(STORY IMAGE:KHQ.COM)
SPOKANE, Wash. -The parents of a child with special needs are speaking out to raise awareness about following laws when driving near school buses. Thatās because they say theyāve seen other drivers speeding.
Shila Foster says her 4-year-old son Gabriel has non-verbal autism and he enjoys playing outside.
āHe likes trains and rocks and all sorts of stuff,ā she says.
But, she says he also sometimes likes to take off running. Recently, Shila when she takes her son to his bus stop near Holmes Elementary, āweāve noticed that people arenāt observing bus laws,ā she says. āThe bus driver can put the paddle outā¦the lights, and people will still drive right by.ā
The American School Bus Council estimates more than 10 million drivers illegally pass school buses every year. Shilaās main concern is the danger.
āIt's really dangerous because if he slips out of one of our hands there's very little we can do,ā she says. āWe can chase him down of course but the concern is, āis there enough time?āā
She says her son's bus drivers have been amazing in helping Gabriel.
āThey do their very best,ā she says.
She just hopes other drivers on the road follow the rules to keep all kids safe.
āSlow down when you see a school bus and if you see the arm down and the lights on, just stop,ā Shila says. āIt's not worth it if it goes south and you run a child over because you couldn't wait.ā
A representative with Durham School Services says motorists passing school buses is an issue they're well aware of. In Spokane, if their bus drivers witness other drivers passing when the stop arm is up, theyāll radio into dispatch with a license plate number. That information then gets sent to the police.
If you are having issues with speeding in your neighborhood, the city suggests reaching out to your neighborhood council. For a list of neighborhood councils: https://my.spokanecity.org/neighborhoods/councils/
For more information on how to be safe: http://schoolbusfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Motorists_School_Bus.pdf