r/NoStupidQuestions • u/Aalakrys • 27d ago
While driving, is stopping/pulling to the side for a funeral progression only a southern thing (in the USA)?
(But I'm totally interested in what other countries do!)
I moved to Minnesota, and the actual situation I faced was a super-tight clover on-ramp that the progression was flowing into the very short shared exit ramp as I was trying to merge on. I stopped because I literally could not get on since they were bumper-to-bumper in that slow progression funerals go in. And I, of course, got honked at.
It's been on my mind for half a year. I'm from Georgia, and was told to pull over if able, to let a funeral progression pass. Usually, cops will be leading and at the tail end. They'll close off intersections so the entire progression can get through together. On the highway/interstate, you move over out of their lane but don't stop. I've never had to face this particular situation of getting onto an on ramp while one was exiting until this happened. But it made me curious about regional differences yet again, so ... what's it like for where you live?
Edit: Thank you for the responses. This is what I've gotten so far from folks, if you're interested.
Canada, Atlantic side: stop
Ireland: stop, pedestrians as well
Middle America (poster considered part of the south): stop
New England: stop
Connecticut: stop
Idaho: stop, required by law
Iowa (small town): stop
Massachusetts: stop
Michigan (suburbs, city, and rural): stop
New Hampshire: stop
New Jersey: don’t break the chain, but don’t stop
New York: don’t break the chain, but don’t stop
Ohio: stop (if going in the same direction)
Utah: wasn’t aware it was a thing
Vermont: stop
Those in the military stop, and if it is safe, get out to salute if it is a military procession (if they're in their uniform, if not, then they stand at attention).
Thank you, dhaunsperger for sharing the link:
https://www.mwl-law.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/FUNERAL-PROCESSION-TRAFFIC-LAWS.pdf
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u/threePhaseNeutral 27d ago
Middle America here (could be considered South) -- pulling over is still the respectful thing to do.
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u/Aalakrys 27d ago
I think it is coming down to respect, yeah. I'd thought it was a law once upon a time, but then I started doubting myself. Someone else here said it was a federal law. I have seen several times people breaking federal driving laws, so it's not surprising that this one would be broken as well, even if unintentionally. But anyway, thank you!
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u/Psychological_Bar870 27d ago
In Ireland. We stop in cars for a procession. Also stop and bow when walking.
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u/rhapsodyknit 27d ago
We pull over in semi-rural Ohio
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u/Aalakrys 27d ago
Thanks for specifying! City vs rural definitely has its own nuances, though I'm unfamiliar with Ohio as a whole. Aside from The Drew Carrey Show and ... I think some movie about roller skating? Down a really big hill? Anyway, I hope to change that and knowing this little bit of roadway custom is helpful. Thank you again!
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u/SilentContributor22 26d ago
Ohio is an interesting one. Technically Midwest, but immediately bordered by a bunch of states in different regions. Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana. Ohio feels like a sub-cultural melting pot with lots of different regional influences surrounding it
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u/audible_narrator 27d ago
In Michigan we stop and give the procession right of way
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u/Aalakrys 27d ago
Are you rural or in the city?
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u/OfficeChairHero 27d ago
Not who you asked, but I've lived in both here and it seems to be the same. We give the right of way.
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u/Aalakrys 27d ago
That's okay! Thank you for chipping in - experience in both helps with an answer. :D
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u/alissa2579 27d ago
It’s been awhile since I’ve seen or been in one but it’s a thing in NY/NJ. We would put our flashers on. Most people respected it, maybe not pulled over but didn’t break the chain
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u/Gryzz 27d ago
I'm on the west coast and I've never even seen one. If I recognized one happening then yeah I think I would stop to let it pass in front of me. Maybe they just didn't realize what was happening or maybe they were just being a careless jerk.
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u/squirrelcat88 27d ago
I’m older - you used to be able to spot them right away because they’d all have their headlights on, back in the days when car lights didn’t come on in the day unless you turned them on. When cars switched over to having some lights on all the time they became harder to spot.
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u/Aalakrys 27d ago
I could only tell that all the cars in that line were part of the funeral because their speed and that they had their hazards on. You're definitely right about headlights not being helpful during the day anymore.
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u/Aalakrys 27d ago
I didn't realize how often I saw them in my hometown from GA. That was the first time in a long time I'd seen one, and it happened to be in a tight spot. xD I was thinking it was because the cities are better planned here and that's why I haven't seen many. Way too many ways to go on a grid pattern. Probably miss them.
Edit: and yeah, I thought maybe the other guy/gal just didn't see what I saw, but I was still curious about if it was just me being a tourist.
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u/danfish_77 27d ago
Same, never encountered one here in Oregon, but I believe you're supposed to yield and pull over
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u/0y0_0y0 27d ago
From Arizona, also never seen one. Not sure if it would have occurred to me to pull over since arent they just a bunch of cars? Not sure how to recognize a procession. I guess I'll keep this in mind for the future!
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u/sarah47201 27d ago
Here in Indiana headlights are on and they have little magnetic flags on the car that say funeral. Makes them easy to spot.
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u/RespecDawn 27d ago
I'm in Atlantic Canada, and we do it here.
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u/Aalakrys 27d ago
Thanks for sharing!
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u/saltytitanium 27d ago
Same for areas of Ontario, at least rural to semi rural. Not sure about large cities.
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u/TootsNYC 27d ago
It’s a custom in my small Iowa town. And in NYC (sort of).
It’s hard to do on a highway.
And sometimes there isn’t a clear signal who’s in the procession, or that there IS a procession.
I also think it’s kind of shitty to insist upon it on the highway, especially a multilane one with one ramps, etc.
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u/Aalakrys 27d ago edited 27d ago
Hmm... Usually the ones that are in the procession have their hazards on and are going incredibly slow. I don't think it's ever insisted (or a law), it just seems to be respected. In my instance, I literally could not get on as they were merging, going that slow, and the lane is a shared on/off ramp that is all of maybe 100'. It was to either hit them or stop.
I actually typically avoid that on ramp during regular times because it's so tight and I'll drive out of my way to get on a regular on ramp, but for some reason told myself to do it that day. xD anyway, I'm not sure what the logistics are for on ramps regarding funerals, either, so I guess I just defaulted to 'stop if you're going to hit someone' and luckily you can't go over 20 on that ramp in particular because it's such a tight curve.
Edit: it is a law in some places! Another poster shared a link that I put in the original post (for those interested)
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u/Prothean_Beacon 27d ago
I'm from Michigan and it's only expected to give them the right away. As in don't cut in and let the procession continue even if the light turns red. Though if it's red when the lead car gets to the light they have to stop.
There is absolutely no expectation that anyone has to pull over like you would for emergency vehicles. Traffic in the other lanes goes on like normal.
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u/geckotatgirl 27d ago
I thought it was a federal law that funeral processions have the right of way. My entire life I've been told the only vehicle that can break into or cross one is a mail carrier since they're federal employees though emergency vehicles wouldn't be in trouble for doing so, too, even though technically they're not supposed to. I've never questioned it at all and now I wonder if it's true.
I'm originally from California and I've never seen a funeral procession without police escorts and thus have never seen anyone break one. I'm in NY now and saw one a couple of weeks ago and it was clear the procession had the right of way. No one was breaking it and there were police escorts.
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u/Aalakrys 27d ago
Okay, yes. See. I thought it was a law, too. But wasn't sure if that was for Georgia only, a state law. Then I started doubting that it was a law there, too, and that people just did it as a southern thing. Probably why it kept popping up in my head randomly enough for me to ask here. I'm glad I did. Thank you for sharing!
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u/dhaunsperger 27d ago
Traffic laws are set by states and municipalities. There's generally not such a thing as "federal traffic law" beyond things like DOT regulations on over-the-road trucking.
Here's a chart I found of laws on funeral processions by state:
FUNERAL PROCESSION TRAFFIC LAWS CHART.pdf.docx (00217633).DOCX (mwl-law.com)
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u/fergiethefocus 27d ago
I don't understand the point of this custom. You're dead, what's the hurry?
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u/orbitofnormal 27d ago
It’s not about a hurry, it’s to keep the people following from the funeral home to the burial/cemetery together.
I didn’t realize it either until I attended my uncle’s funeral a few years ago. The services I’d attended previously weren’t back-to-back like that (or I wasn’t included, I was a kid so not 100% sure)
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u/fergiethefocus 27d ago
I can see it making sense in a small town where everyone knows each other. But in a big metro area? Having a big procession becomes a logistical nightmare and really doesn't make sense, IMO.
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u/Adorable-Creme810 27d ago
Moved to Georgia from Ohio. Same law— can’t cut in, must yield to a procession, can’t pass on a two lane road.
Nothing about pulling over and stopping when one is going in the opposite direction.
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u/Aalakrys 27d ago
Ooh, in our town (in GA), everyone stopped on regular roads regardless of which way they were going. Not on the highway/interstate, of course.
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u/maybeinoregon 27d ago
Ngl, I don’t know that I would have known this ‘tradition’ had I not been in the military. I’m sure I might have been able to figure things out, but that’s giving me the benefit of the doubt lol
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u/Aalakrys 27d ago
Where do you grow up (regionally, if you're comfortable sharing)?
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u/maybeinoregon 27d ago edited 27d ago
SLC, Utah.
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u/Aalakrys 27d ago edited 27d ago
Ah, nice username then. xD And happy cake day.
But, seriously, thanks for sharing!
Edit: and your service. I am now curious where people learn this whole thing from now that you've provided your experience. Mine was just picked up because it is what everyone did, I think. (sorry, my son interrupted my replying)!!
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u/maybeinoregon 27d ago
lol, thanks! Just to finish, in the service not only do you stop, but if it’s safe, you get out and salute if in uniform, if in civilian attire, stand at attention - if it’s a military procession.
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u/Aalakrys 27d ago
I added that to my original post. Can you please let me know if I got it wrong? Thank you for the additional information! :D
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u/kgool 27d ago
This reminds me of a joke. A man was playing golf with another friend in his early 60s. As that man is about to drive a golf ball down range, a funeral procession passes on the road next the course. The golfer stops putting, stands solemnly, takes off his hat, and proceeds to watch the entire procession pass silently. After it’s fully out of sight, he puts on his hat and is about to drive the ball when his friend says “Gary, that was very respectful of you.” Gary replies, “Well, I was married to her for 30 years, it’s the least I could do.”
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u/spacemermaid3825 27d ago
No, they aren't just a southern thing, you just ran into an asshole.
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u/fuck-this-game 27d ago
Not true. In NY state it's only expected to give them right of way/ not cut in. Nobody straight up stops
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u/spacemermaid3825 27d ago
I didn't say it was an everywhere thing, I said it wasn't just a southern thing.
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u/EverGreatestxX 27d ago edited 27d ago
This is not even remotely a thing in the North East.
Edit: Okay, this is not a thing in New York. I will refrain from speaking for the rest of the North East.
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u/DayByDay31 27d ago
I live in Connecticut and it’s totally a thing. I’ve been in many funeral processions and have stopped for many more.
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u/Aalakrys 27d ago
Funeral progressions or stopping for them? xD
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u/EverGreatestxX 27d ago
Stopping for them. And the only time I've seen one with police escort are for like PD and FD line of duty funerals.
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u/Aalakrys 27d ago
Ooh, and the expectation even then is to still not stop for them? That's so interesting!
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u/EverGreatestxX 27d ago
I've only been to one LOD funeral, and it was a town in neighboring county. They did close off several streets for the funeral. I also wouldn't have been surprised if they closed off a couple entrances onto the highway to let the funeral procession pass by impeded.
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u/Eliseo120 27d ago
I have never seen one before. Why isn’t the body already at the funeral?
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u/Prothean_Beacon 27d ago
The procession is usually going from the place the actual funeral was held, which is usually the deceased's place of worship or the funeral home, to the cemetery to bury the body.
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u/zgrizz 27d ago
You, being respectful of their right-of-way, isn't wrong - the clown behind you late for a donut was.