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.