"Proceed With Caution," Thoughts on Funeral Processions.

In Illinois a driver should know that if another vehicle is traveling in a funeral procession it has the right of way. We don’t seem them often, but when we do a sense of respect comes about everyone surrounding it. These processions of course are not rampant, they happen and people see them. Other drivers are momentarily mesmerized for a slew of reasons.

Processions can exist without the funeral. They come from the french word meaning to proceed, or to go fourth. There are processions celebrating happy things. There are common images of military processions, from the former Soviet Union, and even modern day North Korea. Missiles, tanks and thousands upon thousands of soldiers march in a very robotic way in complete unison:

(Battle Ready for 1776)
(This Picture is showing 27 Furry Hats among tens.)

(Battle Ready for 2012)
(This picture is showing 50 Rocket Propelled Grenades among thousands)

So, as we can see, it’s a global thing. We as Americans rarely show our military might, we prefer to watch football than witness these processions.

In years past the funeral procession used to take place very much like a march. People would walk from the place of worship to the burial site. The walk could last a while if your local Church or Synagogue didn’t invest in a cemetery. Horses and carriages would be involved with participants choosing to walk or be on additional horses. The hearse on occasion had glass around it, so participants could see inside.

(You can rent this bad boy, driver included!)

In modern times the trend has seen long processions involving personal modes of transportation, that is people just drive in a line. The interesting thing here is the exceptions they have on the road. They can drive through red lights, and have the right of way every single time (with the exception of an emergency vehicle).

When drivers notice the procession they should be weary. Bill Daley of the Tribune Company did a piece on the how to’s of driving in one as well as being someone in the vicinity of a procession, “"The basic rule of thumb is just respect... One should never, ever, cut into the middle of a funeral procession."” wrote Daley.

It is to be expected in this day in age that drivers are a bit poor in their methods of actual driving. Phones, radars, radios and makeup have the real capacity to make normal drivers bad ones. So with the devolution of the modern driver some may be very confused as to what to do. Well, first off use that element of respect, just get out of the way. Do not under any circumstances enter the procession. If you do, you risk immediate shame from the surrounding drivers and you are actively disrespecting the grieving. 

(This man is aware, "Click it or Ticket.")

In some states there is a usually one escort for every 10 - 12 cars, sometimes it’s the actual police, but there is fewer and fewer departments who are involved these days. More often it is an employee of the funeral home, and it helps when one is in the front and one in the back. Illinois law requires hazard lights to be on and to drive five miles under the speed limit.

There is one element of the procession that can have a direct effect on the spectating drivers: we are all going to die. It gives one the chance to sit back, breathe and belt out a Keanu Reeves style “woah.” Not many things can do this everyday in our lives. Especially since we’re all ironically proceeding to somewhere, particularly in the car. When we are proceeding in our cars to wherever and come across a funeral procession, we stop proceeding, so the dead can proceed in its procession to wherever the dead proceed to. Complicated, but very insight worthy.

The Funeral Procession No.3 12x18 Giclee On Canvas (Google Affiliate Ad)