Sec. 14-220. Slow speed. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 14-220. Slow speed. (a) No person shall operate a motor vehicle at a speed lower than forty miles per hour on any limited access divided highway and no person shall operate a motor vehicle on any other highway at such a slow speed as to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic except, in either case, when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in an emergency, or in compliance with the law or the direction of an officer. The provisions of this section shall not apply to (1) maintenance vehicles or equipment of the state or any municipal highway department, or to such vehicles or equipment of a contractor under contract with any such department while engaged in maintenance operations; (2) any motor vehicle with a commercial registration which while traveling on any limited access divided highway is unable to maintain the minimum speed limit of forty miles per hour due to the gradient, or to any such vehicle which while traveling on any other highway is being driven at such a slow speed as to obstruct or endanger following traffic, provided the operator thereof employs flashing lights on such motor vehicle.

      (b) The operator of any motor vehicle having a gross weight of more than twenty-five thousand pounds shall also employ flashing lights when the vehicle is traveling on a limited access divided highway and maintaining a speed higher than forty miles per hour but lower than the speed of the traffic on the highway due to the gradient.

      (c) Violation of any provision of this section shall be an infraction.

      (1957, P.A. 136; 1967, P.A. 875; 1971, P.A. 618, S. 1; P.A. 75-577, S. 68, 126; P.A. 84-278; P.A. 90-263, S. 66, 74.)

      History: 1967 act set minimum speed of 40 on limited access divided highways; 1971 act excluded from provisions commercial vehicles unable to maintain speed on grades and vehicles using flashing lights; P.A. 75-577 added statement that violation of provisions is an infraction; P.A. 84-278 divided section into Subsecs. and added new language in Subsec. (b), requiring operators of certain commercial motor vehicles to use flashing lights while traveling faster than 40 miles per hour but slower than the speed of traffic due to the gradient; P.A. 90-263 amended Subsec. (a)(2) to substitute phrase "motor vehicle with a commercial registration" for "commercial motor vehicle" and to delete other references to "commercial" motor vehicle.

      See chapter 881b re infractions of the law.

      Requirement that there be a written request to charge on legal principle involved in a statute (Practice Book, section 250) is especially applicable to this section. 154 C. 381.

      Cited. 30 CA 742.