And if you are part of a funeral procession, stay alert. Too many motorcades are primarily concerned with staying close to the vehicle in front of them, Wickert says, fearing a stranger might intervene. But this means that they are not fully aware of what is happening around them. Mr. Lehman says that in twenty years as a funeral director, he has never had an accident at a funeral procession. It is a vein he would like to maintain. He offered the following safety tips for those participating in a funeral procession: The largest area of confusion and the location of wing curvatures appear to be the intersections. Many states do not have laws regarding funeral processions. In other cases, the lead vehicle of the procession must obey the traffic lights at intersections and stop, for example, at a red light or a stop sign. But as soon as the lead vehicle crosses the intersection, all the cars behind it can follow without stopping – even if the traffic light turns red in the middle of the procession. In the United States, a tradition developed when motorized funeral processions became the norm. Motorists ceded the right of way in a funeral procession to all vehicles and/or stopped at the side of the road. It was a sign of respect for the deceased and their bereaved people.
On the other hand, the Michigan Court of Appeals holds that funeral law should not be so restrictive in its application. In Mentel v Monroe Public Schools, 47 Mich App 467 (1973), the plaintiff was driving her car as part of a funeral procession when she was injured as a result of a collision with the defendant`s bus. The first vehicles of the procession entered an intersection with a green light; The plaintiff drove into the intersection at a red light and struck the defendant`s bus. The trial court ruled directly in favour of the defendant and found that the plaintiff had acted lawfully negligently because the Burial Act did not apply to an intersection controlled by a traffic control device. The Michigan Court of Appeals disagreed, stating that funeral law applied to both vehicles and traffic control equipment, but that the plaintiff still had to exercise due diligence when crossing the intersection. If the applicant was negligent in exercising his right of way, this would be assessed on the basis of the individual facts and circumstances of the case. (1) A motor vehicle that is part of a funeral procession has the right of passage on all other vehicles other than fire equipment, ambulances and police patrol vehicles at a highway or highway junction in that State to go to a funeral place if the funeral procession vehicle displays a flag that shall be fluorescent orange. and on which a black cross, the Star of David or crescent and the star are printed, stamped or tinted. The lead vehicle and the last vehicle of the funeral procession may carry an additional flag. Flags must not bear a name embossed or printed on the flag, with the exception of the word “funeral”.
Chief Thomas also helped dispel a common misconception about the use of spotlights in funeral processions. Some people mistakenly believe that turning on your headlights or high beams is a suitable substitute for displaying an orange flag. However, Thomas says, “No, headlights alone are not enough, although they can provide additional safety features to draw attention to your vehicle.” Specifically, she said driving your Hellen is actually illegal in Michigan if you`re within 500 feet of oncoming traffic. So what do you do when you see a funeral procession approaching an intersection and you`re not sure about local rules? Treat each intersection as if it were not controlled, says Greg Wickert, partner at national and international insurance firm Matthiesen, Wickert & Lehrer. Or, to put it another way, act the same way you do when you see police or emergency vehicles preparing to run a red light. “It`s your life we`re talking about,” says Wickert, “not just a ticket or an inconvenience.” But what can`t you say if the long line of cars is part of a procession or not? According to more than one eyewitness, at least some of the cars in last week`s processions did not fly orange flags indicating they were part of the funeral procession. One witness said: “The queue passed, and then about 20 to 30 cars arrived without flags. I guess they were part of the line, but just didn`t have flags. In the end, I sat there for a good 10-12 minutes, until a car stopped and let me cross. I guess that was the end, but there were more cars than otherwise without a flag. » 2. Any person who passes through a funeral procession of motor vehicles designated in accordance with paragraph 1 with a vehicle of any kind shall be liable for a civil offence.
So if you come across a funeral procession, stop and let them pass. Do not pass in front of them or try to cross them. It`s pretty simple, isn`t it? Slow down, or the next funeral could be yours, huh! Funeral processions have a long and rich history. But they can be dangerous to your health. And your wallet. Nevada is the only state that explicitly allows the lead vehicle to run a red light without stopping. And the laws of Arizona, Idaho, Kentucky, Montana and North Dakota give way to funeral processions at all intersections, meaning processions can burn red lights and pass stop signs. Experts also note that many people mistakenly believe that you have to stop when approaching a funeral procession, even if you`re across the street.
While this may be a tradition in some places, there is no state law requiring it. In fact, such movement can be dangerous and cause a collision. If you`re not sure about the laws in your area, you`re more sure to keep these points in mind when encountering a funeral procession. So, since there is no shortage of flags, why don`t some processionists use them? According to Lehman, “The biggest problem is that people don`t decide in advance. Be part of the funeral procession and not need a flag on their car. We do our best to ensure that participants in the procession receive a flag. It is very important to have a flag if you want to be part of the procession. In fact, according to Portland Police Chief Star Thomas, “only cars with orange flags drive in accordance with the law that allows the procession to have the right of way” to drive without stop signs or traffic lights. Make sure your car has an orange flag from the funeral procession. If you don`t have one, ask for one. Funeral directors say driving in or near a procession is a risky endeavor these days. This is because many drivers in the United States are unaware of the laws and customs surrounding funeral processions.
They are also increasingly distracted on their phones and while driving. And some people don`t care. You`ll drive to an intersection to find a long line of slow-moving cars slowly but surely crossing the intersection. You look for signs of what`s going on. Is there an accident nearby and traffic is diverted? Maybe. Is construction imminent? So no orange cones, no. And then he hits you; It must be a funeral procession. The question then is what you do.
You think back to driving ed. No, they didn`t cover that in class, otherwise you wouldn`t be paying attention. In recent weeks, several large funeral processions have passed through downtown Portland, prompting many drivers to play a version of this internal conversation. So what do you do when you encounter a funeral procession and what should you do if you go in? Jenni Fitzpatrick, a local resident, recently attended the funeral of her husband`s aunt when they nearly had an accident. According to Fitzpatrick.” We missed them narrowly because they locked their brakes at the last minute. The procession began to withdraw from St. Patrick`s Day. The first car stopped for all of us, the SUV behind that car passes them in the middle corner lane at the traffic lights, then screams at the stop and rumbles out the window as we all get out when it realizes it has to wait.
“Right of way” means “the privilege of direct use of the highway”. MCL 257.53. The law expressly gives priority to “all other vehicles except fire trucks, ambulances and police vehicles. However, does it give the funeral procession the right to pass stop signs and traffic lights? On the one hand, subsection 257.611(1) of the MCL states: “The driver of a vehicle or the driver of a streetcar shall not disobey the instructions of a traffic control device installed in accordance with this chapter unless a police officer directs otherwise at that time. The law does not explicitly allow passage through a continuous red light or other signage (unlike Nevada law, which expressly allows funeral processions to pass through a red light).