Transportation Committee
Judiciary Committee
AN ACT CONCERNING THE PENALTY FOR CAUSING HARM TO A VULNERABLE USER OF A PUBLIC WAY
SUMMARY: This act creates a separate violation for a motorist operating on a public way who fails to exercise reasonable care and causes the serious physical injury or death of a “vulnerable user,” provided the vulnerable user exercised reasonable care in using the public way. Any motorist found to have caused the serious injury or death of a vulnerable user in such circumstances must be fined up to $1,000.
Depending on the circumstances, such conduct may already subject drivers to penalties under existing criminal laws, including:
1. misconduct with a motor vehicle (CGS § 53a-57),
2. aggravated endangerment of a highway worker (CGS § 14-212d), and
3. negligent homicide with a motor vehicle (CGS § 14-222a).
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2014
DEFINITIONS
Under the act, “vulnerable users” include:
1. pedestrians,
2. highway workers,
3. people riding or driving animals,
4. bicyclists,
5. skateboarders and in-line or roller skaters,
6. people riding or driving agricultural tractors,
7. people using wheelchairs or motorized chairs, and
8. blind people and their service animals.
A “public way” includes any of the following that are under the control of the state or a political subdivision and open to public travel or use: public highways, roads, streets, avenues, alleys, driveways, parkways, or places.
OLR Tracking: HP: KLM: JKL: am