You asked for state police enforcement statistics for speeding and reckless driving from 2001 to present and information on fines for such transgressions.

SUMMARY

State law establishes speed limits and prohibits motor vehicle operators from traveling unreasonably fast, speeding, or driving recklessly. Traveling unreasonably fast is an infraction. Speeding is an infraction, unless a person is driving a truck, in which case it is a violation. Reckless driving is a crime.

A person commits an infraction when he breaks a law for which a court appearance is not required and fines may be paid by mail or in person. The maximum fine for an infraction is $90. Unless specified as an infraction by statute, an offense for which a fine is the only sentence authorized is a violation. A person who commits a violation must pay a maximum fine of $500 or plead not guilty in court. An offense for which a court may impose a fine, imprisonment, or both is a crime. Any person convicted of reckless driving is subject to a $100 to $300 fine, up to 30 days imprisonment, or both for the first offense and up to a $600 fine, up to one year imprisonment, or both for each subsequent offense.

Superior Court judges establish and maintain a schedule of fines for infractions and certain motor vehicle violations, including a sliding scale of fines for speeding. In addition to a fine, additional fees, costs, and surcharges may apply for traveling unreasonably fast, speeding, or reckless driving.

The Connecticut Department of Public Safety's Crime Analysis Unit tracks certain statistics related to tickets and citations issued for infractions, violations, and crimes. The Connecticut Judicial Branch tracks the disposition of cases brought to court, including the number of arrests made per crime.

From 2001 to 2003, total state police-issued: (a) traveling unreasonably fast tickets increased from 8,745 to 14,579; (b) speeding tickets decreased from 88,850 to 76,693; and (c) reckless driving citations increased from 1,447 to 1,687. Due to a system migration, 2003 data specific to commercial vehicles is incomplete or not available. In 2001, state police issued the following to commercial vehicle drivers: (a) 57 traveling unreasonably fast tickets; (b) 1,411 speeding tickets; and (c) 42 reckless driving citations.

DEFINITIONS

Traveling Unreasonably Fast

A person travels unreasonably fast when he operates his vehicle at a greater rate of speed than is reasonable without speeding, as defined below (CGS § 14-218a).

Speeding

A person who drives his vehicle 56 thru 70 miles per hour (m.p.h.) on a multiple lane, limited access highway or 56 thru 60 m.p.h. on all other highways commits a speeding infraction, except truck drivers, who commit a speeding violation. A person who drives at a rate of speed that endangers a vehicle occupant's life commits a speeding violation. A person who drives 71 thru 85 m.p.h. on a multiple lane, limited access highway or 60 to 85 m.p.h. on all other highways commits a speeding violation (CGS § 14-219).

Reckless Driving

A person who drives his vehicle greater than 85 m.p.h. commits the crime of reckless driving (CGS § 14-222).

TICKETS, CITATIONS, AND ARRESTS

The Connecticut Department of Public Safety's Crimes Analysis Unit tracks certain statistics related to tickets and citations issued for infractions, violations, and crimes. During 2002 and 2003, the unit implemented new computer-aided dispatching and records management systems. During this time, data was entered into two separate systems, which may affect the figures reported. Also, while the prior data system tracked commercial vehicle drivers' moving violations by distinct categories, the new system does not. Instead, it captures enforcement data for commercial vehicles as one number (e.g., showing all moving violations and equipment violations together as one number). Therefore, specific and complete speeding and reckless driving data for commercial vehicles is not available for 2003 and later.

Table 1 contains the total number of tickets and citations the Connecticut State Police issued since 2001 for traveling unreasonably fast, speeding, and reckless driving.

Table 2 contains the number of tickets and citations the Connecticut State Police issued since 2001 to commercial vehicle drivers for traveling unreasonably fast, speeding, and reckless driving, subject to the data reporting limitations described above.

Table 3 contains the total number of reckless driving arrests all Connecticut police authorities made since 2001, according to the Connecticut Judicial Branch.

Table 1: Total Tickets and Citations Issued by State Police

Source: Connecticut Department of Public Safety, Division of State Police

Table 2: Tickets and Citations Issued to Commercial Vehicles by State Police

Source: Connecticut Department of Public Safety, Division of State Police

NA Not Available

Table 3: Total Reckless Driving Arrests

FINES AND ADDITIONAL MONEY OWED

The maximum fine for an infraction is $90 (CGS § 51-164n). For a violation, it is $500 (CGS § 53a-43). Traveling unreasonably fast is an infraction (CGS § 14-218a). Speeding is an infraction, unless a person is driving a truck, in which case it is a violation (CGS § 14-219). Superior Court judges establish and maintain a schedule of fines for infractions and certain motor vehicle violations, including a sliding scale of fines for speeding (CGS § 51-164m).

Reckless driving is a crime. By law, any person convicted of reckless driving is subject to a $100 to $300 fine, up to 30 days imprisonment, or both for the first offense and up to a $600 fine, up to one year imprisonment, or both for each subsequent offense (CGS § 14-222).

In addition to the fine imposed, the following additional fees, costs, and surcharges may apply:

Tables 4 through 8 contain the monetary penalties for traveling unreasonably fast and speeding. The “total amount due” includes fines and all additional amounts established by statute as of October 1, 2003. The schedule, which has not yet been revised to include the new brain injury surcharge, is available on the Judicial Branch web site at http://www.jud.state.ct.us/Publications/Infractions/infractions.pdf.

Table 4: Traveling Unreasonably Fast Infraction (§ 14-218a)

Source: Connecticut Judicial Branch

Table 5: Driving to Endanger an Occupant's Life (§ 14-219(a)(1))

Source: Connecticut Judicial Branch

Table 6: Speeding Infraction** (§14-219(b))

Source: Connecticut Judicial Branch

Table 7: Speeding Violation – Excludes Trucks (§ 14-219(c))

Source: Connecticut Judicial Branch

Table 8: Speeding Violation – Trucks (§ 14-219(b) & (c))

Source: Connecticut Judicial Branch

JLK:ro