Slowing down for a hearse?

[WrendaleCountryDogs]

Growing up, my mum always slowed down when driving and a hearse was coming the opposite direction. As a result, I do the same.
Do you?? I've never seena nobody else do it.

That’s ridiculous and exceptionally dangerous.

Hmmmmm I have been alive for decades here and no funeral related accidents yet.

Same. My horse was kept on the same road as a church and we came across a lot of funeral cars when out riding
I would always stop until they passed, and I remember a woman mouthing "thank you" out the car at me which nearly set me off

I've experienced it a few times (as a mourner), I always find it so comforting and respectful. I didn't really know it was a thing until then, but now I also do it as a pedestrian.

If it passes me while I’m walking I always bow my head, even if I’m a passenger in a car opposite direction will bow. If I’m driving though I wouldn’t slow down. I’m in my mid 40’s.

i definitely wouldn’t overtake, we had a very upsetting time when following a the line of cars going up to the church for a funeral - a car beeped his horn and tried to overtake aggressively. They didn’t know but it was for a young person funeral and it was very emotional for all - the bloke was lucky he drove of quickly as not many impressed with his behaviour.

Depends on what is playing...I mean Going Underground, bat out of Hell, etc, hardly seems appropriate when passing/following a funeral cortege really.

If I'm driving in the opposite direction, no, I just carry on.
If I'm behind it, I leave a decent stopping distance, just in case there's a knob in a rush or turn off and use an alternative route.

We always stopped completely in US for a funeral procession. I was shocked when I moved to a more populated area and no one did that.

I was in a funeral procession last year and a truck jumped in front of me. We all thought it was super rude.

On foot I'd always stop and bow my head, my partner does the same and removes his hat. I think people were rude for not doing the same. As for driving I'm not so sure, I live really near a cemetery and it's on a 20mph road so your already driving slowly.

Everyone i know does ot.

Nope, the rules of the road are for vehicles to stop at a crossing, I wouldn't expect something with blue lights and sirens on but everything else, yes. The dead person is dead. Although the church or crem might be in a hurry...
When I die and if I can't just be left for medical research and then disposed of after, I really don't want to be holding up the living for no reason.

It depends, if the hearse is processing slowly, slow down, if its traveling at normal speed which they do on longer runs then no don't slow but don't overtake if you are behind

Opposite direction? No, I wouldn’t slow down.

Yes, I would on a smaller road if the hearse was going slowly. No dramatic braking, just general slowing until I'd passed by.

The procession at my Dad's funeral went past our family home and across the golf course (where my parents were members for years). The road splits the course, and the golfers on either side stopped their games, and bowed their heads as we drove past. As did other people. I found those moments very touching.

When our neighbour died we went at the bottom of the drive, and bowed our heads as the funeral passed by.

I live near a busy crematorium. If behind keep a good distance and go as slow as needs be. If on the other side I drive normally. If there was pedestrians and it was a proper big affair then I would of course but not when it's not going to make a blind bit of difference to the funeral car.

I live not far from a crem and it’s on a dual carriageway. Anyone who’s local and knows it’s coming up will slow to allow the cortège to move over onto the right lane to turn right into the crem. Those who (I’d always presumed) were not local (although judging by some of the answers on here maybe not) will drive normally overtaking everyone and getting in the way so that people in the procession can’t get into the crem properly.

Im surprised at the number of people (although it’s still not many) who wouldn’t slow down out of respect. No one is talking about slamming their brakes on but gently slowing in line with the other people going in your direction, a bit like you do behind a tractor. If I do need to overtake I would take it very steady so there was no need to scream past. I turn music off too, but to be fair I listen to a lot of high energy dance music so not really appropriate.

It's really not dangerous to slow down a little bit when driving for any reason, as long as you do it safely and know what's around you.

Yes I do. If I can't slow down for 30-60 seconds max as someone makes their final journey there's a huge issue. As to other road users and shunts they can read the road just as well as I can.

When my df died a few yrs ago we followed the hearse in ordinary cars.Everyone kept up so to speak and as we passed through a particular village people stopped and bowed their heads.
I still find it moving to think of dfs last journey through sunlight country roads.
Respect and manners cost nothing.
So no I wouldn't break up a procession or race past a hearse.

I would always hang back a bit if driving behind a cortege and not overtake. Would stop walking and bow my head if I was a pedestrian. I don't think I'd intentionally slow down if the cortege was oncoming, there was plenty of room to pass and I was doing the speed limit but we live in a 20mph London Borough so everyone (in theory) is going relatively slowly. If I was at home in the country, I possibly would slow down if it was safe to do so.

I'm in rural west coast of Ireland. I always stop the car, turn off the radio and engine, try keep the kids quiet and wait until the hearse and family walking have passed. If there are nobody walking, I wait until the first few cars have passed. Also bow and bless myself (old catholic habits die hard).

That's not weird. There's a crematorium down the road from my parents house (my mum is now in there) and whenever a hearse passed we would do the same.

Especially as our school bus stop drop off point was right outside it.

I wouldn't slow a car though.

I was listening to a song THROUGH HEADPHONES and frantically turned it off it was called "I don't want to go" after the hearse had passed I realised just how batshit that response was

I turn my music off in the car because I have hearing issues and tend to be quite loud with my music (I also turn it down on estate's or for long waits in traffic) my choice in music is best described as colourful although my friends mother had music from the life of Brian at her funeral not everyone has her sense of humour 🙃

You'd slow down if it was horses (I live in the countryside not too far from stables)