What Tennessee Law Says About Traffic and Funeral Processions

A few years ago, while visiting relatives in Silver City, NM, I was driving on a divided four-lane highway when I noticed a funeral procession headed my way. Instinctively, I began to slow down out of respect; my dad was a funeral director, so it came naturally in our family. But it wasn't necessary to be on the opposite side of the median from the procession. So I sped back up, and no other vehicle even slowed down.

Maybe I briefly wondered why but then concluded that since we were on the opposite side of a four-lane road, it was unnecessary to slow down—let alone stop—but there's likely no law in place that says a vehicle SHOULD under those circumstances. (And there isn't.)

But what about two-lane roads?

The law firm of Matthiesen, Wickert & Lehrer, S.C., has gone the extra mile for all of us amateur traffic cops and informed us about what the law in each state stipulates about the role of motorists who are not involved in a funeral procession.

Funeral Traffic Laws in Tennessee

As I said, I slow down simply out of respect and do not judge anyone who doesn't. And in the Volunteer State, it is not required, so if you ever get behind me, please accept my pre-emptive apology. Pretty much, the funeral procession will always get the right of way under the following circumstances:

Interestingly, the majority of the Tennessee law focuses on the procession and not vehicles who aren't participating in it:

Laws regarding funeral processions vary from sea to shining sea. Case in point:

In the future, I will respect the funeral procession and the drivers behind me. My inclination should never lead to an accident.