Motorists have left 'funeral etiquette' behind, says poll

The traffic is moving at a snail's pace, you can't see why and you are frustrated. What you may not realise is that you are being held up by a hearse.

Research reveals a quarter of people are guilty of failing to show respect to funeral processions. Whether ignorant of the etiquette or simply dismissive of it, teenagers and those aged up to their mid-40s are likely to be the most ill-mannered, the poll by the Co-operative Funeralcare organisation found.

The study showed that more than 29 per cent of people aged 18 to 44 were unaware of the tradition of giving way to corteges and more than half did not know that pedestrians would normally show respect by stopping whatever they were doing. "There has been much talk since the riots this summer about attitudes and respect and we have seen a shift away from people observing funeral etiquette," the Co-operative Funeralcare's David Collingwood said.

"Many people ignore a passing funeral procession and pedestrians often disrupt a cortege by using a pelican crossing."