In many parts of the country, they are actually illegal. Yet local governments rarely get involved, as these tributes are so important to the family and also serve as a warning to other motorists. That is, even in states that completely ban street monuments, many state governments and employees understand and respect the highly emotional and personal nature of street monuments and why people install them and therefore cannot remove them. In Wisconsin, for example, which completely bans such homemade sanctuaries, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation publicly acknowledges “the need for certain people to express themselves in this way” and states, “The department will investigate whether an immediate withdrawal is necessary or whether it can reasonably be allowed to stay for a temporary period not exceeding one year.” (The photo above shows such a monument along a Wisconsin highway and has probably been around for a year or more.) Today, roadside memorials range from stuffed animals and plastic flowers to framed photographs of the deceased and poems. Monuments are usually maintained by family members and friends, much like a cemetery grave. While a roadside monument is a great tribute, it`s not the only way to honor a loved one after their death. Many families want to do something important after a traffic accident, and there are many creative ways to honor someone, even in states that don`t allow street monuments. When in doubt, research your state`s street monument laws.

If they`re not an option, remember that there are many ways to honor your loved one, even if they`re less public. While the culture and symbolism of these roadside tributes is undoubtedly magnificent, families have many opportunities to find peace after losing someone in a car accident. Many controversies revolve around the simple act of placing a marker on the side of the road to the point where a person has died or suffered a fatal injury. While some people may understand the comfort that the spontaneous placement of such a monument can bring to a grieving family, others see it as little more than a dangerous distraction and perceive the side of the road as an inappropriate place for such monuments. Given the highly emotional and personal nature of these homemade shrines, each U.S. state regulates the legality of street monuments within its borders (there is no federal law), and as you might expect, the laws vary depending on where you live. Some U.S. states such as Colorado, Indiana, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, and Wisconsin have banned street monuments altogether.

Other states, such as Florida, Utah, and Washington, prohibit such ad hoc monuments, but offer a state-approved alternative — a road sign that encourages motorists to drive safely and bears the name of the deceased. (Surviving families must apply for and pay for the installation of these signs.) Delaware offers a memorial stone program where survivors can pay for a loved one`s name to be engraved on a brick that forms a state-maintained memorial garden. Alyssa Marino cross of the memorial on the side of the road, May 31, 2015. Some states, such as Alaska and West Virginia, have passed laws encouraging surviving family members and friends to create/preserve street monuments, but most U.S. states and/or cities fall somewhere between these extremes. For example, in 2005, Norton, Massachusetts passed an ordinance limiting the presence of street monuments to 30 days, while a mother from Dowagiac, Michigan, was forced to repeatedly replace the street monument in her son`s honor in just three months because someone doesn`t ban it despite the fact that the state doesn`t ban roadblocks (although Michigan prohibits the creation of dangers along the street. road), again and again. Like states, many countries face the same struggle to mourn families while keeping the streets safe and free of distractions. Some are official monuments, others are rooted in a long history and tradition.

In the United Kingdom, a Remember Me plaque became the first national public recognition of a street monument that, once found mainly in countries where Catholicism is the predominant faith, street monuments are now common in North, South and Central America; Canada; Europe (including the United Kingdom); and Australia, where about 20% of all road deaths are marked by a roadside monument.