Funeral processions

[Venturous Randy]

So, you are on a two lane road and top a hill and meet an approaching funeral procession, what do you do? Here in the south it is real common for people to stop in the lane until the group of vehicles pass. Some may pull off the road if there is room. And with so many cars having daytime driving lights, it is difficult to tell who is with the funeral procession.

If you are on an interstate and come upon a funeral procession that is going the same direction and a little slower than the speed limit, do you pass them?

Just curious about what others think.

Randy

[Howard B]

Excellent questions! Does anyone have any answers?

[flynvy5]

Pulled up on one on the interstate a few years ago. It was police escorted and all bikes the Hurst was a trike with a trailer. We were waved by. If I'm on a two lane I pull over

[etcswjoe]

Back home in Va we always stopped unless it was on the Interstate and on the I we would just stay in the opposite lane, here in SC it is hit and miss, I pulled over and people keep passing me and other times everyone stops. I do not think there are any laws but just courtesy and of course you have at safety too.

[Kirby]

Unless it's on the Interstate going in the opposite direction, I always pull over as a sign of respect. I don't do many interstates, but will pull over on all two lane roads.

[cowpuc]

So, you are on a two lane road and top a hill and meet an approaching funeral procession, what do you do? Here in the south it is real common for people to stop in the lane until the group of vehicles pass. Some may pull off the road if there is room. And with so many cars having daytime driving lights, it is difficult to tell who is with the funeral procession.

If you are on an interstate and come upon a funeral procession that is going the same direction and a little slower than the speed limit, do you pass them?

Just curious about what others think.

Randy

 

Lets see,, my answer to question 1: I would not attempt to stop unless I absolutely had to due to traffic in front of me, being over the crest of a hill and then stopping would be a very dangerous thing to do. Of course this would totally change if the procession was being led by a Police Officer with his overhead lights on..

Question 2 - understanding we are talking an interstate = divided highway with two lanes or more on each side of the median: If I were in the "flow" of traffic and the lane of traffic that I am in is currently passing the procession I would pass them as slowing down would be dangerous. If it were open highway and I came upon a Funeral Procession traveling below the speed limit I would slow down briefly to pay my respects and then proceed around the processional to avoid giving the impression that I was part of the funeral.

When I was younger it seems I spent more than my share of time in front of Judges debating traffic tickets (I even won a few of the debates ). I sat thru a "trial" one time that had to do with a person (not me) getting ticketed for pulling off on a two lane road to allow for a funeral procession to pass (and this was not on a hill). The Judge described the Funeral Procession as this: Front car is "flagged" - rear car is "flagged", everything between those "flags" becomes "one vehicle" and only that "one vehicle" is protected by the Funeral Procession laws that allow these multiple cars to move as one. It is illegal to cut thru, break up or cause disruption to this one unit unless you are police/fire/emt WITH your overheads on (even this has to be an emergency). This "one vehicle" law DOES NOT GIVE EMERGENCY VEHICLE STATUS TO THE VEHICLES BETWEEN THE FLAGS though. Here in Michigan, if you are not part of the original formation of the funeral procession so your vehicle is found between the flags, any thing that you do such as follow, pull off the shoulder for or even flash lights at you could get you a ticket..

[eagleeye]

That is a very interesting question.

Last summer on my trip out west I was in a seriously LONG procession, and it was on an interstate. It went on for MANY miles and you couldn't get out of it. back and forth, back and forth, Truly amazing, and everyone who encountered it really didn't know what to do.

I didn't know when it would ever end. I kept passing the same people time and time again. WEIRD is all I can say.

[Eck]

So, you are on a two lane road and top a hill and meet an approaching funeral procession, what do you do? Here in the south it is real common for people to stop in the lane until the group of vehicles pass. Some may pull off the road if there is room. And with so many cars having daytime driving lights, it is difficult to tell who is with the funeral procession.

If you are on an interstate and come upon a funeral procession that is going the same direction and a little slower than the speed limit, do you pass them?

Just curious about what others think.

Randy

 

I would never stop over the TOP of a hill for anything. I would however (if possible) stop at the TOP of the hill, but once over it, I would NOT stop due for my own safety reasons, which is not a lack of respect for the deceased or the family. Safety always comes first in my book..then respect, in this case.

 

On an interstate, going same direction, I would "assume" they would be in the slower (right lane)...If so, I would pass slowly in the left lane. I would NOT just ride behind them just because it is a funeral.

I really don't think the "deceased" would object either way.. and I could care less what the family would think of me by passing, since they don't know me, and I probably would never see them again anyway.

 

If it was me in the back of the Hurst I really don't think I would give a rats behind whether anyone passed or not..

 

 

 

[Venturous Randy]

Years ago I was coming up the interstate from Birmingham back to east TN alone and I encountered a funeral procession moving along in the right lane. As I was moving past the procession, just slightly faster than they were going, I came upon the Hurst. As I got close to it, I could see that the casket inside was covered with Old Glory. As I slowly passed, I stood as best I could on the foot pegs and gave a sharp salute. I sometimes wondered if any of the cars following noticed what I did.

Randy

[Zzyzx]

While living in Georgia we would pull over or just stop, if safe to do so, when a procession approached us on most roads but rarely on a major highway/freeway.

If we approached a procession on a major highway, 3 lanes or more, we would turn on our emergency flashers, pull to the far right lane, pass slowly, and not pull back to the right until we were far pass the front of the procession.

Here in California hardly anyone has the respect to pull over or even stay stopped at a 4 way until everyone passes. Everyone always seems to be in to much of a hurry.

[Flyinfool]

Regardless of the law or etiquette, safety for all comes second and safety for me and mine comes first.

 

The law only requires that you do nothing to break the procession. As Puc said, you treat the whole procession as if it was all one car.

 

Etiquette in some locals says to stop to show respect. If you do stop it must be where you can completely clear the traffic lane so that those who do not wish to show respect are not hindered by you stopping.

 

To be honest, living in a bigger city, I have never seen anyone stop for a funeral procession where it was not required by law. In the city it would almost always be dangerous to stop for an oncoming procession. If everyone stopped for an oncoming procession it could easily start a gridlock that could tie up the procession. In a rural or smaller town setting, things may work out differently.

[Marcarl]

It all depends on when and where. It has to be completely safe to do so without being an inconvenience to somebody else, who might in turn be the cause of another procession. I think it's a nice gesture to do when able, but I really don't think anybody in the procession cares whether you do or don't, but they would care if you caused an incident and it involuntarily involved the procession.

[Oldodge]

On a two lane road:

If it were in the oncoming lane and I provided no obstacle to the procession I would continue on at a respectable pace. If it were a narrower road, or involved a wide vehicle on my part or theirs, I would pull over if safe to do so.

 

On an interstate:

If it is moving slower than the flow of traffic in my direction I would pass respectfully in the furthest lane available.

If it is moving in the opposite direction I would have no reason to do anything, and would simply keep on, keepin' on.

[aharbi]

I speed up and slip in between the last few cars. I have found there is often free food (and some times free beer!) after these events.

[Drews]

Lets see,, my answer to question 1: I would not attempt to stop unless I absolutely had to due to traffic in front of me, being over the crest of a hill and then stopping would be a very dangerous thing to do. Of course this would totally change if the procession was being led by a Police Officer with his overhead lights on..

Question 2 - understanding we are talking an interstate = divided highway with two lanes or more on each side of the median: If I were in the "flow" of traffic and the lane of traffic that I am in is currently passing the procession I would pass them as slowing down would be dangerous. If it were open highway and I came upon a Funeral Procession traveling below the speed limit I would slow down briefly to pay my respects and then proceed around the processional to avoid giving the impression that I was part of the funeral.

When I was younger it seems I spent more than my share of time in front of Judges debating traffic tickets (I even won a few of the debates ). I sat thru a "trial" one time that had to do with a person (not me) getting ticketed for pulling off on a two lane road to allow for a funeral procession to pass (and this was not on a hill). The Judge described the Funeral Procession as this: Front car is "flagged" - rear car is "flagged", everything between those "flags" becomes "one vehicle" and only that "one vehicle" is protected by the Funeral Procession laws that allow these multiple cars to move as one. It is illegal to cut thru, break up or cause disruption to this one unit unless you are police/fire/emt WITH your overheads on (even this has to be an emergency). This "one vehicle" law DOES NOT GIVE EMERGENCY VEHICLE STATUS TO THE VEHICLES BETWEEN THE FLAGS though. Here in Michigan, if you are not part of the original formation of the funeral procession so your vehicle is found between the flags, any thing that you do such as follow, pull off the shoulder for or even flash lights at you could get you a ticket..

FOR FREE HOT DOGS

[Larry1963]

I still live in Georgia, and on the back roads, if you do not pull over you can get a pretty good ticket. I was only seen one procession on the freeway, and I was the lead pastor in it. I had a little Ford Escort, and followed the lead car with the hearse behind me, I had a hard time keeping up with everyone, we did 90+ with a police escort.