2009 Connecticut Code
Title 14 Motor Vehicles. Use of the Highway By Vehicles. Gasoline
Chapter 248 Vehicle Highway Use
Sec. 14-218a. Traveling unreasonably fast. Establishment of speed limits.

      Sec. 14-218a. Traveling unreasonably fast. Establishment of speed limits. (a) No person shall operate a motor vehicle upon any public highway of the state, or road of any specially chartered municipal association or any district organized under the provisions of chapter 105, a purpose of which is the construction and maintenance of roads and sidewalks, or on any parking area as defined in section 14-212, or upon a private road on which a speed limit has been established in accordance with this subsection, or upon any school property, at a rate of speed greater than is reasonable, having regard to the width, traffic and use of highway, road or parking area, the intersection of streets and weather conditions. The State Traffic Commission may determine speed limits which are reasonable and safe on any state highway, bridge or parkway built or maintained by the state, and differing limits may be established for different types of vehicles, and may erect or cause to be erected signs indicating such speed limits. The traffic authority of any town, city or borough may establish speed limits on streets, highways and bridges or in any parking area for ten cars or more or on any private road wholly within the municipality under its jurisdiction; provided such limit on streets, highways, bridges and parking areas for ten cars or more shall become effective only after application for approval thereof has been submitted in writing to the State Traffic Commission and a certificate of such approval has been forwarded by the commission to the traffic authority; and provided such signs giving notice of such speed limits shall have been erected as the State Traffic Commission directs, provided the erection of such signs on any private road shall be at the expense of the owner of such road. The presence of such signs adjacent to or on the highway or parking area for ten cars or more shall be prima facie evidence that they have been so placed under the direction of and with the approval of the State Traffic Commission. Approval of such speed limits may be revoked by said commission at any time if it deems such revocation to be in the interest of public safety and welfare, and thereupon such speed limits shall cease to be effective and any signs that have been erected shall be removed. Any speed in excess of such limits, other than speeding as provided for in section 14-219, shall be prima facie evidence that such speed is not reasonable, but the fact that the speed of a vehicle is lower than such limits shall not relieve the operator from the duty to decrease speed when a special hazard exists with respect to pedestrians or other traffic or by reason of weather or highway conditions.

      (b) The State Traffic Commission shall establish a speed limit of sixty-five miles per hour on any multiple lane, limited access highways that are suitable for a speed limit of sixty-five miles per hour, taking into consideration relevant factors including design, population of area and traffic flow.

      (c) Any person who operates a motor vehicle at a greater rate of speed than is reasonable, other than speeding, as provided for in section 14-219, shall commit the infraction of traveling unreasonably fast.

      (P.A. 75-577, S. 7, 126; P.A. 77-103; 77-340, S. 4; P.A. 84-429, S. 65; P.A. 98-181, S. 1.)

      History: P.A. 77-103 clarified proviso re effective date of speed limits; P.A. 77-340 replaced first reference to parking areas for 10 or more cars with parking areas as defined in Sec. 14-219a and specified infraction in Subsec. (b) as infraction "of traveling unreasonably fast"; P.A. 84-429 made technical changes for statutory consistency; P.A. 98-181 added new Subsec.(b) requiring the State Traffic Commission to establish a speed limit of 65 miles per hour on multiple lane, limited access highways determined to be suitable for said speed limit, relettering former Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (c).

      See chapter 881b re infractions of the law.

      See Sec. 14-111g re operator's retraining program.

      Cited. 181 C. 515. Cited. 208 C. 94. Cited. 234 C. 660.

      Cited. 5 CA 434. Cited. 9 CA 825. Cited. 29 CA 791. Cited. 30 CA 810. Cited. 33 CA 44. Cited. 34 CA 189. Cited. 46 CA 633.

      Cited. 38 CS 426. Cited. 39 CS 313.

      Subsec. (a):

      Cited. 38 CA 322.

      Subsec. (b):

      Cited. 37 CA 85.