Right Turn on Red Tickets Dropped

Photo Enforced tickets from red-light cameras dropped an amazing 75% in April after West Palm Beach stopped enforcing right-turn violations.  The city issued 665 citations in April, down from 2,675 in March, assistant police chief Dennis Crispo said.  This is not surprising as these cameras have become the "cash cows" for cities across the US because they often catch people by surprise by lack of signs and normal drive habits.

After numerous complaints from drivers, West Palm Beach decided to stop issuing fines for right turns April 5. Mayor Lois Frankel was among the right-turn violators fined in March. A new state law that takes effect July 1 officially discourages fines for "prudent" right turns. Turning right on red without coming to a complete stop remains illegal, but the issue is how strictly to enforce it.

West Palm Beach became the first city in Palm Beach County to start issuing fines from three intersections with red-light cameras Feb. 21. The city issued 841 citations in the last eight days of February.