Special vehicles - Military convoys and funeral processions
- Military convoy
Several military motor vehicles, or motor vehicles of the disaster relief organisation, in line.
- Funeral procession of motor vehicles
A procession, consisting of motor vehicles, that bring a deceased person to a cemetery or crematorium.
Military convoys
Military convoys have special rights:
- Road users are not allowed to cut through a military convoy.
- All vehicles of a military convoy do not have to give way to pedestrians wanting to cross at a pedestrian crossing.
- All vehicles of a military convoy do not have to give way to a bus indicating to leave a bus stoop inside the built-up area.
- Following vehicles in a military convoy may also drive through a yellow or red light. But only when the first vehicle has driven through a green light.
The vehicles of the military convoy may go first in this case. They have already started to turn off.
Even though the motorcyclist has a green light, they may not cut through the military convoy if the first vehicle has already entered the intersection when it had a green traffic light.
The driver of the first vehicle in the military convoy must keep to the priority rules and traffic lights. The special rules regarding cutting through and driving on at a red traffic light only apply to the following vehicles. This is to make sure that the group stays together as much as possible.
To know whether you are dealing with the first vehicle, one of the middle vehicles or the last vehicle, they have some identifying marks:
- First vehicle
one blue flag on the left side of the vehicle. - Middle vehicles
usually no flags at all, sometimes one blue flag on the left side of the vehicle. - Last vehicle
one green flag on the left side of the vehicle.
Funeral procession of motor vehicles
Motor vehicles that are part of a funeral procession can be recognised by the black flag with three horizontal white stripes. The same rules that apply to military convoys also apply to funeral processions. They may not be cut through. They do not have to give way to pedestrians at pedestrian crossings. And they do not have to give way to buses wanting to drive off at a bus stop inside the built-up area.
However, there is one difference in rules compared to the military convoy: the following vehicles of a funeral procession must stop at a yellow or red light, even if the first vehicle has already entered the intersection when the light was green.
The motorcyclist must give way to the funeral procession, because it has already started to turn off.
The motorcyclist may continue riding because the drivers of the following vehicles must wait at a red traffic light.
Always be respectful towards funeral processions. In a lot of situations, it is required to give way to the following cars. In addition, keep in mind that the drivers of the following vehicles often have their thoughts with the deceased and therefore pay less attention to traffic.
Stop in time, give them space and patiently wait until they have passed.
Cutting through
Make sure that you understand what does and does not fall under cutting through. Also always keep a close watch on what a military convoy or funeral procession does. This prevents you from unnecessarily waiting for each other, but also that you enter a dangerous situation.
What does fall under cutting through?
- When you intersect a military convoy or funeral procession while they are actively crossing or turning off an equivalent intersection.
- When you intersect a military convoy or funeral procession while they are actively turning off on the road you are also riding on.
- When you intersect a military convoy or funeral procession while they are entering an entrance construction or exiting an exit construction.
- Do note! If an intersection is regulated by traffic lights and you intersect a military convoy while you have a green light, it also falls under cutting through. The entire military convoy may continue driving when the first vehicle has started driving when the light was green. This does not apply to funeral processions.
What does not fall under cutting through?
- If you are riding on a priority road and the military convoy or funeral procession crosses this road. Traffic signs (priority signs and priority triangles) supersede traffic rules (cutting through). In that case, you may go first.
- Merging in between vehicles of a military convoy after an overtaking manoeuvre or during getting in lane on the motorway. This is allowed, but you do not become a part of the military convoy. Normal traffic rules still apply to you.
