Missouri Court of Appeals Upholds Constitutionality of  the City of St. Louis Red Light Program

The Missouri Court of Appeals of Eastern Missouri ruled today that the City of St. Louis red light safety camera program is constitutional, which overrules Judge Mark Neil's decision from last year.

The court also ruled that the City of St. Louis is allowed to regulate traffic safety and that that is a proper function of the City's police power.

"The City has believed all along that red light safety cameras are legal and do not conflict with state law," said Maggie Crane, Director of Communications for Mayor Slay."Red light safety cameras are changing driver behavior in the City of St. Louis as we have seen an 80 percent reduction in citations from some of the earliest intersections where the cameras were installed."

The Court also ruled that while there is a financial benefit to the cameras, they do not diminish the benefits to public safety occasioned by any potential reduction in traffic accidents within their municipal boundaries.

The court also stated there was a technical problem with some of the language on the City's notice of violation.However, that notice of violation form was changed more than a year ago and is currently in compliance with the court's ruling.