Funeral processions — Massachusetts Permit Test

Funeral processions have the right-of-way at intersections, except that they must yield to emergency vehicles with lights or sirens, or when directed by law enforcement.

A procession is treated as one long vehicle. Only an emergency or an officer breaks it.

Funeral processions have the right-of-way at intersections, with the EXCEPTION that they must yield to emergency vehicles with flashing lights or sirens or when directed by law enforcement.

A funeral procession is two or more vehicles, including a lead or escort vehicle, traveling during daylight hours with the remains of a deceased person.

The definition matters because the rules only apply to a procession that meets it.

A funeral procession is two or more vehicles, including a lead or escort vehicle, traveling during daylight hours with the body or cremated remains of a deceased person.

If the lead vehicle of a funeral procession legally passes through an intersection, the rest may follow even if the light changes or there is a stop sign.

The procession is kept together on purpose. Splitting it at a light is what the rule prevents.

If the lead vehicle in a funeral procession (which may be a hearse or a police vehicle) legally drives through an intersection, all vehicles in the procession may also drive through the intersection, even if a traffic light changes or there is a stop sign.

A vehicle in a funeral procession must not drive faster than 55 mph on a highway posted at 55 mph or higher, and no more than 5 mph below the limit on any other public way.

The procession keeps pace with traffic rather than crawling. Going far slower is its own hazard.

You must also not go more than 5 MPH slower than the speed limit on any other public way.

A vehicle in a funeral procession must have its headlights and taillights turned on, and hazard lights if it is the first or last vehicle.

The lights are how everybody else knows which cars belong to the procession and which are just behind it.

Have your hazard lights on, if you are the first or last vehicle in the procession.

If your vehicle is not part of a funeral procession you may not drive between its vehicles or join it.

Cutting into a procession splits it, and the driver behind you does not know they have lost the car in front.

You may not drive between procession vehicles unless directed by law enforcement or you are operating an emergency vehicle with siren and flashing lights turned on.

A funeral home vehicle may display a flashing purple light, and no other color, during a funeral procession.

Purple is reserved for this one use, which is why it appears nowhere else in the manual's color list except on toll signs.

A vehicle owned by a funeral home or a funeral home director may display a flashing purple light (but no other color) when operated by the owner or an employee or contractor of the funeral home during a funeral procession.

Who must a funeral procession yield to?

Emergency vehicles with flashing lights or sirens. A procession is treated as one long vehicle. Only an emergency or an officer breaks it. Massachusetts Driver's Manual, p.107: “Funeral processions have the right-of-way at intersections, with the EXCEPTION that they must yield to emergency vehicles with flashing lights or sirens or when directed by law enforcement.”