AIBU to overtake a hearse?

[confusedabouthormones]

So today on the way home from school I had just pulled onto a dual carriageway and there was a hearse with some cars behind it. They were going to a near by crematorium. I pulled into the outside lane and drove past it.

My mother was in the car and she had a right go at me for being disrespectful and how she was embarrassed to be in my car. When I looked in my mirror no one else had passed the hearse.

Is this a thing? In my 30 odd years driving I've never heard this.

Was I being unreasonable to pass the hearse?

@LyingWitchInTheWardrobe that's a bit harsh.
It was some horses moving slowly followed by the family of the deceased.
Can people really not just wait a few minutes?
Would you also say "they had no legal right to do that" to someone who has politely held up traffic so a slow moving granny can cross the street (because the green man doesn't give her enough time) - which is something I have done before.
Or getting a crocodile of 30 small children across the road which sometimes takes slightly longer than the green man.

You weren't overtaking. You were in a different lane

It's a dual carriageway, you did nothing wrong OP.

I wouldn't overtake. Our nearest crematorium is just off a dual carriage way but it's a 40mph suburban one so no-one overtakes the hearses.

It's absolutely fine on a dual carriageway. Your mum doesn't know what she's talking about. Ignore her.

If there were a backlog on a dual carriageway due to nobody wanting to overtake the hearse on the outer lane, I would think there would be some people in the traffic who would have disrespectful thoughts about the procession.

Death is a normal part of life and hearses an increasingly common sight due to the aging population. We can be respectful and still drive past.

Dual carriageway 100% fine

That’s nice. I always stand still if a procession goes past in a residential area. Having been in the mourners’ car a couple of times I think it does matter.

Dual carriageway I think it depends - maybe try to avoid it if you know you’re near the crematorium or whatever.

The slow-moving granny and crocodile of children are not the same thing and you know it; those are examples of lawful road use and pedestrians are not time-limited to cross any road regardless of 'green man'. You've used them to illustrate a different and irrelevant point. I've never, ever seen anybody beep or heckle pedestrians on the road. Never.

Physically holding traffic back from a junction is dangerous; traffic behind don't know or can't see what is going on.

@Nanny0gg

So no need to pass

You may only drive within a 2 mile radius of your hike but most people don't. I wouldn't have the foggiest where all the crematoriums are in the south east let alone the whole country.
If I'm driving down the A3 and there is a hearse in the left lane, you can bet cars are driving past in the other lanes.
No one is going to be crawling along in both lanes behind a hearse for 15 miles ffs

Contrary to what you might have expected, funeral processions don't enjoy any privileges under the traffic regulations. They're expected to obey all the usual traffic rules. In addition, funeral processions have no special rights of way on roundabouts or at traffic lights

Even on a dual carriageway… it just seems impatient and disrespectful, sorry!!

Yes here in rural parts of Ireland not only would we not pass but cars will all stop and pull in until the funeral passes it's always kind of touched me that little bit of respect for that persons final journey

Surely the roads in rural Ireland are not fast dual carriageways that carry thousands of commuters

You'd stop and pull in on a dual carriageway? Are you trying to drum up business for the funeral directors?

@LyingWitchInTheWardrobe you've never been heckled by vehicle drivers as a pedestrian?
Well lucky you 😂
I get beeped at and almost run over about a dozen times a day.
Zebra crossing are invisible apparently and signalling to turn is non existent so I have to use my psychic powers.
I have had drivers literally swerve around me while I am still.on crossings so I would say that crossing the road is definitely time limited in the eyes of many many drivers

So traffic in both lanes have to hold back for what? 15 miles? 20 miles? Hearses can be transporting people for many miles. You'd be causing a traffic event if you did that. Very irresponsible

@LostFuse I've said I was mistaken about that.

@Fluufer No no sorry In rural parts of the country we would pull in but not a dual carriage way

I'm an undertaker so I drive hearses and limos. It is absolutely fine to overtake in a dual carriageway. We sometimes go very slow on a dual carriageway to allow members of the procession to catch up if we have lost cars due to roundabouts or traffic lights.
It is exceptionally rude to overtake a hearse while a funeral director is paging in front of the hearse. Sadly this happens more often than people would realise.

There's no 'law' only etiquette. I encounter funeral processions on the dual carriageway near my home frequently, because there's a crematorium nearby. It's a relatively short dual carriageway and I've never passed a procession (personal choice, out of respect). And I don't think I've ever saw anyone else pass (and yes, if I saw someone do it I'd think they were a bit of an arse).

Well I'm clearly a nicer driver than you've experienced. I'm sorry if you've been beeped. I don't understand why anybody would do that? I'm not often a pedestrian though but I'm quick-moving; I recognise the privilege in that.

Come to Wales, I will wait patiently, smile whilst doing it and not move a muscle until you're safely on the other side of the road. Promise!

This

So traffic in both lanes have to hold back for what? 15 miles? 20 miles? Hearses can be transporting people for many miles. You'd be causing a traffic event if you did that. Very irresponsible
no need to get so het up I’ve never encountered it!!!!!!

You've never encountered a hearse?