Red light cameras won't be flashing as much

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.-- In the city of West Palm Beach controversial red light cameras won't be flashing quite so often.

From now on, "right-on-red tickets" are out.

It's been five months since the cameras began recording violators.

Seven intersections have the red light spies. Including, a camera placed right across from NewsChannel 5 on the corner of Banyan Boulevard and Australian Avenue.

WPTV reporter Thalia Hayden was caught red-handed for not coming to a complete stop before turning right on red.

"As I was turning, it went to yellow, then red," Hayden said. "In my opinion, I didn't do anything wrong."

It was a judge's opinion too.  In traffic court Wednesday morning the cases of Hayden and several other drivers with similar citations were thrown out.

"When he told us we could go, there was a round of applause," Hayden said.  "Everybody was really happy."

Happy, because they would have had to pay a whopping $125 fine.

West Palm Beach Police Chief Delsa Bush says more than two thousand tickets a month were being issued and it's historic for that kind of infraction. She says the cameras simply weren't deterring people.

"It's all about their public safety and if that many people feel it's ok, then I have to listen," Bush said.

The cameras weren't doing anything illegal.

Florida law clearly says drivers must come to a complete stop before turning right on red.  But proving it can be tricky.

"It was too difficult to determine who is safe and prudent," Bush said. 

The police chief made her decision to stop ticketing after April 5th. Drivers who already paid their fine will not be reimbursed.

The cameras are still snapping pictures of drivers who run red lights while driving straight or turning left.