Are NC drivers required to pull over for funeral processions? Here’s the law
Pulling over a funeral procession is considered a common courtesy, a sign of respect and an acknowledgment of grief among many in the South.
Traffic on many major roadways came to a stop in Charlotte during funeral processions for the four officers who were killed while trying to serve a warrant in late April.
While yielding for funeral processions is the norm, there are also laws on the books in North Carolina that govern whether you have to pull over.
State law also regulates how you should drive if you’re part of a funeral procession.
Here’s what to know about driving in or around a funeral procession in North Carolina:
What is a funeral procession?
State law defines a funeral procession as “two or more vehicles accompanying the remains of a deceased person, or traveling to the church, chapel, or other location at which the funeral services are to be held, in which the lead vehicle is either a State or local law enforcement vehicle, other vehicle designated by a law enforcement officer or the funeral director, or the lead vehicle displays a flashing amber or purple light, sign, pennant, flag, or other insignia furnished by a funeral home indicating a funeral procession.”
Do you have to pull over for funeral processions in NC?
▪ North Carolina law allows drivers who are traveling in the opposite direction of a funeral procession to pull over, but it’s not required.
“If the operator chooses to yield to the procession, the operator must do so by reducing speed, or by stopping completely off the roadway when meeting the procession or while the procession passes, so that operators of other vehicles proceeding in the opposite direction of the procession can continue to travel without leaving their lane of traffic,” the law reads.
▪ The law also prohibits drivers traveling in the same direction from passing or attempting to pass a funeral procession.
The only exception is if “the highway has been marked for two or more lanes of moving traffic in the same direction of the funeral procession.”
▪ Drivers are also barred from merging into or out of funeral processions and blocking processions from going through an intersection, even during a green light, according to state law.
Rules for driving in a funeral procession
State law says drivers who are part of a funeral procession should:
Have their headlights and hazard lights on.
Drive on the right side of the road.
Drive “at the posted minimum speed” unless traffic means you need to drive faster.
Comply with all traffic signals in the lead vehicle (other vehicles in the procession can go through an intersection without stopping when directed to do so by a law enforcement officer).
Yield the right-of-way to law enforcement vehicles, fire protection vehicles, rescue vehicles, ambulances, and other emergency vehicles.
Drivers who do not follow these laws can be cited for a moving violation, the law says.
This story was originally published May 16, 2024 at 2:47 PM with the headline "Are NC drivers required to pull over for funeral processions? Here’s the law."
