Funeral Processions

Flashing Purple Light This is an article on etiquette and consideration for others that has little to do with safety, and everything to do with respect. I was asked to write on the subject of funeral processions by the friend of a family whose members were upset at the lack of thought shown by other drivers entering and leaving the procession to the cemetery.

image typical of funeral processions

Regulating Funeral Processions

The Motor Vehicle Act grants the power to a municipality to regulate and control processions on highways within the municipality. A check with the municipalities near where I live revealed no rules in their current traffic by-laws regarding a funeral procession.

Exemption to Leaving Space Rule

Further, the Motor Vehicle Act exempts the driver of a motor vehicle in a funeral procession from the requirement to leave sufficient space between his or her vehicle and another vehicle to enable a vehicle to enter and occupy that space without danger.

Recognizing Funeral Processions

In past, the line of slow moving traffic with headlights on was readily identifiable, even if you didn’t see the hearse or family limousine. Today daytime running lights make it more difficult to recognize a funeral procession. A driver may have to watch and consider a bit more than usual, then politely wait a few moments while the procession passes by.

Purple Flashing Lights

Hearses and other official funeral vehicles may be equipped with a flashing purple light to identify the procession subject to the following conditions:

Be owned and operated by a funeral home or funeral director business;
Must only be equipped with one (1) roof mounted flashing purple lighting device visible from
360 degrees outside of the vehicle and / or (1) dashboard mounted flashing purple device
with the lighted display visible from 180 degrees to the front of the vehicle;
May only activate the device on-highway when operating as the lead or final vehicle in a
funeral procession;
Must operate in accordance with all applicable Motor Vehicle Act and Motor Vehicle Act
Regulation requirements;

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Have noticed the local

Have noticed the local funeral home puts on their 4 way flashers and those in the procession follow suit. Know nothing about the legality of this but it should draw the attention of other drivers noticing a line of cars all with flashers.

Forget where I saw it the last car in the procession had a sign stating "Funeral Procession". So far have never come across the use of purple lights.

Purple Lamps

In Alberta, every vehicle owned by the funeral home and being used in the procession would have a flashing purple light(s). If the proession was caught in an intersection when the light turned red, they would continue through and everyone else would politely wait. I am unsure of the legalities surround this procedure, but it didn't seem like a big deal.

Regulated in some cities in BC by Municipal Bylaws

From the City of Vancouver Street and Traffic Bylaw 2849

FUNERAL AND OTHER PROCESSIONS

35. (1) No driver of a vehicle shall drive between the vehicles comprising a funeral or other authorized procession while it is in motion. This provision shall not apply at intersections where traffic is being controlled by traffic-control signals or police officers.

(2) Funeral processions shall be identified as such by each vehicle therein having its headlights illuminated.

(3) The route taken by any funeral procession consisting of vehicles and persons on foot shall be subject to the written approval of the Chief Constable.

Like you said, turning on headlights is dated.

Funeral Procession

After retiring I spent 5 years working for a funeral home in Victoria. Part of work was driving in funeral processions. Driving in a procession takes skill mainly because you try to maintain a minimum distance from the vehicle ahead. The reason is to discourage other vehicles from entering the procession. In Victoria most drivers respect this. Another procedure when changing lanes the last car in the formation generally moves into the other lane first. This allows the vehicles in front to ease into that lane without being interfered by other traffic

Another item is having a procession run red lights. We were never encouraged to do that. If you are in a situation where any part of the procession is caught at a red light, the lead car would either slow the procession down or stop, depending on how long the red light lasts. I don't know if it legal to run a red light in a procession or not. However common sense is required.

At one point the lead car would carry flags on front fenders held with magnets but with a lot of funeral vehicles having plastic components the magnets are ineffective.

My two cents.

Funeral Procession

Being in Northern BC the problem we have with Funeral Processions are, they start in Gitamaxx and go as far as Kitwanga 1 hour away at highway speed. I do, and noticed other drivers do try to honour the procession and not butt into the procession that is being respectful but where the problem is. Is at one point on the highway there is a long double passing lane. The procession has been driving at or more then 20km under the speed limit. When they reach that passing lane instead of remaining at the 20km under the speed limit they speed up to 10-20km over the speed limit to try to prevent anyone from passing. Now there is a long line of traffic who are not participating in the procession. Who REALLY desire to get around the procession as they have already spent over 45+ minutes and only being half way in what should have been a one hour trip. When this happens people start doing real stupid things such as passing on corners forcing themselves into the procession anything to get around the procession. The procession then writes to the local paper complaining about lack of respect on the road and how dangerous people are driving. This could all be avoided if the procession waited or slowed down even more to allow the other cars to get around, that passing lane is approximately 2km long that is the only passing lane available for 20km. I understand it is a loved one who has passed it may even be a Chief, but that still doesn’t give the procession the right to control all traffic in both directions as they have also complained about on coming traffic doesn’t pull over and stop. Semi drivers are on a timetable they can only drive ‘X’ hours a day they need to get from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’ in ‘X’ amount of time before the regulations force them to pull over for the day. So yes I agree people need to show respect BUT so does the procession. The world has not stopped for that one, the world doesn’t even stop if it was a King or Queen or President. So please when it allows it let the other traffic pass when they have a passing lane available. Otherwise those driver will become frustrated to a point of doing stupid things and now we might have more deaths.

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