§ 14-299 — Traffic control signals. Right turn on red.

Connecticut § 14-299

• Jurisdiction: Connecticut
• Title 14: Motor Vehicles. Use of the Highway By Vehicles. Gasoline
• Ch. 249: Traffic Control and Highway Safety

Text

(a) For the purpose of standardization and uniformity, no installation of or revision to any traffic control signal light shall be made by any town, city or borough until the same has been approved by the Office of the State Traffic Administration. Such approval shall be based on necessity for, location of and type of such signal light and shall be applied for on a form supplied by the Office of the State Traffic Administration and shall be submitted to said office by the traffic authority having jurisdiction. Approval of any such signal light may be revoked by the Office of the State Traffic Administration at any time if said office deems such revocation to be in the interest of public safety, and thereupon such signal lights shall be removed by the traffic authority having jurisdiction. (b) When traffic at an intersection is alternately directed to proceed and to stop by the use of signals exhibiting colored lights or lighted arrows, successively one at a time or in combination, only the colors green, red and yellow shall be used, except for special pedestrian-control signals carrying word legends or symbols. Such lights or arrows shall apply to drivers of vehicles, pedestrians and operators of bicycles, except when such pedestrians are directed by pedestrian-control signals pursuant to subsection (c) of this section and such operators are directed by bicycle-control signals pursuant to subsection (e) of this section. Such lights or arrows shall indicate the following: (1) Circular green alone: Vehicular traffic facing a green signal may proceed straight through or turn right or left unless a sign or marking at such place prohibits either such turn or straight through movement, except that such traffic shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and vehicles within a crosswalk or the intersection at the time such signal was exhibited; pedestrians facing the green signal, except when directed by separate pedestrian-control signals, may proceed across the highway within any marked or unmarked crosswalk. (2) Yellow: Vehicular traffic facing a steady yellow signal is thereby warned that the related green movement is being terminated or that a red indication will be exhibited immediately thereafter, when vehicular traffic shall stop before entering the intersection unless so close to the intersection that a stop cannot be made in safety; pedestrians facing a steady yellow signal, except when directed by separate pedestrian-control signals, are thereby advised that there is insufficient time to cross the roadway before a red indication is shown and no pedestrian shall then start to cross the roadway. (3) Red alone: Vehicular traffic facing a steady red signal alone shall stop before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then before entering the intersection and remain standing until the next indication is shown; provided, on or after July 1, 1979, vehicular traffic traveling in the travel lane nearest the right hand curb or other defined edge of the roadway, unless a sign approved by the Office of the State Traffic Administration has been erected in the appropriate place prohibiting this movement, may cautiously enter the intersection to make a right turn onto a two-way street or onto another one-way street on which all the traffic is moving to such vehicle's right after such vehicle has stopped as required in this subdivision and yielded the right-of-way to pedestrians within an adjacent crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection. Pedestrians facing a steady red signal alone, except when directed by separate pedestrian-control signals, shall not enter the roadway. (4) Green arrow: Vehicular traffic facing a green arrow signal, shown alone or in combination with another indication, may cautiously enter the intersection only to make the movement indicated by such arrow, or such other movement as is permitted by other indications shown at the same time, but such vehicular traffic shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians within a crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully within the intersection. (c) Whenever special pedestrian-control signals exhibiting the words “Walk” or “Don't Walk” or the image of a walking person symbolizing “Walk” or an upraised hand symbolizing “Don't Walk” are in place, pedestrians shall comply with such signals. Such signals shall indicate as follows: (1) “Walk” or walking person symbol: Pedestrians facing such signals may proceed across the roadway in the direction of the signal and shall be given the right-of-way by the drivers of all vehicles; and (2) “Don't Walk” or upraised hand symbol: No pedestrian shall start to cross the roadway in the direction of such signal, but any pedestrian who has partially completed crossing on the walk signal shall proceed to a sidewalk or safety island while the flashing “Don't Walk” or flashing upraised hand symbol signal is showing. (d) When an illuminated flashing red or yellow signal is used in a traffic sign or signal, it shall require obedience by vehicular traffic as follows: (1) Flashing red: When a red lens is illuminated by rapid intermittent flashes, vehicular traffic shall stop before entering the nearest crosswalk at an intersection, or at a limit line when marked or, if none, then before entering the intersection, and the right to proceed shall be subject to the rules applicable after making a stop at a stop sign. (2) Flashing yellow: When a yellow lens is illuminated with rapid intermittent flashes, vehicular traffic facing such signal may proceed through the intersection or past such signal only with caution. (e) Whenever bicycle-control signals with three lens signal heads exhibiting green, yellow or red bicycle stenciled lenses are in place, the operators of bicycles shall comply with such signals. Such signals shall indicate as follows: (1) Green bicycle: Bicycle traffic facing a green bicycle signal may proceed in the same manner as if facing a green signal alone as described in subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of this section. (2) Yellow bicycle: Bicycle traffic facing a yellow bicycle signal is thereby warned in the same manner as if facing a steady yellow signal as described in subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of this section. (3) Red bicycle: Bicycle traffic facing a red bicycle signal shall stop in the same manner as if facing a steady red signal alone as described in subdivision (3) of subsection (b) of this section, provided bicycle traffic may cautiously enter the intersection as described in said subdivision. (4) Flashing red bicycle: When a red bicycle signal is illuminated by rapid intermittent flashes, bicycle traffic shall stop in the same manner as if facing a red lens illuminated by rapid intermittent flashes as described in subdivision (1) of subsection (d) of this section. (5) Flashing yellow bicycle: When a yellow bicycle signal is illuminated by rapid intermittent flashes, bicycle traffic may proceed as described in subdivision (2) of subsection (d) of this section. (f) Lenses of the following colors only shall be used and shall be arranged vertically in the signal face or, when necessary, horizontally, and shall conform to the following positions: When arranged vertically, red shall be located at the top, yellow shall be located directly below red and the remaining indications below the yellow in the following order: Flashing yellow, circular green, vertical arrow, left-turn arrow and right-turn arrow, as needed; when arranged horizontally, red shall be located at the left, yellow shall be located directly to the right of red and the remaining indications to the right of yellow in the following order: Flashing yellow, left-turn arrow, circular green, vertical arrow and right-turn arrow, as needed. (g) When lane-direction-control signals are placed over the individual lanes of a street or highway, vehicular traffic may travel in any lane over which a green arrow signal is shown, but shall not enter or travel in any lane over which a red X signal is shown. (h) If a traffic control signal, approved by the Office of the State Traffic Administration, is erected and maintained at a place other than an intersection, the provisions of this section shall be applicable except as to those provisions which by their nature can have no application. Any stop required shall be made at a sign or marking on the pavement indicating where the stop shall be made, but in the absence of any sign or marking, the stop shall be made at the signal. See Sec. 14-111g re operator's retraining program.

Legislative History

(1949 Rev., S. 2518; 1967, P.A. 428; P.A. 75-297; P.A. 78-309, S. 1; P.A. 12-132, S. 29; P.A. 23-135, S. 1; P.A. 24-40, S. 6.) History: 1967 act restated provisions of Subsecs. (b) to (d) and added Subsecs. (e) and (f); P.A. 75-297 added provisions in Subsec. (b)(3) re right turns on red; P.A. 78-309 revised and amplified Subsec. (b)(3) and changed emphasis by allowing right turn on red unless sign prohibits it, whereas previously turn allowed only where sign permitted it; P.A. 12-132 amended Subsecs. (a) and (f) by replacing references to State Traffic Commission with references to Office of the State Traffic Administration and amended Subsec. (b)(3) by deleting provisions re review and erection of signs by June 30, 1979, and making a conforming change, effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 23-135 amended Subsec. (a) to add “or revision to”, amended Subsec. (b) to add provisions re symbols on pedestrian-control signals in Subdivs. (1) and (5) and delete “lawfully” re pedestrians within crosswalk in Subdivs. (1), (3) and (4), and made technical changes, effective July 1, 2023; P.A. 24-40 amended Subsec. (b) to add provision re operators of bicycles and bicycle-control signals and add references to Subsecs. (c) and (e), designated existing Subsec. (b)(5) as Subsec. (c) and amended same to add Subdiv. designators (1) and (2), redesignated existing Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (d), added new Subsec. (e) re bicycle-control signals, redesignated existing Subsec. (d) as Subsec. (f), redesignated existing Subsecs. (e) and (f) as Subsecs. (g) and (h) and made technical and conforming changes, effective July 1, 2024. Cited. 181 C. 515. Cited. 2 CA 523, 525. Duty of operator approaching intersection where traffic light is red. 3 CS 177. That stop sign was obscured from view by large truck not justification for failure to stop. 6 CS 264. All silent policemen or stanchions are obstructions in the highway, but they are not nuisances. 15 CS 93. Cited. 5 Conn. Cir. Ct. 333; 6 Conn. Cir. Ct. 335, 452. Subsec. (b): The provisions of Subsec. are subject to the specific exceptions created by the express provisions of Sec. 14-283. 114 C. 406. Right-of-way and duty of driver approaching green light. Id., 640. Cited. 119 C. 267; 122 C. 518. When street marking and green arrow create separate lanes; right to proceed in right-hand lane. Id., 520. Cited. 124 C. 688; 125 C. 38; 149 C. 61. A driver when faced with a green light at an intersection must act as a reasonably prudent person with a knowledge that he cannot proceed in disregard of other vehicles in the intersection; a duty of reasonable safety is placed on a driver who wishes to turn left; a driver facing a green light may have a higher standard of care as he is required to yield to certain vehicles that constitute an imminent hazard. 165 C. 422. Cited. 170 C. 490.