Do I Stop or Be Careful and Prudent?

One of the nuances coming out of the new law permitting photo enforcement of red light running violations in Florida is the "careful and prudent" standard for right turns on red. A full stop is not required for photo enforcement activities. Drivers may roll through an intersection, provided they are careful and prudent, and will not receive a Notice of Violation from our red light camera program.

However, drivers need to understand careful and prudent only applies to photo enforcement and not when enforced by an officer on scene.

The statute for right turns on red still requires drivers to come to a full stop at the white stop bar before entering the designated crosswalk or the intersection itself. Careful and prudent is not the standard here - coming to a complete stop remains the standard.

Confused? Join the club.

Here is the bottom line - you are always safe if you come to a complete stop before turning right on red. After all, it is still the law in Florida. We will use the new careful and prudent standard for photo enforcement of red light running violations at the five monitored intersections. Officers working traffic in the field will still use discretion during their enforcement efforts, but an officer observing a driver rolling through an intersection may issue a uniform traffic citation for the offense regardless of whether the driver was careful and prudent.

It's best to stop before turning right on red.

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

Comments

[Elle]

The easy solution that no one is talking about? The law says you MAY turn right on red. It does not say you MUST. Since the cameras have been added to the Lakeland landscape I simply no longer turn right on red. I stop, stay stopped, and make my right turn on green just like the old days! Does it make the people behind me angry? Do I hear the beeping of their horns and see some interesting hand gestures? Absolutely. I doubt those people would be willing to help pay my fine if I moved just to make them happy. So far my bank account has not had to be debited for a violation. Just sit there...enjoy the red light, and don't move until it turns green. Problem solved.