MPD Changes Red Light Policy

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A glitch in the red light camera system has the police department changing one of its policies.

It is possible that half of the tickets issued by the city's new red light cameras were to drivers turning right on red. But a change of policy means these drivers will no longer automatically get a ticket anymore. Before, a driver would have been sent ticket, now it is excused.

"We don't want our citizens to think you get a ticket no matter what you do," says Memphis Police Director Larry Godwin.

Godwin changed the policy after look at data collected over the weekend. Over a three day period, the MPD reviewed 2,703 red light violations. 2,083 were rejected. Of that, 1,340 were drivers rolling through a right turn on red. That means roughly 50 percent of the violations were drivers turning right on red.

From now on the ticker will not be automatic, but be considered officer discretion.

"I would just tell the citizens you are supposed to come to a stop," says Godwin. "But were not going to write right turn on red, unless there's a traffic crash and you're at fault."

Until the policy was changed 4,100 tickets had been issued. The MPD has no way of knowing how many were for right turn on red. If you received a ticket turning right on red, the best thing to do is take it to court, but there is no guarantee it will be thrown out.

"Its been one little thing after another to make sure were being fair and objective," says Godwin. "But I think in the end the citizens will be glad we have it."