Driving In A Funeral Procession
By Amy E. Feldman
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Do drivers in funeral processions have the right to go through red lights to stay in procession?
A York, Pennsylvania man lived for fast food, and didn't let death stop him. Per David Kime's final wishes, the hearse and his funeral procession went through the Burger King drive-thru on the way to his burial. Hmm. Cause of death? Yeah. We can guess.
Self-righteous health food nuts want to know how hold he was. 88. Impatient drive thru patrons want to know, do we have to yield to the funeral procession?
Most of us are held up by funerals not at drive thrus but at traffic lights. Is there a legal right for the funeral to go through lights in order to stay together?
State laws vary, but in most states, at intersections, drivers in a funeral procession have the right to proceed through red lights provided that the lead vehicle in the procession started through the intersection while the light was green and so long as all the vehicles have their headlights lit, flashers on, and a flag or sticker indicating its part of the procession.
In the states that do give a funeral a right of way, cars in the procession must yield to emergency vehicles.
And as for all of you waiting impatiently at the drive through - do you really need to be so fast to follow in Mr. Kime's footsteps?
