The State will have to engage sensitively with bereaved family members of road traffic accident victims before a decision is taken to ban roadside memorials on roads with a speed limit of 60km/h or higher, Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien has said.
Hundreds of roadside shrines to people who have died in traffic accidents have been erected over many years.
Now, however, under a new joint policy paper, the Department of Transport and Transport Infrastructure Ireland propose to ban such monuments on motorways, dual carriageways and all national and regional roads with a speed limit of 60km/h and over.
The paper argues that the presence of roadside memorials on high-speed (60km/h or higher) roads introduces significant safety risks due to increased pedestrian activity in hazardous locations, stopping and parking vehicle manoeuvres; with some providing a distraction to other road users.
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It also states that 45 per cent of fatal and serious injury collisions in the European Union happen when single cars leave the road and enter the roadside.
While it acknowledges that the monuments are erected by bereaved families and friends as a tribute to loved ones who have lost their lives in road traffic incidents, the policy states that the safety of all road users must be the primary objective for road authorities.
“High-speed roads are inherently dangerous environments, and only trained, equipped and authorised personnel may carry out roadside works or interventions. Unauthorised access to the roadside poses a risk to both the individual(s) and all other road users.”
Asked about the proposed policy on Friday, Mr O’Brien said no decision had yet been taken.
“I’m aware this is a really sensitive area for people, and particularly for families, where the family members are friends who died in road traffic accidents.”
He said there would be “sensitive engagement” with families of the bereaved and emphasised that no decision had yet been taken.
The chair of the Oireachtas transport committee has criticised the proposal. Michael Murphy, a Fine Gael deputy for Tipperary South, said that while road safety must always be paramount, safety considerations can be addressed through consultation and assessment, “not through a blanket prohibition that removes discretion, compassion and local understanding”.
