Worcester funeral boss hits out at drivers’ ‘lack of respect’

A funeral boss in Worcestershire is calling for drivers to slow down, after claiming motorists fail to show “respect” to hearses.

Carole Clayton, owner of Hoskins Funerals Direct in Worcester, said it has become a growing problem, with some car users not aware of a tradition called ‘paging’ which involves a funeral director walking in front of a hearse.

In one incident on December 22, the firm said a driver did not want to pause to allow them to pass.

Ms Clayton said: “More and more people don’t have respect for hearses – perhaps it’s an aging tradition that hasn’t been passed down the generations.”

Ms Clayton added it had become “increasingly more worrying” that fewer drivers do not want to slow down to allow a hearse to pass by.

“On that one occasion, it was myself doing the paging. I raised my hands and waved my gloves, but the car didn’t really want to stop until they had the option of either running into myself or the hearse,” she said.

“That was the closest we’ve got, but we do find that increasingly people don’t respect the hearse.

“It’s funeral etiquette that years ago families used to have, when gentlemen would take their hat or cap off when the hearse passed by or [drivers] wouldn’t overtake a hearse in traffic.

“I would ask people just to be mindful, to stop and to think about it… give other people the respect you would expect for your own family.”