Roadside Memorials to go Uniform

Every time State Rep. Earnest “Coach” Williams passes a roadside memorial, he thinks about his aunt, Beatrice Williams, who died on a Georgia highway driving from Macon to Albany in 1983. Like many others, Williams wanted to mark the spot where his relative died as a memorial to her. But he felt it was important to put safety first. And as a lawmaker, he wanted to make sure that others did the same thing.  This month, state legislators passed HB 1294, calling for uniform memorial signs, rather than makeshift ones, along highways and road right-of-ways. Rep. Williams sponsored the legislation, which he had worked on last year. The new law will go into effect July 1.

State Rep. Earnest

“My aunt Beatrice was like a sister to me. I authored this bill as a way to bring closure to families like mine who have experienced a loss that happened on state

highways,” Williams said. “The bill will also bring some uniform to our freeways, some of which are beginning to look like grave yards.”

In place of the candles, roses, crosses and sometimes stuffed bears to mark where a loved one lost their life, state lawmakers approved the bill to install a modest white sign that will list the name of the person who died under the words “Drive Safely, In Memory.”

The 15-inch oval signs with black lettering will be the only roadside memorials allowed on state and federal roads, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation. All others will be removed for safety reasons, DOT officials say.

The person who requests the sign from the DOT pays $100. The sign will stand for a year, and then be given to the person who paid for it.

Williams, who represents DeKalb’s District 89, says there is no easy way to deliver this message and understands families that might be upset with it.

“This is a very sensitive matter. However, this bill was created in respect to families that have lost love ones and as another way to keep our roads safe. Many roadside memorials are elaborate displays that draw the eyes of drivers away from the road, which can have fatal consequences,” Williams said.

The new bill only affects state and federal highways. Cities and counties regulate their own roadways.

DOT spokesman David Spear noted that 1,400 people die every year on Georgia roads. He says the department will work with sensitivity in regards to removing existing memorials. They are prohibited under state law, and many are removed as workers cut the grass and pick up litter along the roadways.

“We will be sensitive to the losses people have experienced,” Spear said. “But now under state regulation, we will be more diligent about removing the memorials already made.”

The new signage program is open to family or friends (with approval of immediate family), of individuals killed in accidents on federal and state routes on or after July 1, 2010.

The sign can be requested by submitting a written application, the accident report and the $100 fee to the DOT’s maintenance engineer.

More information and the application forms are available at www.dot.ga.gov/doingbusiness/PoliciesManuals/pap/Documents/Policies/6160-9.pdf. 404-363-7625.