Cop was wrong, you don’t have to pull over facing a funeral procession

[sam_gordon]

I've been driving in Kentucky for 30+ years now. I have seen people pull aside (even when going the opposite direction) when a funeral procession is going by. I've seen it on two lane roads as well as larger roads. While I know not everyone does it (I don't think I have), it is by no means unusual.

What IS unusual is we were driving on a four lane, divided road a couple of weeks ago, and a procession of motorcycles was going the opposite direction. People flat out STOPPED going in my direction (in the road). I don't think it was a funeral, I did not see a hearse. It was definitely something organized though. I didn't get upset about it. I just waited it out.

 

[wombat_5606]

https://www.mwl-law.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/FUNERAL-PROCESSION-TRAFFIC-LAWS.pdf

 

[mrodgers]

like @ramee I've wound up merging into a funeral procession when entering a highway. How can you avoid it? You can't just stop on the approach.

Come to Pennsylvania. Yes you can, with traffic accelerating behind you up to the merge speed while trying to look at traffic with you at a stop at the merge sign. Absolutely you can. My hand hurts from laying on the horn constantly from Pennsylvania drivers thinking it is law to stop at the beginning of the merge part of the on ramp.

 

[Hikergirl]

https://www.mwl-law.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/FUNERAL-PROCESSION-TRAFFIC-LAWS.pdf

After reading that it appears that almost every funeral procession I have been in has broken traffic laws.
I have only been in one procession that had a police escort. I have been in a number of them, and have always gone through red lights, so often that I assumed it was legal to do so. Apparently not.

NEW YORK: There are no state laws governing funeral processions, however, the state’s Vehicle and Traffic Laws do not provide any exceptions to following traffic control signals, except in the case of emergency vehicles. If a funeral procession is to be granted ability to disobey traffic signals, there most be a traffic officer present to regulate traffic. Vinci v. Charney, 80 N.Y.S.2d 521 (N.Y. 1948).

 

[belle032]

Maybe I'm just being a millennial, but this whole thread makes me want to explicitly state "no funeral processions" in my will.

 

[wombat_5606]

After reading that it appears that almost every funeral procession I have been in has broken traffic laws.
I have only been in one procession that had a police escort. I have been in a number of them, and have always gone through red lights, so often that I assumed it was legal to do so. Apparently not.

NEW YORK: There are no state laws governing funeral processions, however, the state’s Vehicle and Traffic Laws do not provide any exceptions to following traffic control signals, except in the case of emergency vehicles. If a funeral procession is to be granted ability to disobey traffic signals, there most be a traffic officer present to regulate traffic. Vinci v. Charney, 80 N.Y.S.2d 521 (N.Y. 1948).

That's strange. I've always been in processions with police escorts.

I can't imagine it would be very safe to run through red lights without a policeman to stop traffic.

 

[Hikergirl]

That's strange. I've always been in processions with police escorts.

I can't imagine it would be very safe to run through red lights without a policeman to stop traffic.

It's not like you are coming out of nowhere speeding through them. The lead car doesn't run a red light it goes through when it's green with everyone following. When it turns red cars in the procession continue, and they are close enough and identified with flags, lights on and/or hazards.
Traffic waiting to go is already stopped because the procession was going through when the light was green.
I've been in quite a few sadly, no accidents ever. Not that it couldn't or doesn't happen, it just hasn't been an issue I'm familiar with.
What is interesting is that this is all at the funeral director's direction. I wonder how they can tell people to do that when it's against the law?

 

[kdonnel]

To be fair, there's also no law against farting in an elevator full of people either...but I'm gonna make a bold statement in saying I totally get to say that not farting in an elevator full of people is the "right thing".

Dad Joke of the Day calendar for August 25th:

I once farted on an elevator.

I was rude on so many levels.

 

[wombat_5606]

It's not like you are coming out of nowhere speeding through them. The lead car doesn't run a red light it goes through when it's green with everyone following. When it turns red cars in the procession continue, and they are close enough and identified with flags, lights on and/or hazards.
Traffic waiting to go is already stopped because the procession was going through when the light was green.
I've been in quite a few sadly, no accidents ever.
What is interesting is that this is all at the funeral director's direction. I wonder how they can tell people to do that when it's against the law?

Yes, interesting.

I imagine it's a big difference between urban and rural areas also. My family is from some small towns in the south and what you describe would not work in those areas. There might not be a stopped vehicle when the procession starts through and if someone isn't watching carefully, it could be a problem.

In some of these small southern towns I've participated where everyone pulls off the road and waits until the procession passes, also. I don't think it was ever any law, just a sign of deep respect for the family of their community.

 

[Hikergirl]

Yes, interesting.

I imagine it's a big difference between urban and rural areas also. My family is from some small towns in the south and what you describe would not work in those areas. There might not be a stopped vehicle when the procession starts through and if someone isn't watching carefully, it could be a problem.

In some of these small southern towns I've participated where everyone pulls off the road and waits until the procession passes, also. I don't think it was ever any law, just a sign of deep respect for the family of their community.

I've only been in urban and suburban funeral processions, and usually the cemetery isn't too far from the funeral home.
People here definitely don't pull over, but in my experience they do allow you to go through the lights without trying to enter the procession so they don't have to wait.
Maybe most everyone assumes the running of red lights is allowed and that is why (luckily) there hasn't been any accidents in any I've participated.
I will definitely be thinking twice about following through a red light from now on that is for sure.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I'm 48 years old and I've maybe seen one funeral procession in my entire life. Where are people running into all these funeral processions?!!

Like others said it probably depends exactly where you live. There are a decent amount of cemeteries in my suburbia area and while it's not super super common to see actual processions it's not unheard of either. I've been in 2 of them that I can remember (my husband's grandfather on his dad's side and my husband's grandmother on his mom's side).

We saw one a few months ago and that situation was a bit hard because it was at a 4-way stop sign. You couldn't just go the opposite way for everyone because it depended on your direction you were in and what direction you needed to go.

Some people needed to turn left (which would have cut into the procession for a moment), some people needed to turn left (which would have cut into the actual procession), some people needed to go straight (which would have cut into the procession for a moment). We needed to turn right which would have been okay except we had to wait for the procession to go completely through as the cars in front of us needed to either turn left or go straight. I did also see confusion with a handful of cars in the procession if they should actually stop at the stop sign or just continue on straight through (which normally would be running the stop sign), most went straight through. There wasn't a way to really avoid that as they were going to the cemetery located right by (we saw cars turning into it) but boy that was a tough one.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

What’s odd is that all your funeral processions have police escorts. Don’t your police have actual police things to do? Here it would never happen, unless there was some sort of security concern or maybe if it was a state funeral for a high ranking official of some sort. I’ve certainly never seen such a thing in all My years. Similarly, our fire department doesn’t get kittens out of trees either.

Yeah I'd say in my neck of the woods police officer escorts are generally reserved for those in public duty (other police officers, firefighters, emt's, government officials, etc) but I have seen a time or two when it is not one of those so I have to assume you can request one/apply for one (could be wrong on that).

As far as the actual police things I think police officers here sometimes different hats. For instance in our Downtown for getting married pretty much all the venues require an off-duty police officer to be there for X amount of hours. Our venue had them included in the price and according to an in-law's nephew who is getting married next year more venues are including that. Typical charge is $30-$35/hour or so. But you couldn't just hire a security company or the venue substitute a security company they required them to be police officers.

Off topic but sorta related to your comment--do any of your fire departments or police stations do installations and/or checks of car seats/boosters? In the States it depends on where you are at but in my County there are a decent amount of fire department, police stations (including the sheriff's station), ems station (every now and then), and a couple of medical facilities. One of those things that you normally wouldn't consider to be a function of a police officer but depending on where you live is.

 

[ronandannette]

Yeah I'd say in my neck of the woods police officer escorts are generally reserved for those in public duty (other police officers, firefighters, emt's, government officials, etc) but I have seen a time or two when it is not one of those so I have to assume you can request one/apply for one (could be wrong on that).

As far as the actual police things I think police officers here sometimes different hats. For instance in our Downtown for getting married pretty much all the venues require an off-duty police officer to be there for X amount of hours. Our venue had them included in the price and according to an in-law's nephew who is getting married next year more venues are including that. Typical charge is $30-$35/hour or so. But you couldn't just hire a security company or the venue substitute a security company they required them to be police officers.

Off topic but sorta related to your comment--do any of your fire departments or police stations do installations and/or checks of car seats/boosters? In the States it depends on where you are at but in my County there are a decent amount of fire department, police stations (including the sheriff's station), ems station (every now and then), and a couple of medical facilities. One of those things that you normally wouldn't consider to be a function of a police officer but depending on where you live is.

I have no clue; I've never had need of that sort of service. Our fire department, during normal times, did used to do an annual campaign where people could have them come to their houses and inspect the smoke detectors. They would install new ones for free in any home that did not have adequate equipment. Not sure when or if we'll ever see the return of that type of service. They are also not doing the drive-by birthday tributes for little kids and old people any more since we entered the phase of re-launch where small gatherings are permitted.

 

[NotUrsula]

What’s odd is that all your funeral processions have police escorts. Don’t your police have actual police things to do? Here it would never happen, unless there was some sort of security concern or maybe if it was a state funeral for a high ranking official of some sort. I’ve certainly never seen such a thing in all My years. Similarly, our fire department doesn’t get kittens out of trees either.

Police departments here make money on funerals. They charge a fairly hefty fee for the escort service; normally about $150/officer, for what usually is about 30 minutes work, and most funerals have 2 of them. The department keeps about $100 of the fee; the rest goes to the officer, who is, of course, off-duty. So, on an average service the department makes $200 with nothing expended for it other than a bit of gasoline.

 

[ronandannette]

Police departments here make money on funerals. They charge a fairly hefty fee for the escort service; normally about $150/officer, for what usually is about 30 minutes work, and most funerals have 2 of them. The department keeps about $100 of the fee; the rest goes to the officer, who is, of course, off-duty. So, on an average service the department makes $200 with nothing expended for it other than a bit of gasoline.

Wow, that's interesting. I never would have imagined it. I wonder if our LEO's can be rented? I've been involved with a few different large events where the permit conditions included having professional security and qualified EMT's on-site but we hired private contractors.

 

[sasywtch]

Wow, that's interesting. I never would have imagined it. I wonder if our LEO's can be rented? I've been involved with a few different large events where the permit conditions included having professional security and qualified EMT's on-site but we hired private contractors.

Places here do hire off duty sheriff deputies. A large bingo place hired one for the hours that they shut down for the night and then he followed her down the road to the bank to drop in the deposit box. The rest of the night he patroled another parking lot of a large grocery store chain her in the valley.

 

[Kellykins1218]

This is what Ohio says...
“The law in Ohio says that you cannot interrupt a funeral procession,” said Lieutenant Rob Gable of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. It's all outlined in Ohio Revised Code 4511.451. You can pass a procession, but what you can't do is interrupt, drive or walk through one.

 

[Kellykins1218]

My guess is between the rain and the surprise of what was happening you missed the placards/ flags/ magnets that were handed out to the processional. Ive never been in a funeral processional without some identifying marker, though some have been way more obvious that others.

I've seen, and been part of, processions that only gave flags to the first 10-15 cars. The rest were told to put on their headlights and their flashers. Honestly, if a car pulled in front of me, with their flashers on during a rain storm, it wouldn't even occur to me that it was because of a funeral.

 

[mjkacmom]

Yeah I'd say in my neck of the woods police officer escorts are generally reserved for those in public duty (other police officers, firefighters, emt's, government officials, etc) but I have seen a time or two when it is not one of those so I have to assume you can request one/apply for one (could be wrong on that).

As far as the actual police things I think police officers here sometimes different hats. For instance in our Downtown for getting married pretty much all the venues require an off-duty police officer to be there for X amount of hours. Our venue had them included in the price and according to an in-law's nephew who is getting married next year more venues are including that. Typical charge is $30-$35/hour or so. But you couldn't just hire a security company or the venue substitute a security company they required them to be police officers.

Off topic but sorta related to your comment--do any of your fire departments or police stations do installations and/or checks of car seats/boosters? In the States it depends on where you are at but in my County there are a decent amount of fire department, police stations (including the sheriff's station), ems station (every now and then), and a couple of medical facilities. One of those things that you normally wouldn't consider to be a function of a police officer but depending on where you live is.

Our fire department does.

 

[tzolkin]

I've seen, and been part of, processions that only gave flags to the first 10-15 cars. The rest were told to put on their headlights and their flashers. Honestly, if a car pulled in front of me, with their flashers on during a rain storm, it wouldn't even occur to me that it was because of a funeral.

Yes, the ones I have taken part in were all in busier areas in the northeast with lots of traffic lights and even there they only gave the markers to the close family (probably the first 10-15 cars).

In the rural area where I now live, I have not seen any magnets/signs for participants in any processional. The lead car has little black flags on the rear windows and a sign that says "FUNERAL". I guess they figure they are back country roads and most take place in the middle of the day so they aren't expecting a lot of traffic. In the story I relayed above, they were not using their flashers.