kylini wrote:
The problem is that funeral processions *are* explicitly allowed to ignore red lights and caravan on through...
Generally yes, depending:
http://www.cga.ct.gov/2004/rpt/2004-R-0303.htm
Still seems like a VERY bad idea to have unidentified cars just driving through a red light.
Solution to this issue: Cremation
kylini
Reader
9/11/14 11:55 a.m.
Here's a semi-legal summary of most states. I disagree with some of the interpretations but that's why Satan gave us lawyers: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2004/rpt/2004-R-0303.htm
General rule of thumb: most states allow a funeral train, once in an intersection, to continue uninterrupted as a continuous caravan regardless of any traffic signals. The lead car may or may not be allowed to run a red light but all subsequent vehicles can. You must yield right-of-way no matter what.
Around here they dropped the police escorts. No procession except for the hearse and family limos. Everybody else follows as they can.
Wow. The law also states that the lead vehicle must have flashing lights and must legally enter the intersection. You can't see if that occurs in the video.
kylini
Reader
9/11/14 12:00 p.m.
bgkast wrote:
Wow. The law also states that the lead vehicle must have flashing lights and must legally enter the intersection. You can't see if that occurs in the video.
Funeral processions are almost never short. The lead car with the lights also doesn't stop once given a green (or even for red lights in some states), so they're not around for the "caboose." The cars in the funeral procession really really really should be tailgating each other with hazards, which makes it somewhat obvious, but most people aren't experts in funeral driving (unless they have a huge family that's good at dying one by one).
P.S.: I swear to Cthulu I'm not a lawyer/pre-law/related-to-law at all. I just am OCD about order and things being right, so I retain this crap! I'll also park millimeters from your car door if you're over the line.
PHeller
PowerDork
9/11/14 12:16 p.m.
Someone should get there funeral directors license and we should do a Gumball style run when a GRM member dies.
When I kick, you guys will be required to hold an autocross using the cemetery roads. Each headstone is a 5 second penalty.... Loser has to buy beer for everyone.
PHeller wrote:
Someone should get there funeral directors license and we should do a Gumball style run when a GRM member dies.
Excellent thinking... ceremony in NY, interred in LA! Procession... GO! Just don't pass the hearse.
I want my funeral procession to go 3mph through the heart of Atlanta rush hour...just to piss off all the shiny happy people on the roads.
Oh, and yes, most states have statutes in the motor vehicle codes for funeral processions and rights of way. They come into play during an insurance claim. I've had a number of those claims...thankfully I have yet to see one where the hearse was struck.
kylini
Reader
9/11/14 2:38 p.m.
Gearheadotaku wrote:
When I kick, you guys will be required to hold an autocross using the cemetery roads. Each headstone is a 5 second penalty.... Loser has to buy beer for everyone.
My mind's eye forsees this ending poorly. Something like this:
Klayfish wrote:
I want my funeral procession to go 3mph through the heart of Atlanta rush hour...just to piss off all the shiny happy people on the roads.
Oh, and yes, most states have statutes in the motor vehicle codes for funeral processions and rights of way. They come into play during an insurance claim. I've had a number of those claims...thankfully I have yet to see one where the hearse was struck.
So does the non-funeral car get berkeleyed accident wise or does it revert to 50-50 fault?
Huh, they didn't have the little orange flags they all have in MI. Also not following close enough to make their intentions apparent.
wbjones
UltimaDork
9/11/14 4:15 p.m.
kylini wrote:
The problem is that funeral processions *are* explicitly allowed to ignore red lights and caravan on through, and the laws require you yield right-of-way. Darn if people actually think of that though, since they're rare as all heck!
I honked at a procession turning left in front of me once before I realized what it was as a kid. Man, I felt bad when I figured it out.
the only problem with that is, especially for a LONG procession, cross traffic won't have any idea that it's a funeral procession … from 90° to the side, I can't see that the 4 way flashers are on … I can't tell that it's a funeral procession … made even worse as the procession strings out. then there's not even a steady stream of cars running the red light
I agree with whomever posted it above … if an accident happened there, I'm betting the ins co for the procession driver would end up paying
this is an excerpt from the Missouri law post :
Notwithstanding any traffic control device or right-of-way provision prescribed by state or local law, when the funeral lead vehicle in an organized funeral procession lawfully enters an intersection, all vehicles in the procession shall follow the lead vehicle through the intersection. The operator of each vehicle in the procession shall exercise the highest degree of care toward any other vehicle or pedestrian on the roadway.
this really goes to what I posted above … as the procession gets strung out, cross traffic has no way of knowing that the "idiots" running the red light are part of a funeral procession
wbjones
UltimaDork
9/11/14 4:21 p.m.
aircooled wrote:
kylini wrote:
The problem is that funeral processions *are* explicitly allowed to ignore red lights and caravan on through...
Generally yes, depending:
http://www.cga.ct.gov/2004/rpt/2004-R-0303.htm
Still seems like a VERY bad idea to have unidentified cars just driving through a red light.
Solution to this issue: Cremation
you still could have a procession going to the cemetery … not all ashes get scattered in the wind … my Fathers ashes are buried at the NC State Veterans Cemetery … Mom's will be buried with him
wbjones
UltimaDork
9/11/14 4:25 p.m.
Kenny_McCormic wrote:
Huh, they didn't have the little orange flags they all have in MI. Also not following close enough to make their intentions apparent.
how do they make those stick to a Corvette ?
I've already told my wife I don't want a procession at my funeral, they are stupid. For that fact, I told her no funeral, they are stupid too. Donate my body to science and use the burial money to throw a huge party. Lots of good food, lots of drink, lots of loud music and dancing. Don't morn the death, celebrate the life.
That pretty much sums up my feeling about funerals and their processions.
Hal
SuperDork
9/11/14 5:28 p.m.
At my B-I-L's funeral last week we were told to:
Turn on the headlights
Turn on the flashers
Keep close to the car in front
The procession (50 cars) was led and followed by an Auxiliary Police car (older cruiser with word Auxiliary on it) with all the lights on. Since we had to cross the city we went thru ~20 intersections, some with red lights and some with stop signs.
In reply to wbjones:
They come in window clip form as well.
wbjones wrote:
Kenny_McCormic wrote:
Huh, they didn't have the little orange flags they all have in MI. Also not following close enough to make their intentions apparent.
how do they make those stick to a Corvette ?
Windshield stickers like these:
All the funeral processions I've been in, the funeral director usually takes a path to the cemetery limiting crossing multi-lane highways, etc.