Have you ever wondered if those stop signs in Westwood Village in West Seattle or the mall at Northgate or Bellevue are enforceable? What would happen if you drove right through one? Well, those stops signs within the mall grounds are not technically enforceable. That means that a police officer cannot stop you and give you a ticket for running a stop sign.
What if you run a stop sign and cause a car accident in a mall or private parking lot? If you get into an accident by running a stop sign in a mall, it is grounds for liability. This means if you ran a stop sign in the mall, another person would reasonably believe that you were going to stop. If they had the right of way, you are at fault for running the stop sign.
What if you are driving fast on the private parking lot? Police officers may stop and ticket a driver if there is suspicion of DUI, the vehicle is being driven recklessly, or other criminal acts are being committed law. Traffic tickets in general are not enforced but these acts are.
What if you run the stop sign leaving the mall? While the stop sign may not be enforceable, RCW 46.61.365 states that you shall stop prior to driving onto the sidewalk area leaving the private road and yield the right of way to other vehicles. This would be a traffic offense at this point.