Funeral processions

[spaximus]

Unfortunately my Mum just died and her funeral was yesterday. What shocked me was whilst driving to the crematorium how other drivers behaved.

When leaving the Chapel of rest, drivers were courteous allowing the hearse, the car I was in and the two following to all stay together but once out of the village that all changed.

Drivers cutting in between the cars and on one roundabout one driver forced our driver to do an emergency stop as he cut around between the hearse and our car.

Speaking with our driver he told us that this is normal now, why so little respect and they weren't crawling along holding people up.

I just found it shocking behaviour, is this the norm?

[Matttrakker]

Sorry to hear about your mum.

I would imagine it's more through lack of awareness of what's around you than respect, but in any case it's out of order

[surveyor]

Condolences OP.

I imagine it's a real nightmare for the lead car.

We were under orders at my Grandfathers funeral to bunch up, and to not give way especially on roundabouts.

Still the odd person still broke the convoy, which then becomes an issue for out of towners.

[Blayney]

Sad really. Whenever I encounter a funeral procession I bow my head slightly, give a moment of thought for their loss, reflect upon my own losses and do my very best to drive courteously and with respect. Last thing anyone needs on that day is encountering a poor driver.

My condolences.

[Jasandjules]

These days far too many people think only of themselves. They should be whipped in the town square.

[Vitorio]

surveyor said:

Condolences OP.

I imagine it's a real nightmare for the lead car.

We were under orders at my Grandfathers funeral to bunch up, and to not give way especially on roundabouts.

Still the odd person still broke the convoy, which then becomes an issue for out of towners.

Had similar instructions in the few processions ive been in. Both times we only had a few cars though, not like 10+ vehicles trying to stick together.

One thing that i think contributes is, traffic etiquette dictate(s/d) that all members of a funeral procession have their lights on, which a few decades back would be incredibly uncommon to do otherwise. These days though, many people have their lights on all the time, so seeing several cars with their lights on isnt as much of a stand-out kind of thing.

That, and people are less respectful toward each other today..

Condolences OP

[swisstoni]

I'd just pity their ignorance.

[TurboFan]

My condolences.

This seems to be the norm I'm afraid. I see it on a regular basis.

Its dog eat dog, no respect for the living and deceased.

Such a shame.

[Mikeyjae]

Jasandjules said:

These days far too many people think only of themselves. They should be whipped in the town square.

Sorry for your loss OP. I totally agree with the above. I tend to slow, bow my head slightly and look for the following drivers attire before I pull out.

[Zedboy1200]

I understand the etiquette of respecting the cortège of official cars, but surely our world's too congested for processional priorities?

Isn't a courteous overtake acceptable? Why on earth would that be considered an insult to the deceased?

[wack]

Sorry for the loss of your mum Spaximus

The speed limit where most funeral processions take place is usually 30 , if they're doing 20 is it really such an inconvenience to wait behind rather than overtake so you can be at the next set of lights 10 seconds sooner

I doubt the average speed driven across any town these days is more than 15mph when you factor in all the traffic lights, I've never overtaken a funeral procession in my life , I'd be too ashamed

Edited by wack on Friday 22 July 21:49

[swisstoni]

Zedboy1200 said:

I understand the etiquette of respecting the cortège of official cars, but surely our world's too congested for processional priorities?

Isn't a courteous overtake acceptable? Why on earth would that be considered an insult to the deceased?

The op mentioned that the hearse was cut up - hardly a courteous overtake. But I agree - once on a dual carriageway or motorway, a slowish overtake of the cortège is acceptable - all IMHO of course.

[wack]

swisstoni said:

The op mentioned that the hearse was cut up - hardly a courteous overtake. But I agree - once on a dual carriageway or motorway, a slowish overtake of the cortège is acceptable - all IMHO of course.

Overtaking on a dual carriageway or a motorway would be OK because dozens of cars queueing up would be ridiculous , but in my almost 2 million miles of driving over 35 years I don't think I've never seen one on the motorway so it must be quite rare

[untakenname]

Living near to a crematorium imo all vehicles should be clearly marked and limited to convoys of 4 or 5 cars max if without a police escort and at non peak times as it causes so much inconvenience especially with the fashion now for chavs to have horse drawn coffins in the entourage.

Too many times I've seen drivers which I assume are part of a funeral procession completely ignore the rules of the road and the law, not giving way at roundabouts and sometimes even going through red lights!

[Dalto123]

Condolences OP.

I was part of a funeral procession a couple of months ago. There were about 20-30 cars together in a police escort (blue lights going) with a lead car at the front, and one at the back making it plainly obvious that we were travelling as a group.

Despite this we still had the odd car cut in - unusually because the driver was not really paying attention to what was happening around them. At one point we had one car deliberately pull out from a junction breaking the convoy and it got them nowhere! Sadly, I just believe it’s the way that people act around these events now.

[Max5476]

I've given my wife strict instructions that when deceased I am not to be part of a slow funeral procession, everyone can make there way at the speed limit.

I don't like to think I'm disrespectful (people will definitely disagree on this though) but I don't agree with slow funeral processions on the public road. I don't know the person who has passed, or the attendees to offer my condolences after all, and yes I have places to be and things to do. I know that is selfish, but its only as selfish as the slow funeral procession.

I wouldn't however purposefully overtake a funeral procession, however I have accidentally overtaken one. Come across a queue of slow traffic, and start overtaking my way to the front, only to realise its a hearse at the front, at which point I decide the best response is to finish what i started and disapear up the road, rather than disrupting anymore than i had already.

[spaximus]

Thank you all for your kind comments. There were just 4 cars in our procession and from where I was sitting I could see the speedo and we were doing the limits on each section. I have no problem with people overtaking on a DC at all, or to be honest if they overtook elsewhere if safe, but what I witnessed today underlined just how unthinking, uncaring we have become.

I was always taught when learning to drive how good manners was part of the learning process, it just shocked me when it happened and to be told by the driver it is a regular occurrence was a surprise.

[TooMany2cvs]

spaximus said:

and on one roundabout one driver forced our driver to do an emergency stop as he cut around between the hearse and our car.

Did that driver join the r'a'b between the hearse and car on the roundabout - or were you expecting traffic on the r'a'b to stop and let the cortege join en masse?

[renmure]

I live out in the countryside and there is a crematorium just on the edge of the village which covers a fairly large "catchment area"

It wouldn't be uncommon for a church ceremony to be held 10-15 miles away in the towns and obviously a funeral procession of cars going from the church to the crematorium along some country roads.

Having done it myself, it is fairly easy to find that having overtaken a few cars on the road you appear to have inadvertently butted into a procession. Similarly, I have found myself sitting at the back of a procession when heading home which is doing a respectful 50mph but along a clear 60mph road for 6 or 7 miles where in normal circumstances you would look to overtake one or 2 cars at a time then finding cars driving up behind me getting frustrated at what they appear to see as folk doddering along the road.

Condolences to the OP

I do appreciate it is different in towns and cities but it isn't always clear cut.

Edited by renmure on Friday 22 July 23:40

[Tango13]

Max5476 said:

I've given my wife strict instructions that when deceased I am not to be part of a slow funeral procession, everyone can make there way at the speed limit.

I really need to write a will at some point, I think I'll put a couple of caveats in there...

Hearse must be RWD, I get toasted at a crem built by my late, great Uncle and an extra £100 in the hearse drivers' pocket every time he/she manages 'a dab of oppo' on a roundabout

OP, sorry to hear of your loss and for derailing your thread.