2012 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 14 - Motor Vehicles. Use of The Highway By Vehicles. Gasoline
Chapter 246 - Motor Vehicles
Section 14-81 - Brake equipment of trailers.

(a) Each trailer or semitrailer having a gross vehicle weight rating of three thousand pounds or more shall, when operated on any public highway, be equipped with a braking system operating on all wheels. The braking system shall be adequate to safely control the movement of the trailer or semitrailer and, when set, to safely hold the trailer or semitrailer stationary. The brakes shall, at all times, be maintained in good and sufficient working order and shall be capable of being controlled or operated from the driver’s seat of the towing vehicle by either the hand or the foot, except that brakes on trailers having a gross vehicle weight rating of eight thousand pounds or less need not be capable of being controlled or operated from the driver’s seat by either the hand or the foot. Except with respect to pole trailers and boat trailers, the commissioner may make regulations concerning the performance of such brakes when the trailer or semitrailer is operated in combination with a towing vehicle. The regulations shall designate the stopping distance, in feet, of the combination of trailer or semitrailer and shall include such other conditions as may be necessary to ensure brake performance adequate to safely control the movement of the vehicles.

(b) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be deemed to have committed an infraction and be fined fifty dollars for each offense.

(1949 Rev., S. 2429; 1957, P.A. 422; February, 1965, P.A. 448, S. 7; P.A. 82-223, S. 11; P.A. 83-577, S. 17; P.A. 84-429, S. 32; P.A. 85-247, S. 1, 2; P.A. 09-187, S. 19; P.A. 10-3, S. 59.)

History: 1965 act added the word “pole” in subsection (a) and deleted provisions re “dinkeys” in subsections (a) and (b); P.A. 82-223 amended Subsec. (c) by specifying that violation of the section constituted the commission of an infraction and establishing a minimum fine of $25; P.A. 83-577 amended Subsec. (c) by increasing the minimum fine to $35; P.A. 84-429 transferred provision re pole trailers in former Subsec. (a) to Sec. 14-80h(f), rephrased provisions, relettered Subsecs., made other technical changes and exempted boat trailers from provision authorizing commissioner to adopt regulations re performance of trailer brakes; P.A. 85-247 amended Subsec. (a), permitting the use of hydraulic surge brakes on trailers having a gross weight of 8,000 pounds or less; P.A. 09-187 amended Subsec. (a) by changing “gross weight” to “gross vehicle weight rating”, effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 10-3 amended Subsec. (b) to replace fine of not less than $35 nor more than $50 with fine of $50, effective April 14, 2010.