I always give the utmost respect to the deceased on their final journey, but how do you deal with a funeral cortege on a duel carriageway?
While overtaking a slow moving procession on a single carriageway is an absolute no no for most people including me, a duel carriageway situation is slightly more perplexing.
Ran into a line of Funeral cars today travelling a a very sedate speed in the inside line, I felt very uneasy overtaking them but i was left little choice. Several miles until next exit on the road and virtually all other traffic totally ignoring them and overtaking i felt i had to pass.
Afterwards felt very disrepectful.
How do other BR's deal with this situation? Colleague of mine absolutley will not overtake a cortege come what may.
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I was with Dad a while ago and I was driving. We joined a dual carriageway and basically made up for lost time is how I'll put it; slightly confused as to why everyone was in the insude lane so I slowed down just in case something was going on further down - saw all the hearses (hearsi?) thought "Oh no!" but couldn't cut back in. Had to carry on with the overtake but I did it very respectfully (that is to say - I felt very bad doing it!).
Unavoidable unless I stuck behind the cars guessing something was in front of them. 9 times out of 10 it's just someone who doesn't like doing 70.
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Adam
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I have left instructions that in my case they shall drive as fast as possible.
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I have left instructions that in my case they shall drive as fast as possible.
Thanks for that helpful suggestion. I must remember to do likewise.
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Overtake.(did it today)as I want everyone to do so when its my final trip.
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.>> Overtake.(did it today)as I want everyone to do so when itsmy final trip.
What about Family members in cars behind? If this happened to me i'd be deeply insulted
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I was a family member in a procession some years ago.
8 miles of the journey was on the M6 - no way would I expect people to queue behind. Much the same on a dual carriageway.
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Difficult one.
Erm, most recent experience - my mother's funeral. We all followed the hearse for a short journey between 2 villages.
Single carriage way all the way and we were doing a sensible speed - around 30 to 40 IIRC.
However, would I have been offended by people overtaking on a dual carriage way - provided they did it safely - no.
I would also expect them to overtake the whole cortage, rather that cut in to it, or not attempt to overtake at all, but genuine mistakes do happen and I would be happy to let them in to the line for safety's sake.
I was particularly impressed with the courtesy of a few vehicles that had right of way over the cortage who waved us all through before embarking on their manovre - I don't think there was one that didn't.
As PU says - overtake - I won't mind when it's my turn.
H
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My family all have a mixture of aviation fuel, petrol and a sprinkling of diesel in their blood though.
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Hmmm, if it was me, looking down, I would be so embarrassed if folks got stuck behind me, "Go on...crack on with it!" I would say.
Respect people while they're alive, they can't see you when they're dead. Buy flowers regularly for ladies when they're alive not £100s worth when they're not there to enjoy the colours and fragrance of them!
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>>Buy flowers regularly for ladies when they're alivenot £100s worth when they're not there to enjoy the colours and fragrance of them!
Awww, so true!
I'm with the majority on this one - if it's a massive procession, overtake on a dual carriageway as long as you can overtake the whole thing and don't have to cut in.
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BiL who was loooking over my shoulder laughed out loud. He is fast jet pilot and has had several brushes with death over the last few years. He wants three Tornados "maxing" it at 150 feet over his last convoy...
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Hmm try overtaking those ;)
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There's a crematorium near my halls of residence in Leeds, and driving towards it on the dual carriageway I often find myself behind a cortege. I usually overtake, but feel very guilty doing so.
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Cambridge crematorium must be notorious for corteges heading that way on the A14 or M11.
I find it uncomfortable, distressing and insulting to do it.
Not proud what happenend today.
Thanks for your thoughts.
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imagos
Don't beat yourself up about it. Several people have to do this every day. The fact it makes them feel uncomfortable meens that they are respectful to the mourners of the deceased.
You can't stop traffic on a road just because there is a funeral coutege on it.
Hugo
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Thanks Hugo. point taken..
I'll leave it at that.
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<< He wants three Tornados "maxing" itat 150 feet over his last convoy...
Not very nice for people that live in that vicinity. A couple of years ago I had to turn down a property in Lincolnshire on the basis of the noise of Tornados taking off from nearby (well, not that nearby) RAF Coningsby.
--
L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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What about Family members in cars behind? If this happened to me i'd be deeply insulted
They can overtake too if they like. What's to stop them?
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lol. im sorry, but that is funny.
They can overtake too if they like. What's to stop them?
i had to carry my uncle's coffin on weds a week ago.
and you have to keep your humor after the event.
and i have my wifes grandad to go to next fri. (1st april)
not very good i thought.
so that tickled me chrisR
;-)
thanks
(i am trying to imagine it)
i think thats what i will ask for in my prosesion.
see who can get there first.
it would liven it up a bit.
:-)
(very much tic)
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Judging from the last cortege I was in (my father's a year ago) I would very much doubt whether anyone would be aware of what traffic is doing and whether anyone overtakes or not - far too wrapped up in their own thoughts. Just drive as normal.
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It can happen the other way too: a year or so ago I was overtaken by a hearse (loaded) on the M4 and I was doing my usual indicated 80 (so should be about 75). It must have been doing 85 +.
When my time comes I'd want the hearse to be driven well, but not necessarily slowly.
I'm a church organist in my spare time, and I would also hope that whoever plays at my funeral gets a move on, in the same way that I do, so that people can have a good sing. I don't think speed (within reason) and vigour are disrespectful - and certainly not people getting on with their lives.
I wouldn't cut in between cars in a procession, but I quite agree that there's nothing unreasonable about passing them on a dual carriageway. No need for it to become a duel (sic) carriageway!
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Where I live this is a very common issue and usually involves a white 1953 Cadillac moving at a Snail-on-Mogadon pace followed by anything up to about 400 "mourners" following on foot, all chattering happily and looking forward to the wake and the several roasted pigs and bottles of local rum once the deceased has been laid to rest. Most of them probably never knew him/her anyway but nothing stops a good party in the Philippines and everyone can join in. Traffic can thus be held up for miles. No one seems to worry if you overtake whenever you can.
When I am finally called to account for a mis-spent life by the Almighty I want a lot of Harley Davidsons on open pipes to escort me travelling as fast as they like.
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I would hope the driver of the hearse would do what the driver did at my son's funeral a few years ago. Drive up the motorway at a speed that didn't make other drivers feel that they HAD to pass. I live in Canada and we drove at 120 kph ( speed limit 100) for 70 miles. We wasn't passed.
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About 2 years ago I jumped onto the M25 at J10 to head towards Gatwick to catch a flight.
Just as I was heading down the slip on , a funeral cortege from the travelling fraternity drove past me on the main carraigway at between 25 - 30mph.
This wouldn't have been a problem in my view except that they were doing 30 and occupying ALL of the lanes apart from the hard shoulder.
They continued in this convoy till they left the motorway at J9.
Caused mayhem behind them and several people (NOT me) decided to undertake the procession on the hard shoulder.
Personally I wasn't too happy sitting behind them for miles...
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I am very much of the, "use a white builders van and a plastic bag (or cardboard coffin if you have to) brigade". If any one chooses to follow it, it has given me a new idea of applying jam sandwich markings to the van, just to see the reaction of the overtaking drivers as they get to front of the procession!
Some of you probably guessed my outlook anyway.
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pmh (was peter)
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My wife was overtaken by a loaded hearse on the M8 - and she was doing 80ish. I would overtake respectfully, and expect others to do the same to me.
At my Grandad's funeral I realised that a hymn on the next page on the book was by a Mr Coffin - he would have found that amusing, but the hysteria fit that nearly ensued between me and my wife in the church certainly wouldn't have been decorus...
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RichardW
Is it illogical? It must be Citroen....
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I would always overtake but likewise try to never cut into the sometimes lengthy procession - it does help if the non-undertakers vehicles have their headlights on.
A few years ago, I was overtaken at around 80mph by two hearses on the A12 - both brand new stretch Mercs. and the coffin was draped in a Union Flag. Often wondered who that was...
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A couple of years ago I was minding my own business on a fairly empty local dual carriageway and a hearse passed me at about 80, with the coffin in the back bouncing up and down like a child on a trampoline.
Funniest thing I've seen for years!!.
ps. It wasn't the actual cortege, as there were no mourners following, probably think it was an empty coffin, perhaps on its way to pick up. But it was still funny. I can still picture it now !!.
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In nearly 30 years of driving, I have never been faced with this "predicamant" on a dual carraigeway. In fact I never even thought on a dual carriageway how such overtaking could be a problem in any respect. Needless to say,on a dual carriagway, I wouldn't think twice about overtaking - thats what the other lanes for. I can't believe this is problem for some people. What a strange tradition. Needless to say at age 45 I've had my fair share of bereavments so I'd hope I was making an informed comment about this.
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To be honest?
Overtake, give a cheery wave and play Colonel Bogey on your horn. Guaranteed to cheer them up.
Only joking of course....but hell, wouldn't mind it if it was mine. In fact, when I go I want Louis Armstrong singing "What a wonderful world" as they take me out of church to put me in the hearse. The Hearse would have to be the new 2.5 Subaru Forester XT and I want to be driven around the M25 at top speed with the casket crashing about as we go around the bends. If you can overtake that, you are entitled to use Colonel Bogey!
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On an open dual carriageway I would pass a funeral courtege. I think there's a practical reason the hearse doesn't drive too fast - so that all the following mourners in their own cars, behind the one or two black limos, can keep up and everyone arrives at the cemetary together.
I was driving to a funeral once and got separated from the courtege by traffic lights or a roundabout. It was a horrible feeling, thinking I might not know where to go if I lost the cars in front.
Cheers, SS
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How about a hand signal acknowledgement (raised hand) whilst overtaking to the cotege?
Do you think this would help?
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On my death bed I'm going to request that the flowers in the back window of the hearse to say 'drop a cog and floor it'
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"Do you think this would help?"
To be honest, I don't see the point - unless you know them! They will probably not even notice and you will probably never see them again so what difference does it make? Even if they did think you were being a bit impolite (which I find hard to believe!), what does it matter? They have other things on their mind which will hardly make "the bloke in the Mondeo/Vectra/911" who overtook, a major topic of conversation. Being "of an age" and having been to a few funerals lately I would have difficulty remembering the routes we took to crem/cem let alone whether we were overtaken - and if we were I couldn't care less - other people have their lives to get on with.
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Most people think that dead bodies are treated with great respect and tenderness by undertakers. It's not true ~ behind the scenes dead bodies are (necessarily) no more than pieces of meat. If rigor mortis has set in and a body is distorted, then limbs will be broken if necessary to get the body into the coffin. After that, what does it matter whether you overtake a funeral cortege or not?
--
L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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I saw a couple of Rolls Royce Hearses yesterday. I was a bit suprise as most of the ones that I see are Volvos, Mercs etc.
They would make a great secondhand buy...
Never been hammered, always cleaned, they would make a great estate car...plenty of room in the back...
On the subject of fly pasts at pilots funerals, as far as I am concerned the lower the better. 150 feet is far to high, 50 would be appropriate.
These guys, along with all of our Armed Forces, serve our country and if they want a flypast when they go that's great.
I've experienced a couple of V. low beat-ups in the past (and done a couple) and they can't be beaten.
If the local residents don't like it... go and live in Germany, where I'm sure such practices would be outlawed.
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As a more 'senior' BR I can only vouch for how long acts of courtesy stick in the memory. On one hand it's clearly impractical for funerals not to be overtaken by other traffic. On the other hand, where courtesy is possible and practical, it is noticed. At my father's funeral, when I was in my teens in Adelaide, I will always remember that when the cortège left the funeral parlour, workmen on the roadside stopped work and removed their hats while it passed by.
Oz (as was)
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When my Dad died I had trouble keeping up with the hearse and I was driving a 3.5litre car! His final journey was at the same pace as his own driving. He would have been proud.
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\"Nothing less than 8 cylinders will do\"
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