Tampa Police have new ticket policy

Tampa, Florida -- When two cars collide in Tampa and the police are called, usually the officer wants the driver's license, registration and proof of insurance. After the information is collected, the officer makes sure no one is hurt, writes up a report... and under a new policy, that's about it.

In the past if the officer could determine who was at fault, they would issue a traffic citation. However under a new policy that just went into effect, unless the officer sees the accident, a citation will not be written unless there is a severe injury, DUI or one of the drivers leaves the scene.

Peter Perez, whose car was t-boned after he left a Bucs game, doesn't like the new policy. Perez says if there is no primary person at fault per the officer, it is up to the discretion of the drivers to say what happened and how it happened.

However Tampa Police spokesperson, Laurie McElroy says their citations carry no weight with the insurance companies. McElroy says Florida is a no-fault state, so the insurance company is going to decide who they think is at fault.

McElroy says the new policy saves about 8,000 man hours a year, but Perez says it leaves a lot of room for any kind of a story to be told.

And with the new policy, drivers get to tell their stories to the insurance company instead of someone with a badge, who has more authority.