Funeral Processions

There is no law in Alabama that explicitly prohibits you from cutting into a funeral procession.  That said, make every attempt to show respect and courtesy if you encounter a funeral procession. If you are not completely aware of your surroundings, you may not notice you have interrupted a procession until it is too late.

If you are attentive, you’ll note the characteristics of a funeral procession when you approach one. If you happen to intercept the start of the procession, you will immediately see a hearse and limousines. Further along the procession, you may see that a line of vehicles all have headlights lit in the daytime or have activated emergency flashers. You may even see placards with the word “funeral” hanging from the rear view mirrors.  If you approach an intersection and you have a green light but a continuous line of cars is passing through a red light across your path, assume you have come upon a funeral procession.

There may be law enforcement present directing you to stop at an intersection for larger processions. In that event, the decision on what you should do is an easy one. Even if that is not the case, do your best to yield the right of way to any procession of any size. This is a solemn occasion for those involved. Having a vehicle disrupt the procession and possibly causing funeral attendees to get lost and miss any services is something we all want to avoid. Be aware as well that many drivers in the procession may not have their complete attention on their driving because of the solemnity of the occasion. Give them space. Above all, never lose your patience with those in a funeral procession. Do not honk or otherwise express anger at the other drivers.