I'd like to add a question to this:

Why memorialize the place where a loved on died in a violent and painful manner? Why not memorialize they places where they lived and were the happiest?  

This seems like the more logical way to remember a loved one instead of wallowing in the pain, despair and grief in the place they died. 

Then there's this guy:

http://www.porkjerky.com/rip.htm

I honestly cannot decide whether the guy or the memorial is more asinine.

I understand how some that may be in dangerous areas could be viewed as warnings, but there are MANY on straight and flat stretches of road. I hardly view these as dangerous areas, rather the only thing of any danger is a telephone pole or ditch on the side of the road. Additionally, I think it is up to the highway departement to install warning signage in hazardous areas, if you feel an section on road needs such a warning please contact them. Do not erect a cross with a bunch of flowers, such a ambiguous warning may be misunderstood. 

I am not aware of this happening very often, if at all, in my area.

I do not disagree, this is probably not the only way the loved one is remembered. The question still remains, why remember them this way at all? Why memorialize the death, where much pain and suffering may have been involved? Remember the life, remember the favorite places, remember the happiest times and not the saddest and most agonizing. 

I worked a double fatal accident where this elderly couple, who happened to be jewish, rolled over after sliding on black ice. Before we had even cleared the scene, a bystander had erected crosses for both of them. Although he probably didn't know they were jewish, it still struck me as weird.

Regardless of how these people died, he's crossing a line. The dead won't read this, but their grieving friends and families might.

Yea, this memorial practice is really popular where I'm from too. We had a couple teenagers a couple years ago that went on a joy ride. I can't remember the details, but they were either high or drunk or something like that. The place they recked isn't even dangerous. But never the less theres a memorial cross next to the road, years after it happened. Now I didn't know these kids, nor their families, but I have a problem with those annoying memorial crosses. Especially when it's their fault they died.

 As was mentioned before, they do tend to be on dangerous stretches of road. And they can be good warning signs, becuase let's admit you'll be more likely to listen to a sign that says "someone died here" rather than that yellow square with the wavy legged car (the caution when wet sign). 

Can you say road side memorial troll? He goes around being an ass at these memorials.

QUOTE: You feel a bit eery when you drive past a place, knowing that someone died right there.

That's how I felt before I moved. I'd drive around town and remember "Hey, that's the place that woman got shot." or "That's where those kids crashed." It was a bit of a spoil to my stomping grounds. I don't do death investigation right now, nor do I read any news articles (not indetail) enough to know that here. It's a nice change of pace for a bit.

I think this practice should be discouraged for many reasons.

First, I think it's bitterly egoistic to think anyone cares if you know someone who died. It's as if to say, "My tragedies are more important than yours."

If these things usually are put in dangerous places, which I highly doubt, it only adds distraction, increasing the danger already present. If there was any intent to mark a dangerous spot, you'd want to put the momument somewhere before it. So I don't think there is any concern for anyone else in erecting these things. And as I already stated, I think they are a sign of negative concern.

There is a reason that cemeteries exist. Without them, there would be little monuments strewn virtually everywhere civilization has touched. So one of the original ideas was to have a centralized memorialization location. This is a much better idea.

If someone died in their own kitchen, do these people put up a momument there? Or the same in the backyard or in the car they died in? (assuming they didn't die from shooting out the windshield). I'm sure there are some, but not many. The point is, these people want to bug everyone else with their problems, but if it came to actually defacing their own property, not likely. Again there is excessive self-regard, and a touch of psychic vampirism.

I don't need any help remembering I'm going to die. I manage to do this quite well all by myself.