(a) Every motor vehicle participating in a funeral procession shall have its headlights lighted and shall display on the right-hand side of the windshield a square or rectangular card or sticker, which shall be bright orange and upon which shall be printed or stamped in black a cross, a star, or the word funeral. The reverse side of the sticker shall contain the following statements:
Alert
In order to ensure a safe funeral procession, the distance between vehicles shall not be too small or too great. Please be attentive and maintain a reasonable distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of yours according to the speed of the vehicles.
(b) Vehicles in a funeral procession may be equipped with flashing, oscillating or rotating amber lights which may be used only during such funeral processions. As required by Section 11-1420(e) of the Illinois Vehicle Code, all such lights shall be of sufficient intensity, when illuminated, to be visible at 500 feet in normal sunlight.
(c) Vehicles in a funeral procession may be equipped with pennants, flags, cards, or stickers, in addition to the card or sticker described herein which shall further identify such vehicles as being part of a funeral procession.
(d) It shall be the duty of the funeral director having charge of the funeral procession to supply each vehicle in such procession with a card or sticker as described in subsection (a). The decision to use any of the equipment described in subsections (b) and (c) shall be made only by the funeral director, and such equipment, if used, shall be furnished only by the funeral director and must be the same for each vehicle in the procession, except that the lead vehicle may alone be equipped with a flashing, oscillating, or rotating light.
(Added Coun. J. 7-12-90, p. 18634)
(a) All vehicles in a funeral procession shall have the right-of-way at all intersections and on all roadways in the city, subject to the following conditions:
(1) The operator of the lead vehicle in a funeral procession shall comply with all stop signs and traffic-control signals. But after the lead vehicle has stopped as required by a stop sign or traffic signal and has started to proceed through an intersection, then all other vehicles in the procession shall have the right-of- way and may proceed, with proper caution, through that intersection without stopping, regardless of the sign or signal.
(2) The operators of all vehicles in a funeral procession shall yield the right-of-way upon the approach of authorized emergency vehicles as provided in Section 9-24-080.
(b) Each driver in a funeral procession shall drive as near to the right-hand edge of the roadway as practical and follow the vehicle ahead as closely as is practical and safe.
(c) Funeral processions shall not form on or use any arterial street between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. or between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
(Added Coun. J. 7-12-90, p. 18634)
(a) No operator of a vehicle shall drive between the vehicles, persons or animals comprising a funeral procession except when otherwise directed by a police officer. This provision shall not apply to authorized emergency vehicles.
(b) Operators of vehicles that are not part of a funeral procession may not form a procession or convoy and have their headlights lighted for the purpose of securing the right-of-way this section grants to funeral processions.
(c) Operators of vehicles that are not part of a funeral procession may overtake and pass the vehicles that are in such procession if such overtaking and passing will not cause a traffic hazard or interfere with such procession.
(Added Coun. J. 7-12-90, p. 18634)
(a) The owner of record of any motor vehicle that is used in the commission of reckless driving or aggravated reckless driving as defined in Section 11-503 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, codified at 625 ILCS 5/11-503, while the vehicle is part of a funeral procession or in a manner that interferes with a funeral procession shall be liable to the City for an administrative penalty of not less than $500.00 and not more than $750.00, plus any applicable towing and storage fees. Any such vehicle shall be subject to seizure and impoundment pursuant to this section.
(b) Whenever a police officer has probable cause to believe that a vehicle is subject to seizure and impoundment pursuant to this section, the police officer shall provide for the towing of the vehicle to a facility controlled by the City or its agents. Before or at the time the vehicle is towed, the police officer shall notify any person identifying himself as the owner of the vehicle at the time of the alleged violation or the person who is found to be in control of the vehicle at the time of the alleged violation, if there is such person, of the fact of the seizure and of the vehicle owner's right to request a vehicle impoundment hearing to be conducted under Section 2-14-132 of this Code by serving such person with a copy of the vehicle impoundment seizure report.
(c) Section 2-14-132 shall apply whenever a motor vehicle is seized and impounded pursuant to this section.
(Added Coun. J. 10-16-13, p. 61861, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 7-22-20, p. 18957, § 6; Amend Coun. J. 11-24-20, p. 24619, Art. V, § 2)