Posted: 1/5/2008 7:43:26 AM EDT
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I was reading through this state's driver manual and it said that you must yield to funeral processions... Fair enough. However, how do you know the person that just ran the red light or cut you off by making a turn when you have the right of way, is part of a funeral procession? With modern cars, almost everyone has DRL (Daytime Running Lights) so the headlamps are "ON" regardless if they are following a hearse or not. I noticed that in a procession today, every car had a flag attached to their window. At a casual glance, I would have assumed it was just someone flying a flag that clips to the window and was driving a late model car with DRLs. There were no visible LE cars at the intersection. The reason I ask is because years ago, I was driving on a road (with the right of way, going straight) and someone came out of a side street and cut me off with no room to spare. I chalked it up to some asshole who wasn't paying attention. Later on at red light, I had to stop and that car pulled up and the driver said he was part of a funeral procession. WTF... how could I logically and safely assume that he was part of a funeral procession? Are there any legal markings or signs I should look for? I do not recall this being part of driver's ed. Granted, if I saw a large steady stream of cars running red lights and breaking other laws of the road, flying the same flag and having their headlamps on, I know it's part of a procession or just to stay out of the way. |
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So how do I distinguish a car with headlamps on from any other car with factory installed DRLs? My dad is old school and told me the SAME thing: cars in a procession would have their headlamps on. Unfortunately, in the 21st century many cars all have their headlamps on as soon as you start the engine. |
That's OK, we don't have respect for anyone who doesn't respect a funeral procession especially the LEOs escorting them. Good luck trading smokes with Bubba trying to avoid a romantic encounter in the country jail. Tj |
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One of my coworkers was t-boned in his company vehicle by a woman in a funeral procession at a large intersection in Savannah. The cars were widely spaced, no flags, no police escort, no flashers, and ran the red light. It was a cloudy/rainy day, so nearly every car at the intersection had their lights on. My coworker was ticketed for failure to yield to a funeral procession. BS, IMHO. |
They usually aren't escorted around here. I don't mean to be an asshole, but I just don't understand funeral processions. Therefore, when safely possible for everybody involved, I will detour around them. I have had family die, and it really doesn't make that much difference if they drive slow and painful or not.  Before you ask, I don't speed either. |
Its pretty simple to wait till there is a break in the cars with lights on. Not all cars in the 21st century have running lights mainly just GM products. The question should be not how can you tell but where you going in such a hurry that you can't spare five minutes out of respect for those people who lost a loved one? It blows my mind sometimes how people will risk their lives and a bunch of other peoples lives to get 18 ft farther down the road. Tj |
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I was part of one funeral procession about two years ago. We had a couple guys in specially-marked cars (they said "FUNERAL DIRECTOR" or something on the side) who stopped at every major intersection and got out to place neon warning cones and signs and such. It was very well-conducted. |
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I live in what once was a small town. I was taught that when you saw a funeral coming towards you, that out of respect for the dead you should pull off on the shoulder or stop in the road if there was no way to get on the shoulder and let funeral go by. If a funeral passed you while you were working you should remove your hat and pause while the funeral passed. A friend of mine from up Massachusets way had no concept of this one day. As he was driving us to lunch one day a big funeral came towards us and I had to tell him to pull the sumbitch over. I started mumbling somethin about yankees under my breath, and explained the concept to him. It does not take a brain surgeon to figure out that there is a funeral in progress. That being said here in Texas there are usually two or three motorcycle sherrrifs deputies to a funeral that try to keep accidents from happening. Our new brothers from the south also seem to lack this knowledge of respect for the dead. |
Actually when you get older and it isn't just family and you are not in the first few cars, you may notice that not everyone has directions on where they are going and cutting line confuses the people in the procession and can get them lost. They are following each other. I'm sure whatever you guys are doing or where you are going is more important than some person saying a final goodbye to a lifelong friend and not being their as support for their family. It can delay funerals and prolong the graveside suffering. Amazing how people demand respect then refuse to earn it or give it themselves. Tj |
It is obvious you are biased towards funeral processions. Many cars, not just GM products, have DRLs. Our state borders Canada so a lot of Canadians come over, and DRL is a requirement on all vehicles (or at least have the headlamps on all the time). I have gotten to the point where I don't "notice" cars with their headlamps on since it is an almost regular thing with modern cars. Perhaps in the 1960s having your headlamps on in the daylight meant something important.  Sparing 5-10 minutes isn't the issue especially if there are safety markers or very visible identification for the procession - such as strobes, wigwags, etc... The cars in the procession are violating a half dozen laws so they might as well install temporary emergency lights.
Yep, this is the BS I'm talking about. There's a statute in the state lawbooks about failing to yield to a funeral procession. The asshole that cut me off EXPECTING me to know it was a procession was what raised my curiosity in the first place. |
Makes sense, and I agree with you. However, I didn't say cut. I used the words bypass and detour. Meaning that when stuck at intersection being crossed by a few hundred cars, I will leave the current road and take a detour onto the frontage road and go through town or a county road.
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That's because us "yanks" deal with aggressive drivers on the road all the time, so if you mix in DRL's, we just assume that it is part of a typical commute. Marked funeral director vehicles, LE vehicles, and vehicles with emergency lighting should be mandatory as part of a legal funeral procession. Simply turning your headlamps ON and flying a flag makes you blend in with the other half dozen cars on the road that people are used to seeing.
Maybe they ought to have gotten directions ahead of time. I still don't see how the fear of getting lost gives them the right to cut people off whom are following standard traffic regulations and rules. |
You just have to try to make your best guess. If someone has their headlights on and is running a red, assume they're in the procession. If you're wrong, so what. |
Yeah, I am bias. Its called respect and courtesy as well as the law of the land. To some of us, that who was the asshole in your encounter isn't as cut and dry as you think. I almost cause a wreck in a funeral procession isn't the best thread of the year. Tj |
Respect must be earned, and courtesy can be given if the procession was well marked/identified. |