Fatal car accidents

[5074charvel]

[QUOTE=markb]Very european... seems to be spreading over here. Roads in europe are littered with these little shrines, more or less depending on the country. QUOTE]

Not the countries I know.

[jjw]

my close work mate died about 3 years ago on his gsxr600 and some one else has mentioned that there still is some flowers on the spot of road.At the time there where loads of cards and flowers there.People show there grief in diferent ways and i expect his grave has way more stuff on it!just coz the road side has flowers doesnt mean thats the main spot to do it.I wouldnt do the roadside thing as normaly the roads are fucking leathal and the last thing i would want to do is park my car up and then get flowers sent to me at the same spot..lol..but big deal,people pay their respect.I would be flattered

[OnlineStageGear]

The last place a person was alive is a very spiritual place for those they leave behind. It helps people greave, let go and give last respects.

Matt

[Cleveland Metal]

Fetterino, Don't you have something more important to worry about other than that?

Who cares about that shit. There has to be more pressing issues than that in your life... No Rice or pepsi to buy? A flea market to go to?

Hehe... Let people do what it takes to get it out of their system.

In the words of Paulie Shore "Chiiillllll Budddy"...

[horns666]

people deal with death differently

Death, ..some people make a big deal of it ..some people long for it.

[Shawn Lutz]

way too much time on your hands to be thinkin about that kinda stuff Fett.

I see the crosses and memorial items all over the place daily. The only thing that bothers me is that someones loved one passed away there. They are not distractions to me....

reverse roles and put yourself in their shoes. God forbid it ever happens to anyone but I really think I would be inclined to go to the spot where my family perished and place a cross or two there....anyone who had a problem with that would have much bigger problem on their hands if they had balls enough to mention it to my face

[fett]

Sorry for seeming to be insensitive. That was just the first shrine I had seen in person and it got me thinking.

[lerxstcat]

Fett, you're a good-harted guy. You wondered, you asked, and enough people chimed in for you to understand now. It's not as if their loved ones ONLY put a memorial at the roadside, but as Matt said, that's the last place they were alive and that means a lot to many people.

These momuments also remind the living to slow down and watch where they're going. Many of these deaths occur on winding country roads where people haul ass because it seems like no one's around. Then you're taking a curve a little too fast, swerve into the other lane for maneuver room - and someone's there. We've had many accidents like that over the years here. Those memorials probably save lives because they remind you that on that lonely road there could still be someone right around the bend.

[Shawn Lutz]

that is a great point Rich. They do serve a road warning to the living.

[horns666]

that is a great point Rich. They do serve a road warning to the living.

+1 I was thinking the same!

[Cleveland Metal]

I agree, I think they do make you think of the possibility of danger and make people slow down or at least ponder more safety with their own mortality in mind.

The ONLY bad thing i can see with those those memorials is, i saw a study where people were dying on this long stretch of road where there were only a few poles... And people would hit the poles... Nothing else for miles around around them, and they would be hitting these poles.

Seems that some odd human nature causes you to fixate on something and amazingly you will point your wheel towards it. Hence police cars on the roadway getting hit a lot even though their lights are on etc. People are looking and attracted to them and swerve right into them cuz they're looking at them...

I saw a motorcycle safety thing where they said to LOOK where you wanted to go, and NOT at say a hole or obstruction, as if you looked at it, you'd swerve towards it.

Interesting stuff...

That said. I still say put the memorials up. I know I would if it were my friend/relative. I agree with Shawn Lutz.

[RacerX]

this long stretch of road where there were only a few poles... And people would hit the poles... Nothing else for miles around around them, and they would be hitting these poles.

Seems that some odd human nature causes you to fixate on something and amazingly you will point your wheel towards it.

Right, there's a canyon road in rural OC called Live Oak Canyon Road; it is notorious for this. In fact a local newspaper had a huge article about this road with a map showing all the crashes over the years. This one tree had 4 fatals alone. I couldn't find that article, but just last week an 18 year old in a BMW crashed into a tree on the same road:

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister...le_1272419.php

Notice the pic of the roadside memorial...

[Joe_Steeler]

In Florida it is State legislation now that if you are to make a road side memorial it has to be a cross of certain dimensions to be there, otherwise it will be removed by DOT workers.

Some people belive that, if the person died at the scene, that is the place where the soul of that person will remain and they provide a place for it to hover so to speak.
It is a way to deal with the loss that for some people could be quite dramatic and life altering.

[RacerX]

I found that Live Oak Canyon article:

Check this out

Fear rules Live Oak Canyon Road

Memorial crosses line a winding stretch of Live Oak Canyon, but thrill-seekers in fast cars keep coming.

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister...cle_983693.php

[monk]

Very european... seems to be spreading over here. Roads in europe are littered with these little shrines, more or less depending on the country. Some areas I figured they must be really bad drivers, so many of them. I see it more and more now in north america. I don't know who they're for I guess. It's not like I'm going to stop and go read a plaque or something. Maybe theyre actually buried there. Is the grass growing a bit better in the immediate area?

I have never seen such a thing up here. If someone dies in a car accident, people sometimes light candles and leave flowers, but I have not seen anyone building a monument or putting up a cross. I guess our culture is different, or no one bothers because they know there will be plow-trucks and 1,5 metres of snow when the winter comes anyway.

I highly doubt that anyone is buried along the road. There must be regulations against that.