2011 Connecticut Code
Title 14 Motor Vehicles. Use of the Highway By Vehicles. Gasoline
Chapter 248 Vehicle Highway Use
Sec. 14-274. Hours of operators of motor vehicles with commercial registration or requiring a passenger endorsement or a passenger and school endorsement.

      Sec. 14-274. Hours of operators of motor vehicles with commercial registration or requiring a passenger endorsement or a passenger and school endorsement. (a) No person shall operate, nor shall the owner require or permit any person to operate, any motor vehicle with a commercial registration or a motor vehicle for which a passenger endorsement or passenger and school endorsement is required on the highways of this state, when such operator has been continuously on duty for more than twelve hours, and, after a driver has been continuously on duty for twelve hours, he shall not operate, nor shall the owner require or permit him to operate, any such motor vehicle on the highways of this state until he has had at least eight consecutive hours off duty.

      (b) No person shall operate, nor shall the owner require or permit any person to operate, any motor vehicle with a commercial registration or a motor vehicle for which a passenger endorsement or passenger and school endorsement is required on the highways of this state, when such operator has been on duty more than sixteen hours in the aggregate in any twenty-four-hour period, and, when an operator has been on duty sixteen hours in any twenty-four-hour period, he shall not operate, nor shall the owner require or permit him to operate, a motor vehicle with a commercial registration or a motor vehicle for which a passenger endorsement or passenger and school endorsement is required on the highways of this state, until he has had at least ten consecutive hours off duty. The periods of release from duty herein required shall be given at such places and under such circumstances that rest and relaxation from the strain of the duties of employment may be obtained. No period off duty shall be deemed to break the continuity of service unless it is for at least three consecutive hours at a place where there is opportunity for rest. In case of an unforeseen emergency, the driver may complete his run or tour of duty if such run or tour of duty, but for the delay caused by such emergency, would reasonably have been completed without a violation of the provisions of this section. The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles may make such regulations as he deems advisable to insure proper enforcement of this section.

      (c) The provisions of this section shall not apply to the owner or the driver of any utility service vehicle, as defined in 49 CFR Section 395.2, as amended.

      (d) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall, for a first offense, be deemed to have committed an infraction, and for each subsequent offense shall be fined not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars.

      (1949 Rev., S. 2425; P.A. 82-223, S. 19; P.A. 83-577, S. 24; P.A. 90-263, S. 27, 74; P.A. 92-131, S. 1; P.A. 93-341, S. 24, 38; P.A. 04-199, S. 29; P.A. 09-187, S. 21.)

      History: P.A. 82-223 amended Subsec. (c) by specifying that the commission of a first offense constituted an infraction and lowering the maximum fine therefor from $100 to $90; P.A. 83-577 amended Subsec. (c) by deleting the provision specifying the fine for an infraction is not less than $25 nor more than $90; P.A. 90-263 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to substitute "motor vehicle with a commercial registration or a motor vehicle for which a public passenger transportation permit is required" for "commercial motor vehicle or public service motor vehicle"; P.A. 92-131 added new language as Subsec. (c), exempting public service company vehicles operating in the case of major loss of utility service, disaster or other declared state of emergency from provisions of this section and relettered former Subsec. (c) accordingly; P.A. 93-341 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) by replacing references to public passenger transportation permits with references to passenger endorsements and passenger and school endorsements, effective July 1, 1994; P. A. 04-199 amended Subsec. (c) by designating definition of "disaster" as Subdiv. (1) and adding Subdiv. (2) defining "major loss of utility service", effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 09-187 amended Subsec. (c) to replace public service company vehicle exemption and definitions with exemption re the owner or driver of any utility service vehicle, effective July 1, 2009.

      Cited. 144 C. 659. Cited. 152 C. 496.