The South Kitsap School District is confronting a dangerous spike in motorists unlawfully passing stopped school buses, recording 30 documented violations in the opening weeks of the 2026 fall term across Port Orchard and unincorporated Kitsap County.
Transportation dispatchers report that drivers often trail a bus for several stops before making an aggressive passing maneuver when the yellow vehicle stops to service a neighborhood cluster.
Statutory Mandates and Strict Fines Under Washington Traffic Law Washington State maintains some of the strictest legal statutes in the nation governing student pedestrian protection around school transport vehicles.
If a vehicle crosses the bus perimeter while the red stop paddle is deployed, high-definition digital cameras capture clear photographic and video evidence of the vehicle rear license plate, make, model, and front windshield profile.
Nevertheless, motorists traveling in the same direction behind the bus must always stop, regardless of how many travel lanes exist.
South Kitsap School District officials report thirty illegal school bus passings in the opening weeks of the 2026 fall term, prompting automated camera enforcement and mandatory $419 citations under Washington State law.