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General Assembly Committee Bill No. 608
January Session, 2021
LCO No. 3589
Referred to Committee on TRANSPORTATION
Introduced by:
(TRA)
AN ACT CONCERNING TH E SAFETY OF CHILDREN WHEN BUYING
ICE CREAM FROM A FRO ZEN DESSERT TRUCK.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2021) (a) For the purposes of this 1
section and sections 2 to 5, inclusive, of this act: 2
(1) "Frozen dessert truck" means a motor vehicle in which frozen 3
desserts are carried for purposes of retail sale on the highway; 4
(2) "Vend" means offering frozen desserts for sale from a frozen 5
dessert truck; 6
(3) "Frozen desserts" has the same meaning as provided in section 7
21a-48 of the general statutes; and 8
(4) "Highway" has the same meaning as provided in section 14-1 of 9
the general statutes. 10
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2021) (a) Except as provided in 11
subsection (b) of this section, the operator of a vehicle shall stop such 12
vehicle not less than ten feet from the front when approaching and not 13
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less than ten feet from the rear when overtaking any frozen dessert truck 14
on a highway when the frozen dessert truck is displaying flashing red 15
signal lights and extending the stop signal arm and the front crossing 16
arm. The operator may then proceed past the frozen dessert truck at a 17
reasonable and prudent speed, not exceeding five miles per hour, and 18
shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian who crosses the highway 19
to or from the frozen dessert truck. 20
(b) The operator of a vehicle on a highway with two or more lanes for 21
traffic separated by a safety island or physical barrier may proceed 22
without stopping upon approaching or overtaking a frozen dessert 23
truck on another lane. 24
(c) Violation of any provision of this section shall be an infraction. 25
Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2021) (a) Each frozen dessert truck 26
shall be equipped in the following manner: 27
(1) Signal lamps mounted at the same level and as high and as widely 28
spaced laterally as practicable. The signal lamps shall be not less than 29
five and not more than seven inches in diameter and shall display two 30
alternately flashing red signal lights visible at a distance of not less than 31
five hundred feet to the front and rear in normal sunlight upon a straight 32
level highway. 33
(2) A stop signal arm that can be extended horizontally from the left 34
side of the frozen dessert truck. When such arm is extended, the side of 35
such arm nearest the truck shall be seven and one-quarter inches long 36
and parallel to the side of the truck. The side farthest from the truck shall 37
be eighteen inches long and parallel to the side nearest the truck. The 38
two sides shall be eighteen inches apart creating a symmetrical, 39
trapezoidal shape. Two alternately flashing red lights shall be located in 40
the outside corners of the extended signal arm and such corners shall be 41
rounded to conform with the shape of the lights. Each red light shall be 42
not less than three and not more than five inches in diameter and visible 43
at a distance of not less than three hundred feet to the front and rear in 44
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normal sunlight upon a straight level highway. Both sides of the signal 45
arm shall have a red reflectorized background and the following legend: 46
The word "STOP" shall appear in six-inch-high white letters not to 47
exceed four inches in length in the middle of the signal arm; above the 48
word "STOP", the phrase "IF SAFE" shall appear in two-inch-high white 49
letters not to exceed one and three-fourths inches in length; below the 50
word "STOP", the phrase "THEN GO" shall appear in two-inch-high 51
white letters not to exceed one and three-fourths inches in length. The 52
colors of such legend shall conform to the requirements set forth in the 53
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways 54
published by the Federal Highway Administration, as amended from 55
time to time. The bottom of the extended signal arm shall be forty-two 56
inches above the street. 57
(3) A convex mirror mounted on the front of the frozen dessert truck 58
so the operator in a normal seating position is capable of seeing the area 59
in front of the truck that is obscured by the hood. 60
(4) A front crossing arm attached to the front bumper of the frozen 61
dessert truck hinged from the truck's right side. The bottom of the front 62
crossing arm shall be not less than sixteen and not more than twenty 63
inches above the street. The front crossing arm shall be made of any 64
durable material covered with a yellow or white reflective material and 65
shall extend in conjunction with the stop signal arm described in 66
subdivision (2) of this subsection. When extended outward in front of 67
the truck, the front crossing arm shall extend not less than four and not 68
more than six feet parallel to the ground. When retracted against the 69
front of the truck, the front crossing arm shall not extend past the width 70
of the truck on the operator's left side. 71
(b) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles may establish additional 72
standards and requirements for such equipment in regulations adopted 73
in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 of the general statutes. 74
(c) The commissioner shall not register a frozen dessert truck unless 75
such truck is equipped with signal lamps, a stop sign arm, a convex 76
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mirror and a front crossing arm in accordance with the provisions of 77
subsection (a) of this section and any regulations adopted under 78
subsection (b) of this section. 79
(d) Any person who operates a frozen dessert truck without 80
equipping such truck as required by this section shall have committed 81
an infraction. 82
Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2021) (a) The operator of any frozen 83
dessert truck, when about to bring the frozen dessert truck to a stop to 84
vend, shall signal his or her intention to do so by displaying flashing red 85
signal lights and extending the stop signal arm and the front crossing 86
arm for not less than fifty feet before the operator brings the frozen 87
dessert truck to a stop. 88
(b) The operator of any frozen dessert truck shall not display the 89
flashing red signal lights or extend the stop signal arm and the front 90
crossing arm when the frozen dessert truck is in motion or stopped for 91
a purpose other than vending. 92
(c) Violation of any provision of this section shall be an infraction. 93
Sec. 5. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2021) (a) No person shall vend from 94
a frozen dessert truck that is stopped, parked or standing on any 95
highway: 96
(1) When the posted speed limit on such highway is greater than 97
twenty-five miles per hour; 98
(2) When such highway is less than one hundred feet from an 99
intersection with another highway that has a posted speed limit greater 100
than twenty-five miles per hour; 101
(3) Located less than five hundred feet from any property used as an 102
elementary or middle school, one hour before and one hour after the 103
regular school day, unless that day is not a school day and the local or 104
regional board of education approves such vending in writing; 105
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(4) When such person does not have a free and unobstructed view for 106
at least two hundred feet in both directions of the highway where the 107
frozen dessert truck is stopped or parked; or 108
(5) To a person standing in the highway. 109
(b) No person shall (1) stop on the left side of a one-way highway to 110
vend, or (2) back up a frozen dessert truck to vend or attempt to vend. 111
(c) A person shall vend (1) when the frozen dessert truck is lawfully 112
stopped or parked, and (2) from the side of the frozen dessert truck 113
facing away from moving traffic and as close as practicable to the curb 114
or edge of the highway. 115
(d) The operator of a frozen dessert truck shall not permit any 116
unauthorized person to ride in or on the truck. 117
(e) Violation of any provisions of this section shall be an infraction. 118
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2021 New section
Sec. 2 October 1, 2021 New section
Sec. 3 October 1, 2021 New section
Sec. 4 October 1, 2021 New section
Sec. 5 October 1, 2021 New section
Statement of Purpose:
To protect children in the course of buying ice cream from frozen dessert
trucks by increasing the truck's visibility to other drivers, warning
drivers that children may be present and limiting the location and
conditions for vending.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]
Co-Sponsors: SEN. CICARELLA, 34th Dist.; SEN. CABRERA, 17th Dist.
REP. CANDELORA, 86th Dist.; REP. FISHBEIN, 90th Dist.
REP. PAOLILLO, 97th Dist.; REP. YACCARINO, 87th Dist.
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REP. ZULLO, 99th Dist.
S.B. 608