Letter to the Editor: Stop Sign on the Bus Means STOP

My kids unload off the bus on part of the 4-lane section of Avondale Road in unincorporated King County. Year after year I am amazed at how many cars following the bus will continue to pass the bus after the bus has stopped and the stop sign is extended. In fact, I have seen several cases where cars will pull out from behind the bus and go around it after the bus has stopped.

What those drivers may not realize is our bus driver is writing down their license plate numbers and they can expect to receive a ticket in the mail for $394! Last week alone she caught 7-8 drivers including 2 in one day at our bus stop. Bus drivers have the right to fill out a form to send in for the police to contact the registered owner(s) of the car. You can be sure our bus driver is filling out those forms!

According to this article in the Puget Sound Business Journal, King County has now contracted with a service to add cameras on the buses to catch drivers who pass the bus once the stop sign has been extended. Personally, I think it's a great idea and definitely needed considering the number of infractions I have seen at my stop alone.

Please slow down and pay attention when you are following a bus. A child's life is not worth the extra minutes you are saving by making an illegal pass.

—Deb Zimmerman, Redmond