MARYSVILLE—As students return to class on September 3 and 4, with all grades back in session by September 8, the Marysville Police Department are reminding drivers to slow down and stay alert—especially near school buses and school zones. MPD will conduct traffic emphasis on September 8 throughout the district. School zones remain one of the highest-risk areas for child pedestrian injuries. During the previous school year, officers issued 300 traffic infractions and four criminal traffic infractions in school zones. These numbers reflect ongoing challenges with drivers failing to obey posted 20‑mph limits when lights are flashing or when children are present.
School zone rules and penalties
- School‑zone rules — Flashing yellow lights indicate the zone is active.
- Double fines — Washington law automatically doubles speeding fines in school zones. A standard $140 citation for 0–5 mph over in a 40‑mph or lower zone becomes $280 in a school zone. Drivers are responsible for knowing posted school‑zone hours and obeying all signals.
Stop paddle violations— more than 2,700 in the final months of the school year
From January 2026 through the end of the school year, MPD gave out 2,750 citations to those who violated school bus padel laws—a staggering number concentrated in just the last few months of the school year. Each year, officers encounter drivers illegally passing stopped school buses, which is one of the most dangerous violations on the road.
Washington law is clear:
- Yellow lights flashing — Drivers must slow down; the bus is preparing to stop.
- Red lights and stop paddle extended —Drivers on a 2-lane road must STOP in both directions. For multi-lane roads or roads with a center turn lane, stopping requirement differ. See the guide below for details.
- Divided highways — Only vehicles traveling the same direction as the bus must stop.
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
