William Cole Funerals’ Naithan Matthews and Bill Cole. Photo: James Coleman.
Whenever he’s at the helm of a funeral procession moving through Canberra traffic, hearse driver Naithan Matthews knows what’s coming.
“People always try and get in front, or they’ll just push in,” he says.
“They’re scared they’re going to be five seconds late getting somewhere.”
For Mr Matthews – son-in-law of founder William “Bill” Cole – the most challenging part of the job isn’t the emotion. Or even maneuvering eight metres of car around.
It’s navigating busy ACT roads while trying to keep grieving families together behind him.
“Everybody’s in a rush to get 20 minutes down the road, even if that means cutting off a funeral procession,” he says.
The Mercedes and Chrysler hearses at William Cole Funerals. Photos: James Coleman.
The ACT doesn’t spell out specific road rules just for funeral processions. But the Australian Road Rules – which underpin ACT law – make it clear drivers must “not interfere with or interrupt a funeral procession”.
That means deliberately cutting through a cortege, forcing your way into the line, or overtaking in a way that breaks it up can still attract penalties.
NSW goes further, with a specific offence for interfering with a funeral cortege. While the ACT hasn’t adopted that exact wording, the expectation of respectful, non-disruptive behaviour still applies.
Mr Matthews says many drivers simply don’t realise that.
“They’ve never really considered it before,” he says.
“The rules are there, but because the handbook is so dusty hardly anyone’s ever seen it.”
William Cole certainly remembers how stressful his first drive was.
“It was stressful. I kept thinking ‘I better not go too fast’,” Mr Cole says.
“Depending where you’re going, you want to be at least 10km under the posted speed limit.
“When Tobin’s first came to Canberra — where I started — they had a Melbourne rule that you always travelled at 40km/h in procession. But that’s a bit impractical here — you can’t be doing 40 down the Parkway.”
The general guidance for motorists is to allow the full procession to pass through intersections once the hearse has entered, avoid cutting into the line or honking and show patience.
Meanwhile, drivers in the cortege are encouraged to use low-beam headlights, stay in close formation, remain in the lane, avoid overtaking the hearse (except in an emergency) while also making sure they comply with all traffic signals – like stop signs and red lights.
“You do get a lot of people that’ll stop and wait and let you through,” he says.
“That’s not everybody — but it does happen.”
But Mr Matthews would like to see our rules more closely mirror those in the US.
“It’d certainly be better if it was like in the States, where – if there’s a funeral procession – everybody stops and gives way to it. They’ve got right of way.”
William Cole Funerals operates four hearses all up – a Ford Falcon, a Chrysler 300C and two Mercedes-Benzes. The most recent addition, a Mercedes E-Class sourced from a coachbuilder in Tenterfield, NSW, might be the favourite.
“The Mercs are definitely a class vehicle and easier to drive – they’ve got a better turning circle than the Chrysler,” Mr Matthew says.
“But I still like the Chrysler because it’s a Chrysler. But yeah, you feel pretty special when you’re in any of them really.”
Servicing is handled locally, with Lennock Motors maintaining the Chrysler and Mercedes-Benz Canberra servicing the others.
Bill Cole at the wheel of the Mercedes hearse. Photo: James Coleman.
The odd inconsiderate motorist aside, Mr Matthews wouldn’t swap the job for anything.
“It’s rewarding – 100 per cent. You’d be doing well to find a job that’s more rewarding, that’s able to help families in their worst time of their life, when they’re most vulnerable,” he says.
“It can be hard to hold back the tears yourself. Sometimes you do services for people you know and it’s tough, but you’re there to do a job. Other times, you sit there and listen to a eulogy and the family and it just affects you.”
Mr Cole adds he’s made it clear to all his staff that if – at any time – they feel they’re not coping, they can call in help or stand back.
“All our staff know that if they do feel affected by it, they can talk to each other and we’ve got our own support network here,” he says.
“We’ve also told them if they’re at a cemetery or anywhere for a funeral and it’s really too much, they can walk away. We know where they’re going – it’s fine.”
Visit William Cole Funerals for more information.
