AIBU to overtake a hearse?

It's fine on a dual carriageway or motorway where there are several lanes and you won't get in the way or cause problems for the funeral cortege.

I know the stretch of the M11/A14 interchange near Cambridge Crematorium. Neither comes to a standstill every time there's a funeral procession, though they can often gridlock due to weight of traffic etc. 🙄

Of course it's okay to overtake on a dual carriageway. I've attended funerals which have involved a 15-minute drive along a dual-carriageway from the house to the crew/ church. It would be madness to expect everyone to crawl behind the hearse. Imagine you're driving along and suddenly, for no apparent reason, come across a whole line of cars doing 20mph on a 60mph dual carriageway. You overtake — and only as you pass by do you realise it's a hearse and funeral cars. Bonkers to say overtaking is bad manners in those circumstances.

Different, as others have said, if driving single-file through a town or lanes.

@LyingWitchInTheWardrobe the vehicles had to wait but no one was beeping their horns or reving aggressively (which is usual behaviour at that junction) so I would say they were being respectful.

At the beginning of this year my sister passed and on the day of her funeral some idiot speeding overtook both of the funeral hearses and almost crashed into us. This was on a single carriage road and was extremely disrespectful and upsetting so I can see why etiquette is as it is.

However, on a dual carriageway you have lots of fast moving traffic and to expect all traffic behind it to slow down could cause accidents and would be unreasonable. There would be those who are further down the line moving slowly cannot see that there is a hearse in front and therefore could cause issues. I don’t think you were being unreasonable in your situation.

years ago you would tip your hat if a hearse came by.

I would find it really disrespectful if you overtook or managed to get into the immediate line of cars behind a hearse. This happened to me at my grandmas funeral and we ended up lost because we were so far behind. It did actually really upset me!
But this was on residential roads, several cars pulled out into the line on the way so we ended up a way back. I think you probably should have just waited. But it does seem more reasonable to me that there was another lane seeing as it was a dual carriageway. In this case I’d rather you got out the way so we could continue tbh.

Exactly, it was the officious behaviour rather than respect that dictated what traffic would/could do. It's the sort of thing that turns people off.

Yes, when someone tried to overtake on a single lane road so irrelevant to the OP's question

Yes. It’s just a mark of respect not to but also … when someone has died it’s kind of having an understanding of putting things into perspective and not ‘rushing’ past them … I guess it’s supposed to remind you that life is a race to the grave ultimately so what’s the hurry. Och… there’s a million reasons not to do it. I would never. Unless it was an emergency … probably the most poetically beautiful being driving someone to the hospital who was in labour. That would be quite something and would be allowed. I could cry thinking of that.

Agree

I see hearses on motorways, honestly are people saying you should never overtake them there and just sit behind? Nuts.

As it was a dual carriageway I don’t think you did anything wrong. As for the mourners in the funeral cars personally when I’ve been in that situation I couldn’t give a shit about other road users.

Now if you’d done what Simon in the inbetweeners did and go between the hearse and cars in a funeral procession I’d agree that was rude!

It's fine on dual carriageways. Our very busy local cemetery and crematorium is on a dual carriageway. If no one could overtake it would be a permanent 15mph for miles.

Was he on a duel carriageway.

The "oh gosh no" comments are batshit. Its a dual carriageway.

A man's Horse drawn hearse business was ended by an impatient woman overtaking who killed his best horse, Will. {Offside}

It is a dual carriage way. Of course you are able to overtake.

On a dual carriageway? You’re fine.

Is everyone expected to join the funeral procession? Would everyone drive behind a hearse on a motorway? No. It’d be daft.

I think it is crazy that so many people think others must do this or that.

Funerals are for the attendees, anyone overtaking should be absolutely irrelevant.

We have a crem nearby and as others have said if we spent all our time following processions we'd never get anything done.

For you, maybe, SocksRocks, have you not heard that people who pass on 'curses' for fun are so often the victims of them?

I wouldn't be you.

fine on a dual carriageway and I'd find if very peculiar if there was a massive tailback in the inside lane, with the outside lane empty!

Agree. I’m surprised no-one else has mentioned it, as it’s a feature of my English upbringing in a very non-diverse area.

@itwasnevermine also in the scenario I witnessed the time it took for the horses to turn the corner the lights would have already turned back to red and the lead car would have been separated. Yes the lead car should stop - but really should they.
The whole procession then stopped further along the road for the undertaker to bow his head by the pub.
I thought the whole thing was quite emotional actually.
I have no idea who the funeral was for but moments like that do make you stop and think about life.
(It seemed to be a very traditional "cockney" funeral).

I did this on a single carriageway when I was about 18 (so nearly 30 years ago) and still feel bad about it, so disrespectful. Probably less of an issue on a dual carriageway though

Dual carriageway i’d say this is fine

Yeah. We drove like 40 mins to get to my grandparents’ funerals, no way should people traipse behind us for that long! (Massive long A road)

If they're caught of course they would. Being in a funeral procession doesn't absolve you of all wrongdoings.