Family members travelling behind a hearse on Monday were upset and angered after cars continually interrupted the funeral procession.
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However, Orange funeral directors say the issue is nothing new and not only is it a breach of etiquette but it is against the law in NSW to interrupt or interfere with a funeral cortege and drivers who do can be fined.
Not only did cars cut in between the mourners but one driver cut in between the hearse and the first car then the driver abused the mourners.
Jennifer Vandenbergh was in the third car of the procession following the funeral of her grandmother, Beverley Vandenbergh and said she felt she had to speak up about the issue.
“The procession was broken from the very start when we left the Uniting Church in Anson Street,” Miss Vandenbergh said.
“The hearse and the first two cars got out of the church and from there people were starting to cut us off, it was pretty horrendous what was going on.”
Miss Vandenbergh said it was only a small procession of about five cars and they all had their lights on, which is customary for funeral corteges, although she said a lot of cars with headlights on due to a storm.
However, she said that did not excuse the man who almost crashed into her father’s car, which was directly behind the hearse, she said the man then wound down his window and started to hurl abuse.
Orange Funerals owner John McDonell said his hearse has flashing lights and with that as well as the slow speed and cars in the cortege putting their headlights on some drivers still cut in.
He said some drivers manage to cut in between the hearse and the rest of the cars and some drivers continued with the cortege for blocks at a time.
Mr McDonell said Byng Street was the main problem with people looking right at roundabouts and not always seeing the cortege coming from the left, but drivers could turn into other streets if they accidentally entered a procession.
He understood that younger drivers may not know about the road rule, but drivers of all ages break it.
Craig Ostini from Norman J Penhall Funerals said interruptions happen regularly but they try to block traffic with an extra car at roundabouts and respect is still shown, particularly at Canobolas Rural Technology High School.