Motorised Funeral Procession

A motorised funeral procession is recognisable by the flags attached to the left and right sides of the cars. These flags may only be used to transport the deceased from the place of death to the viewing location or their final resting place. After the ceremony, the flags on the private cars are returned to the funeral director, and the flags on the hearses are covered. From that point on, they are subject to standard traffic regulations.

All cars that are recognisable as part of the funeral procession are subject to special traffic regulations. This is the exception of the leading car, which must adhere to the standard right-of-way rules.

What to do when a funeral procession approaches?

• Once the first car has passed, all following vehicles have the right-of-way at an priority uncontrolled junction. It does not matter whether they are approaching from the left or right, driving straight ahead, or turning.
• Pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers of vehicles for disabled persons wishing to cross a pedestrian crossing must also yield to the funeral procession.
• A bus departing from a bus stop must yield to an approaching funeral procession.
• These rules apply only at priority uncontrolled junctions. These rules do not apply to roundabouts, intersections with traffic lights, priority intersections with “shark’s teeth,” merge lanes, and exit ramps.
• If a funeral procession encounters traffic lights along the way, each participant in the procession, unlike a military convoy, must stop at a red light.
• Suppose a funeral procession splits up at a red light or when approaching a priority road. In that case, the first vehicle in the following procession will be the leader of the new funeral procession. In that case, the rules described above apply again.

Article 1 of the Road Traffic Regulations (RVV). Funeral procession of motor vehicles: a procession consisting of motor vehicles escorting a corpse as referred to in Article 2, paragraph 1, subparagraph a, of the Burial and Cremation Act or the ashes of a cremated corpse and bearing the identifying marks referred to in Article 30c.