The Ohio Senate Transportation Committee convened in November to address the dangers of drivers who refuse to yield during funeral processions.
, where lawmakers discussed ways to make funeral processions safer for grieving families, funeral escorts and other nearby motorists.is geared toward drivers who cut between cars in a funeral procession, ignore escorts who are stopping traffic, or attempt to beat the line through intersections -- minor misdemeanors under Ohio law.
Despite existing safeguards, such as coordination with local law enforcement, paid or marked motorcycle escorts and flashing hazard lights, violations continue to occur regularly, according to testimony. “Drivers who choose to disregard traffic laws endanger everyone on the road,” explained Andrea Graumlich of the. “Strengthening the penalty structure will reinforce public accountability, enhance awareness and promote safer travel for all Ohioans.” Testimony during the committee hearing highlighted how common and dangerous these violations can be. Graumlich elaborated on multiple near-collisions in Ohio counties, including one in Miami County where a motorcycle escort narrowly avoided being hit by a driver cutting through a procession., who has been escorting funeral processions for more than 50 years, said such incidents occur on a “daily basis”. Thomas recounted an incident in Dublin to illustrate how dangerous encounters on the road are complicated further by insurance technicalities. The incident involved a driver from a side street cutting through a funeral procession and colliding with an escort. The motorcycle was destroyed, and the escort sustained minor injuries. Upon following up with the insurance company, he ran into a frustrating gap in coverage. “They said, yes, you have to yield to a funeral procession,” he explained. “But it doesn’t say anything about cutting through, so because it didn’t say that, they denied the claim totally.” Thomas also noted a surprising gap in driver education, pointing out that Ohio’s driver training curriculum and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles driver manual “mention nothing about funeral processions.” In response, Chairman Thomas S. Patton said, “I’m kind of stunned about … what you mentioned, that in our driver’s training, there’s not a single mention of this.” In this recurring feature, cleveland.com offers readers an inside look at the debates, proposals and personalities that shape legislation in Ohio’s Statehouse committees. Some items may reflect committee hearings from recent months, as we review past sessions to surface noteworthy discussions and proposals.
Transportation Committee Funeral Processions Special Needs Ulysses S. Grant Section:/News
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