§ 14-300 — Crosswalks. Pedestrian-control signals. Regulation of pedestrians and motor vehicles at crosswalks. Pedestrians who are blind or have guide dogs.

Connecticut § 14-300

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

Text

(a) The traffic authority may designate, by appropriate official traffic control devices, as defined in section 14-297, or markers, or by lines upon the surface of the highway, such crosswalks and intersections as, in its opinion, constitute a danger to pedestrians crossing the highway including, but not limited to, specially marked crosswalks in the vicinity of schools, which crosswalks shall have distinctive markings, in accordance with the regulations of the Office of the State Traffic Administration, to denote use of such crosswalks by school children; and may maintain suitable signs located at intervals along highways, particularly where there are no sidewalks, directing pedestrians to walk facing vehicular traffic. (b) At any intersection where special pedestrian-control signals bearing 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 placed, pedestrians may cross the highway only as indicated by the signal. At any intersection where traffic is controlled by other traffic control signals or by police officers, pedestrians shall not cross the highway against a red or “Stop” signal and shall not cross at any place not a marked or unmarked crosswalk. A pedestrian started or starting across the highway or on any such crosswalk shall have the right-of-way over all vehicles, including those making turns, until such pedestrian has reached the opposite curb or safety zone. (c) Except as provided in subsection (c) of section 14-300c , at any crosswalk marked as provided in subsection (a) of this section or any unmarked crosswalk, provided such crosswalks are not controlled by police officers or traffic control signals, each operator of a vehicle shall grant the right-of-way, and slow or stop such vehicle if necessary to so grant the right-of-way, to any pedestrian crossing the roadway within such crosswalk. For the purposes of this subsection, a pedestrian is “crossing the roadway within such crosswalk” when the pedestrian (1) is within any portion of the crosswalk, (2) steps to the curb at the entrance to the crosswalk and indicates his or her intent to cross the roadway by raising his or her hand and arm toward oncoming traffic, or (3) indicates his or her intent to cross the roadway by moving any part of his or her body or an extension thereof, including, but not limited to, a wheelchair, cane, walking stick, crutch, bicycle, electric bicycle, stroller, carriage, cart or leashed or harnessed dog, into the crosswalk at the entrance to the crosswalk. No operator of a vehicle approaching from the rear shall overtake and pass any vehicle, the operator of which has stopped at any crosswalk marked as provided in subsection (a) of this section or any unmarked crosswalk to permit a pedestrian to cross the roadway. The operator of any vehicle crossing a sidewalk shall yield the right-of-way to each pedestrian and all other traffic upon such sidewalk. (d) The operator of a motor vehicle who approaches or comes into the immediate vicinity of a pedestrian who is blind, as defined in subsection (a) of section 1-1f , carrying a white cane or a white cane tipped with red, or a pedestrian being guided by a service animal, shall reduce speed or stop, if necessary, to yield the right-of-way to such pedestrian. No person, except one who is blind, shall carry or use on any street or highway, or in any other public place, a cane or walking stick which is white in color or white, tipped with red. For the purposes of this subsection, “service animal” has the same meaning as provided in section 22-345 . (e) Any crosswalk designated by a traffic authority on or after October 1, 2010, pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall be required by such authority to have markings, signage, or any control signals deemed necessary by such authority to provide sufficient time for the safe crossing of pedestrians. (f) The operator of any motor vehicle who violates this section shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars. (g) In any civil action arising under subsection (c) or (d) of this section or sections 14-300b to 14-300d , inclusive, the doctrine of negligence per se shall not apply. See Sec. 53-182 re penalties for infractions committed by pedestrians.

Legislative History

(1949 Rev., S. 2519; 1955, S. 1403d; 1967, P.A. 639; P.A. 78-309, S. 2; P.A. 94-189, S. 33, 34; P.A. 00-196, S. 13; P.A. 07-167, S. 26; P.A. 08-150, S. 32; P.A. 10-159, S. 9; P.A. 12-132, S. 30; P.A. 16-54, S. 1; P.A. 21-28, S. 1; P.A. 23-135, S. 2; P.A. 24-18, S. 4.) History: 1967 act made special reference to specially marked crosswalks near schools in Subsec. (a); P.A. 78-309 added Subsecs. (c) and (d); P.A. 94-189 amended Subsec. (c) by changing “yield” to “grant”, making the section also applicable to a pedestrian who “steps to the curb at the entrance to a crosswalk” and deleting the requirement that such pedestrian should be “approaching at such a rate of speed or has approached so near to that half of the roadway upon which such operator is traveling so as to be in reasonable danger of being struck by the vehicle of such operator”, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 00-196 made a technical change; P.A. 07-167 amended Subsec. (c) by replacing “steps to the curb” with “steps off the curb or into the crosswalk”, making infraction applicable to “The operator of any motor vehicle who violates this section”, rather than “A violation of this subsection”, and specifying a fine of $90, effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 08-150 amended Subsec. (c) to delete penalty provision, reflecting its reenactment as new Subsec. (e), added new Subsec. (d) requiring motor vehicle operator to yield right-of-way to pedestrian who is blind carrying a white cane or white cane tipped with red or being guided by a guide dog and prohibiting a person who is not blind from carrying or using a cane or walking stick white in color or white, tipped in red, added new Subsec. (e) re penalty, formerly part of Subsec. (c), and redesignated existing Subsec. (d) as new Subsec. (f) and amended same to add reference to new Subsec. (d); P.A. 10-159 amended Subsec. (a) to substitute “official traffic control devices” for “devices” and make technical changes, made technical changes in Subsec. (c), inserted new Subsec. (e) requiring crosswalks designated on or after October 1, 2010, to have necessary markings, signage or control signals to provide sufficient time for safe crossing of pedestrians and redesignated existing Subsecs. (e) and (f) as Subsecs. (f) and (g); P.A. 12-132 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “State Traffic Commission” with “Office of the State Traffic Administration”, effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 16-54 amended Subsec. (f) by replacing provision re violator deemed to have committed infraction and fined $90 with provision re violator fined not more than $500; P.A. 21-28 amended Subsec. (c) by replacing provision re pedestrian steps off the curb or into the crosswalk with definition of “crossing the roadway within such crosswalk”; P.A. 23-135 amended Subsec. (a) to replace “shall have power to” with “may” and amended Subsec. (b) to add provision re image of walking person or upraised hand on pedestrian-control signals and delete “on a ‘Walk' signal” and “on a green or ‘Go' signal” re pedestrian starting across highway or crosswalk, effective July 1, 2023; P.A. 24-18 amended Subsec. (d) to replace “guide dog” with “service animal” and define “service animal”, effective July 1, 2024. Subsec. (a): What lines constitute compliance with section. 126 C. 527. Subsec. (b): Cited. 125 C. 223. Rule for pedestrians crossing from one curb to the other; not applicable to one marooned in middle of street when the light changed. 127 C. 160. Cited. Id., 301. Pedestrian crossing with light could not be found guilty of contributory negligence as a matter of law. 130 C. 614. Cited. 133 C. 581; 138 C. 81. A pedestrian who has the right of way is not justified in being oblivious to the circumstances and failing to exercise care commensurate with the situation. 142 C. 385. Cited. 146 C. 210. Violation constitutes negligence per se. 147 C. 644. Cited. 149 C. 61. Statute not applicable where evidence did not show that decedent was on or near crosswalk until bus had nearly completed its turn. 151 C. 14. Statutory right-of-way to pedestrians at crosswalks limited to crosswalks on public highways. 163 C. 365. Legislature intended to make it possible for the pedestrian to cross and to be protected while crossing. 5 CS 133. A pedestrian desiring to cross a street upon a crosswalk at a street intersection where traffic is controlled by traffic light may rely solely upon the assumption that other traffic will obey such lights. 10 CS 413. Stoplights and flashers on school bus not the type of signals specified in Subsec. 2 Conn. Cir. Ct. 214.