Expand Texas roadside memorial sign eligibility
The Issue
We respectfully ask Texas lawmakers and transportation officials to expand Texas’s roadside memorial program so that families who lose a loved one in a fatal traffic crash have the opportunity to create an approved memorial, regardless of the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Every year, thousands of families across Texas and the nation are left grieving after losing someone in a traffic-related tragedy. Among those losses are young people under the age of 21 who died in alcohol-related crashes, including young drivers who made the tragic decision to drive after drinking. These deaths are devastating reminders of the serious consequences of impaired driving.
We fully support accountability, education, and strong efforts to prevent impaired driving. Nothing in this request is intended to excuse unsafe choices, remove responsibility, or lessen the importance of preventing future tragedies.
However, a memorial is not a reward. It is not approval of the actions that led to a death. A memorial is a place for families to honor a life, acknowledge their loss, and remind others of the consequences that can happen on our roads.
The current roadside memorial eligibility requirements can leave families without a way to officially remember their loved one because their loss does not fit within a specific category. This creates an additional pain for families who are already carrying an unimaginable loss.
My son, Caden Mitchell Knapp, lost his life on March 23, 2025. Like many families affected by traffic fatalities, our lives changed forever in a single moment. Caden was not defined by the circumstances of his death. He was a son, a loved family member, a friend, and a person whose life had meaning.
Expanding roadside memorial eligibility would allow families to honor their loved ones while still preserving important safety messages and accountability. Texas can continue to recognize victims of impaired driving while also creating a separate memorial option for other traffic fatalities.
A roadside memorial does not erase responsibility.
It does not change the facts.
It simply says: a life was lived, a life was loved, and a family is grieving.
We ask Texas leaders to create a more compassionate and inclusive memorial program that recognizes every family’s right to remember the person they lost.
In loving memory of Caden Knapp
August 15, 2006 – March 23, 2025
Because every life matters.
Because every family deserves a way to remember.
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The Issue
We respectfully ask Texas lawmakers and transportation officials to expand Texas’s roadside memorial program so that families who lose a loved one in a fatal traffic crash have the opportunity to create an approved memorial, regardless of the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Every year, thousands of families across Texas and the nation are left grieving after losing someone in a traffic-related tragedy. Among those losses are young people under the age of 21 who died in alcohol-related crashes, including young drivers who made the tragic decision to drive after drinking. These deaths are devastating reminders of the serious consequences of impaired driving.
We fully support accountability, education, and strong efforts to prevent impaired driving. Nothing in this request is intended to excuse unsafe choices, remove responsibility, or lessen the importance of preventing future tragedies.
However, a memorial is not a reward. It is not approval of the actions that led to a death. A memorial is a place for families to honor a life, acknowledge their loss, and remind others of the consequences that can happen on our roads.
The current roadside memorial eligibility requirements can leave families without a way to officially remember their loved one because their loss does not fit within a specific category. This creates an additional pain for families who are already carrying an unimaginable loss.
My son, Caden Mitchell Knapp, lost his life on March 23, 2025. Like many families affected by traffic fatalities, our lives changed forever in a single moment. Caden was not defined by the circumstances of his death. He was a son, a loved family member, a friend, and a person whose life had meaning.
Expanding roadside memorial eligibility would allow families to honor their loved ones while still preserving important safety messages and accountability. Texas can continue to recognize victims of impaired driving while also creating a separate memorial option for other traffic fatalities.
A roadside memorial does not erase responsibility.
It does not change the facts.
It simply says: a life was lived, a life was loved, and a family is grieving.
We ask Texas leaders to create a more compassionate and inclusive memorial program that recognizes every family’s right to remember the person they lost.
In loving memory of Caden Knapp
August 15, 2006 – March 23, 2025
Because every life matters.
Because every family deserves a way to remember.
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Petition created on August 1, 2026