GALLERY: Memento mori

Every year, thousands of families lose loved ones to traffic-related accidents in South Africa. Memorials to these victims can provide a visible focus of grief for the bereaved, as well as a stark warning to motorists of the dangers that exist on the roads.

Transport and road safety consultant Wendy Watson said that South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) has a policy not to allow the erection of roadside memorials on any national roads, without permission from the Minister of Transport. “Personally, I think it’s very important for the families, as part of the grieving process. As long as the memorial is not distracting to motorists, and is well-maintained, the authorities generally show compassion and don’t remove them.”

Bertha Peters-Scheepers, marketing and communications manager for the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), said that plaques are not permitted on provincial roads. “The City’s outdoor advertising department is responsible for approving any memorial items on the side of the road. And the Heritage Department has to approve names for traffic circles.”

One such site is ‘Stef’s Circle’ at the intersection of Dorset and Chester roads in Greenside East. It commemorates the life of 18-year-old Stefanie Radel who died days after a car crash in 2007, in which her parents were injured. The newly built traffic circle had been left insufficiently marked.

According to the World Health Organisation, South Africa has one of the highest road fatalities globally, with almost 32 deaths per 100 000 inhabitants per year. Not all bereaved families feel the need to erect roadside memorials. If they did, almost 15 000 would be erected every year.

How do you feel about roadside memorials – is it a distraction to motorists, or a grave reminder of the unnecessary loss of life on our roads?

Details: Johannesburg Roads Agency, 0860 JOBURG (562 874)

Details: [Wendy Watson Consulting Services – https://www.wendywatsonconsultingservices.co.za/]