Sec. 14-222. Reckless driving.
Sec. 14-222. Reckless driving. (a) No person shall operate any motor vehicle upon
any public highway of the state, or any road of any specially chartered municipal association or of any district organized under the provisions of chapter 105, a purpose of which
is the construction and maintenance of roads and sidewalks, or in any parking area for
ten cars or more or upon any private road on which a speed limit has been established
in accordance with the provisions of section 14-218a or upon any school property recklessly, having regard to the width, traffic and use of such highway, road, school property
or parking area, the intersection of streets and the weather conditions. The operation of
a motor vehicle upon any such highway, road or parking area for ten cars or more at
such a rate of speed as to endanger the life of any person other than the operator of such
motor vehicle, or the operation, downgrade, upon any highway, of any motor vehicle
with a commercial registration with the clutch or gears disengaged, or the operation
knowingly of a motor vehicle with defective mechanism, shall constitute a violation of
the provisions of this section. The operation of a motor vehicle upon any such highway,
road or parking area for ten cars or more at a rate of speed greater than eighty-five miles
per hour shall constitute a violation of the provisions of this section.
(b) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be fined not less
than one hundred dollars nor more than three hundred dollars or imprisoned not more
than thirty days or be both fined and imprisoned for the first offense and for each subsequent offense shall be fined not more than six hundred dollars or imprisoned not more
than one year or be both fined and imprisoned.
(1949 Rev., S. 2408; 1961, P.A. 379, S. 3; 1963, P.A. 290; February, 1965, P.A. 224; 1969, P.A. 450, S. 3; 1971, P.A.
31; P.A. 73-253, S. 2; P.A. 77-340, S. 7; P.A. 81-268, S. 1; P.A. 90-213, S. 8; 90-263, S. 67, 74.)
History: 1961 act amended Subsec. (a) to include parking areas for ten or more cars; 1963 act amended Subsec. (a) to
include roads of specially chartered municipal associations; 1965 act added district roads to Subsec. (a); 1969 act prohibited
operating vehicle recklessly on private roads with established speed limits; 1971 act replaced "occupant" with "operator"
in Subsec. (a) provision re endangerment; P.A. 73-253 prohibited operating vehicle recklessly on school property; P.A.
77-340 replaced reference to Sec. 14-219 in Subsec. (a) with reference to Sec. 14-218a; P.A. 81-268 amended Subsec. (b)
by establishing a minimum fine of $100 and increasing the maximum fine from $100 to $300 for first offenses, and
increasing the maximum fine for subsequent offenses from $200 to $600; P.A. 90-213 amended Subsec. (a) to add provision
that operation of a motor vehicle at a rate of speed greater than 85 miles per hour constitutes a violation of the section;
P.A. 90-263 amended Subsec. (a) to substitute phrase "motor vehicle with a commercial registration" for "commercial
motor vehicle".
See Sec. 14-107 re liability of owner, operator or lessee of vehicle.
See Sec. 14-111(b), (k) re suspension or revocation of operator's license.
See Sec. 14-111g re operator's retraining program.
See Sec. 14-112(a) re proof of financial responsibility.
See Sec. 14-219b re limitation of municipal liability.
Criminal homicide by reckless driving. 82 C. 671; 83 C. 437; 108 C. 212. Former statute applied. 93 C. 254. Violation
does not entitle injured person to recover treble damages. Id., 249. Doing any act prohibited by motor vehicle laws is
negligence of itself, and is actionable when proximate cause of injury. 98 C. 495; 99 C. 727. Driving down icy hill in high
gear. 105 C. 669. Reckless driving does not lie in speed alone, but in that and other circumstances which together show
reckless disregard of consequences. 108 C. 214. Contributory negligence, while not a defense to action for reckless misconduct, is a defense to action for negligence consisting in part of violation of this statute. 116 C. 475; 123 C. 211. Negligence
as a prerequisite for finding statute was violated. 117 C. 616. Cited. 119 C. 314. Where complaint had no allegation of
reckless driving, court properly omitted reading portion of statute referring to it. 123 C. 177. Operating recklessly is
operating without regard for safety of others. Id., 212. If speed in passing vehicle was not such as to endanger any of its
occupants, it did not constitute reckless driving. 124 C. 270. Where jury was cautioned that plaintiff was limited to negligence specified in complaint, it was not prejudicial to read inapplicable portion of statute. 125 C. 512. Violation of this
statute not necessarily established by fact only that defendant was driving under influence of liquor; or only that car was
going at high rate of speed. 132 C. 227. Excessive speed passing trolley car may be reckless driving. Id., 248. Cited. 139
C. 719; 149 C. 385. The allegations of plaintiff's complaint that defendant was negligent because of actions including
violations of this statute were not sufficient to permit recovery upon the ground of reckless and wanton misconduct by the
defendant. 159 C. 91. Cited. 162 C. 565. Plaintiff's waiver of representation by counsel at hearing where his license was
suspended for contributing to accidental death precludes later claim of denial of procedural due process. 168 C. 94. Police
officer's failure to enforce this statute discussed. 187 C. 147 (Diss. Op.). Cited. 202 C. 629. Cited. 203 C. 305. Cited. 208
C. 94. Cited. 226 C. 191. Cited. 230 C. 427. Cited. 240 C. 489.
Cited. 9 CA 686. Cited. 12 CA 306. Cited. 14 CA 347. Cited. 27 CA 225; Id., 377. Cited. 32 CA 1. Cited. 33 CA 49.
Cited. 36 CA 710. Cited. 38 CA 8; judgment reversed, see 236 C. 18; Id., 85. Cited. 41 CA 664. Evidence is sufficient to
prove defendant operated motor vehicle recklessly or at such a rate of speed as to endanger the life of another when state
proves, beyond a reasonable doubt, that defendant ignored posted warning signs, drove well in excess of the posted speed
limit and operated vehicle in such a reckless manner as to endanger the lives of the passengers. 51 CA 463.
Operating recklessly within the meaning of this section requires a conscious choice of action either with knowledge of
the serious danger to others involved in it or with knowledge of facts which would disclose this danger to a reasonable
man. There must be something more than a failure to use reasonable care, something more than gross negligence. 22 CS
391. Neither speed nor driving under the influence of liquor would alone be sufficient for a conviction for reckless driving,
but such circumstances in conjunction with other circumstances can be taken into consideration in determining whether a
defendant showed a reckless disregard of consequences. Id., 400. Nature of reckless misconduct discussed. 24 CS 108.
Cited. Id., 156. Cited. 26 CS 184. The misconduct of the plaintiff was simple negligence and not the exacerbated type
which is reckless misconduct. 31 CS 325. Cited. 37 CS 661. Cited. 38 CS 549.
Evidence of injuries received in auto accident relevant in proving offense. 2 Conn. Cir. Ct. 446. Reckless driving does
not lie in speed alone but in speed and other circumstances which, together, show a reckless disregard of circumstances.
Id., 501, 502. Cited. Id., 634. To establish violation of first sentence of statute reckless or wanton misconduct must be
shown. 3 Conn. Cir. Ct. 25. Guilt might be established under second sentence of statute by evidence which would prove
only that life was endangered. Id., 26, 27. Where only evidence relative to defendant's operational conduct is an estimate
of his speed at a point 600 feet before accident occurred, evidence held insufficient to warrant conclusion of guilt beyond
a reasonable doubt. Id., 28. Cited. Id., 294, 295. Presumption raised by section 14-107 that proof of registration number
of motor vehicle shall be prima facie evidence that owner was operator thereof is not violative of due process since there
is a rational and reasonable connection between the facts proved and the ultimate fact presumed. Id., 462, 463. Cited. Id.,
380. Cited. 4 Conn. Cir. Ct. 499 (fn); Id., 541. Cited. 6 Conn. Cir. Ct. 298.
Subsec. (a):
Cited. 198 C. 43. Cited. 236 C. 18.
Cited. 40 CA 643.
Defendant who, following another car, bumped it from the rear more than once could reasonably be found guilty of
reckless driving under this section. 3 Conn. Cir. Ct. 509, 510.