Thank you for an interesting story.

I am also interested in Gender Issues and the stats you quote
' number of men and women killed... 261 to 87 ' and most of the fatalities among youngsters were males.

The 1993 ABS leading cause of death amongst men between 12 and 60 is self inflicted.

Many single-person fatal traffic accidents also hold a question mark.
Are these also suicide?

Why do young men seem to have a need to 'prove' themselves in front of their peers with high powered vehicles?

It is sad that a mates death brings out the emotions in young men, but at the same time
perhaps this can be a lasting memorial to one who 'died young'.

For a couple of years, I used to drive an hour and a half to work, at 100km/h (oh, OK, 120kmh – I can't be prosecuted now, and I'm not revealing my rego number anyway) five nights a week, leaving home at 9.30pm. Every bloody night, I'd find my attention, which really should have been on the road, distracted by the roadside memorials. I understand the animist feeling – that the memorial should be HERE, because that's the last place the person I loved WAS. But what gets me is that I've read about some of the accidents at the sites I drove past. And I'm pretty sure the survivors don't do a round trip from Queensland to the back of Canberra twice a week to provide fresh flowers. So who are the ghouls who do? What are they thinking? I think I remember a suggestion a few years back that roadside memorials would be removed after a year, because of the danger they presented to motorists. Hasn't happened, but don’tcha just LOVE the irony?

Roadside memorials are nothing more than an eyesore and should be banned. Could you imagine having one directly in front of your house? Whether the flowers are fresh or withered makes no difference.

Such very public and long lasting displays are nothing more than a symbol of a sick personality unable to come to terms with their grief. Rather than being a fitting and respectful remembrance to the deceased this practice instead focuses on the bereaved. Afterall, isn't this just a bid for attention?

It's worse in Germany where people even erect crosses etc on the roadside where their beloved dog was hit by a car. That'll be the next we see. Come on people get real. Grieve in private - we've all lost someone. Should I petition the hospital to allow a memorial over the bed where my father died? If someone drops dead in the newsagency should we erect something between the wrestling magazines and the crossword books? Why is that anymore ludicrous than beside the road?

Anomie, what an extraordinary contradiction you present:

You admit that; “For a couple of years, I used to drive an hour and a half to work, at 100km/h (oh, OK, 120kmh – I can't be prosecuted now, and I'm not revealing my rego number anyway) five nights a week, leaving home at 9.30pm.”

How on earth can you talk about distractions being a problem if you were driving long distances at high speed, well in excess of the speed limit, not in ideal conditions but late at night? Distractions are not the problem, you are. Drivers like you don’t deserve to hold a drivers licence. Drivers like you CAUSE these roadside memorials!!

“Don’tcha just LOVE the irony?”

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I respect your opinion Lorraintag, but I totally disagree. Such very public and long lasting displays are regular and sober reminders of the dangers on our roads. For me, they serve as very real reminders that some of the drivers around me are not fit to drive, not being sufficiently aware of risk factors and safety margins. They remind me that I need to be really careful all the time, not so much of the road conditions, but of other road-users.

They are everywhere in north Queensland and have been for many years. I pass one of the biggest and most detailed ones I have ever seen every day on the way to work, where four young people lost their lives a year or so ago.

I have not seen a single situation in which they have presented a hazard (and I am very sensitive to hazards on our roads), either by way of distraction or via people stopping on the side of the road in a risky manner to closely observe or service them. By their very nature, they engender a strong need for caution in those who change the flowers or wish to take a closer look.

They have a traffic-calming effect, which must serve to reduce the accident rate.

How very po-faced you are, Ludwig. Haven't you heard of hyperbole? Listen, I actually agree about speeding drivers, particularly overtaking speeding drivers, whom the bulk of the local memorials commemorate. And speeding trucks. Many's the time I actually have been forced to drive at 120 or so because of an amphetamine-crazed outtake from Duel up my rear end. And you know, I don't reckon those roadside memorials are going to influence drivers like that.

Thanks for your comments. Yes, I find the gender differences in the road toll “statistics” extraordinary. My suspicion is that the natural energy and risk-taking behaviour of males isn’t being focussed into other areas. Trying to decrease the road toll is obviously an ongoing issue for law enforcement authorities and legislators. Interestingly, their efforts are often tainted with the accusation of “revenue raising”. However, if you look at figures from years ago, it’s clear that speed cameras and seat belt laws, among other initiatives, have had a tremendous impact on decreasing the road toll.

I can find agreement with Lorraine. Indeed, there are elements of her view that I put forth to a friend of my mine. It’s interesting that the need for roadside memorials doesn’t apply to other ways of dying. It perhaps says something deeper about our complicated relationship with the road and vehicles (modern technology in general, perhaps). Although, I think calling grieving people “sick” is harsh. I sensed Jason’s mates were very sad and confused and wanted some way of connecting with him and the place where he died. I think there are a range of factors that account for the increase in roadside memorials including the decline in religious belief and a lack of connection with traditional forms of commemoration. I can’t remember reading anything that indicates a roadside memorial has been responsible for causing a death due to distracting a driver. There was a project where flowers were planted by a roadside as a form of remembrance. A beautiful tribute and long-lasting too.