ANSWERS: 43
  • Yes, it's what you are supposed to do. Here in FL, the local sherrif will escort the procession and stop traffic at large intersections. They did this for my great-grandmother's funeral.
  • Yes we do but I am from Louisiana too. I love your tiger. There are a couple of others from LA on here also. Where abouts are you from? I'm in Rayne but I consider myself from Baton Rouge. I lived in New Iberia for 11 years before I moved here.
  • Here in Puerto Rico I was waiting at a red light when I heard someone knocking at my window. It was an employee of the funeral home that was part of a funeral procession. They were right behind me. He was telling me to keep going! They don't stop at red lights! That was new for me, never had that experience before. It is kind of similar to your story. It seems to be an ancient tradition, stopping whatever is going on in order to respect the dead. It is hard to adapt to our modern society, in this world of heavy traffic and hectic pace...
  • Pulling over to the SIDE of the road is important here. Some idiots just stop right in the middle of the traffic lane out of some misguided sense that placing yourself in a dangerous position of perhaps getting yourself and others killed shows respect for the dead.
  • We do the same thing here in Ohio.
  • Yes, in Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Washington DC.
  • I grew up in Missouri and that was also our custom. However, I now live in Florida and notice that many drivers (many originally from the Northeast) do not do this. It seems disrespectful to me, but it has made me realize apparently not everyone is familiar with this custom.
  • I don't see that happening here on the west coast.
  • Having grown up near San Francisco and now living in Los Angeles I have frequently seen these funeral processions (and have been in a couple myself) where a police officer escorted the group (all with headlights on)through all traffic and lights.
  • I just saw your question, I know it's 2 months late. I've not seen that in Missouri except for fallen soldiers, firemen, or police. I think that's very respectful. Too bad the rest of the country doesn't feel that way. Everyone deserves a 'hat's off' in my opinion, no matter HOW they died.
  • I live in California, and I have no idea what people do here because I have never seen a funeral procession in my life. At least I know now what other people do so I can have some idea what I'm supposed to do if I do come across one.
  • Yes, It is the same here in Mississippi + 5
  • It happens in Indiana also, I think everyone should pull over to show respect, another thing to think about is safety. These people have just lost a loved one and more than likely do not have their mind's totally on driving.
  • I am from LA, I can say that not as many people pull over for a funeral as you think, Being a Patriot Guard Rider and have attended several funerals in LA and MS; it is quite obvious a lot of people haven't been taught or just don't know that it is a sign of respect. I've been in a procession going through B.R. on the interstate and was being PASSED in the same direction we were going in, another procession going North on I-49 north of Lafayette, a truck merged onto the Interstate cut through the procession and then accelerated to pass the procession. What makes it worse, these was a Soldiers that gave his life for our Freedom. These were police escorted, on two lane roads you do see some pull over, approximately 40%. You see a much better reaction in MS and TX. Nothing you can do about it, just shake your head in shame.
  • In Massachusetts it is the law. All motorists must yield to a funeral procession. It's written right in the state Driver's manual.
  • It was like that in Alabama, but In Iowa and Missouri your lucky if they aren't trying to but in to cut throught the lights. People here are soooooooo rude!
  • I have never seen it happen in CA. :(
  • I've never seen that, but I remember seeing policemen on patrol salute a passing cortege.
  • They certainly do that in Southern Kentucky, and I do that whenever a funeral procession passes. It's just the way I was raised. However, the last 2 funeral processions I have been a part of (I have had 4 this year), people have actually cut into the middle of the procession. Last funeral nearly resulted in an accident when someone barrelled through a green light into the middle of our procession, causing the car in front of mine to have to slam on the brakes. I have to hope that these cases are 'young people', who may not realize that it IS a procession, but it does little to alleviate my head-shaking disbelief and aggravation at their actions, which I consider extremely disrespectful and selfish.
  • They do it in Utah, Nebraska, and Texas.
  • It happens in North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee as well. Maybe it's mostly a southern thing though some do it in other places.
  • I live in Texas and we dont move off the road .any road not just intersection cops escort them ,front of the line and then the back of the line, sometimes it takes along time with all the cars we have to wait for ...but i enjoy to see it ....how the dead is so respectable ... I think they should do that in every state as well...
  • Yes it happens in Massachusetts. It is actually written in the official Driver's Education Manual. Yielding to a funeral procession here is the law.
  • That happens in many places. Rarely is there a law or ordinance requiring you to do so; it's a matter of showing respect voluntarily.
  • i live in ireland and we do that here too also some sops will turn off the lights as they walk by
  • Yes. I live in the South and that has been a standard practice as long as I remember. People pull over and stop, intersections are blocked by police until the procession has passed. I was with my son (he was driving) when we met an oncoming funeral procession on a country road. He pulled over and removed his cap, I was very proud of that extra show of respect since he was a teenager at the time and, to my knowledge, had not been instructed in "funeral ethics".
  • Yes, in Italy and Spain.
  • In India sight of a funeral procession is considered most auspicious. It is a good oman. Not just those known to the deceased but all those who see the procession pass by pay their respects. But no one stops till the procession has passed on. People take note that they have seen a good oman and move on. The oman interprets the release of one more soul from the bondage of the cage of a body onto its travel towards God,the ultimate destination for all mankind, it is believed.
  • I grew up in california and i can remember when i was young people would do this out of respect, and then all of a sudden it gradually faded into a memory. I have not seen this done in a while, people dont even stop for ambulance sirens anymore. Just because this question was raised I'll start to do this again.
  • I haven't seen one here in CA. My mother says she has, I'm only 18 though. The only funerals I've been to were in the actual graveyard or across the street from the graveyard. During my Grandfather's funeral, we all just walked across the street to his plot. Most people in town were there so there was no worries of traffic. (Small, small town. Still have dial-up.)
  • In ny, i have seen it happen, but i wont pull over i would move out of the lane for them and i wont cut in between thats rude and i feel bad if i realized i did it.
  • Here in Alabama, it's routine. Maybe it's a Southern thing?
  • Yes. I live on the East Coast and I have always stopped and let the procession go by. All the cars usually have the hazard lights on to let you know that they are part of the procession,
  • the bad thing about this is if there is no shoulder... then you can run down a hill. I personally think it is stupid - slow down, yes. Pull over, NO.
  • Cars in a funeral procession are supposed to have their lights on so the police know what cars belong in the procession and when the procession has passed and the intersection can be reopened. I have noticed many people get upset when traffic restrictions are in place for a funeral procession. It is proper etiquette to pull over (if you can safely) and get out of the car (hats removed) when a funeral procession approaches and passes by. Many people don't do this anymore but it is very nice to see happen when you are part of the procession and it is much appreciated by the family of the deceased.
  • im from La. also jama...how about them tigers ..:) New Jersey doesn't do this...but i did when there...and i don't think CA. did...i had a friend from N J with me when i pulled over and she could not believe it...she wanted me to go on , i just replied, "i just cain't do it, Cap'n!"..
  • Here's a link for funeral procession guidelines. http://www.cga.ct.gov/2004/rpt/2004-R-0303.htm In my state all identified vehicles (generally those with headlights on) can disregard a traffic light or sign when following the procession. I believe it is unlawful to cut through a procession.
  • They do the same in Connecticut however most people beep their horns for the cars to get the f8ck out of the way.
  • oops...already answered this one. Flag please
  • I've lived my entire life in Texas, and it is generally the custom for traffic to pull over for funeral processions. It seems, though, that people aren't nearly as respectful of this as they used to be .... sign of the times?? As far as turning car lights on, it is sort of a two-fold thing: (1) to let oncoming traffic know that there is a procesion and (2) it doubles as a safety sign of such. Also, I expect you'd now see more of this custom in rural areas, as the metro areas, especially the large ones, simply have too much traffic to come to a standstill.Additionally, there are so many mortuaries with their own adjacent cemeteries that the only procession is from their chapel to the gravesite.
  • Indiana also- it is the law here.
  • It used to happen but most ppl are not aware of this custom.
  • Yes, here in Arkansas. In fact, typically (in the city where I live) the police escort such a funeral, and stop traffic at traffic lights to allow the vehicular funeral procession to proceed without interruption. *** It turns out that laws vary from state to state. {{ https://www.mwl-law.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/SUBRO-AND-FUNERAL-PROCESSION-LAWS-CHART-00143368.pdf }} In most states it is (A) illegal to "drive between" vehicles in a funeral procession. (B) A funeral procession has the right of way at all intersections, regardless of traffic signs or signals to the contrary. So - for example - if you were at an intersection with a four-way stop in one of those states, you would NOT have the right of way after allowing one vehicle in a funeral procession to pass. You would have to wait until the entire procession had passed. *** AND SO, I think that this show of respect may be related to the laws that prohibit passing through the vehicles in such a procession. In most states THEY can turn at any intersection and proceed regardless of traffic laws - just like an emergency vehicle - and so it's obviously SAFER for other drivers to pull over and wait at least until the lead car in the procession passes. *** And note that if the funeral is being escorted by police officers, then of course you DO have to stop and/or pull over because those emergency vehicles must be treated the same as they are in other situations.

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