Substitute Senate Bill No. 983
Public Act No. 21-195
AN ACT CONCERNING SERVICE VEHICLES AND AGRICULTURAL
TRACTORS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 14-300i of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2021):
(a) As used in subsection (b) of this section, (1) "vulnerable user"
means: (A) A pedestrian; (B) a highway worker; (C) a person riding or
driving an animal; (D) a person riding a bicycle, an electric bicycle or an
electric foot scooter; (E) a person using a skateboard, roller skates or in-
line skates; (F) a person operating or riding on an agricultural tractor;
(G) a person using a wheelchair or motorized chair; [and] (H) a person
who is blind and such person's service animal; and (I) a person
operating (i) a commercial motor vehicle equipped with a garbage
compactor, a detachable container or a curbside recycling body, (ii) a
tank vehicle, (iii) a vehicle authorized by the United States government
to carry mail, or (iv) a vehicle operated by an express delivery carrier,
(2) "public way" includes any state or other public highway, road, street,
avenue, alley, driveway, parkway or place, under the control of the state
or any political subdivision of the state, dedicated, appropriated or
opened to public travel or other use, (3) "substantial bodily harm" means
bodily injury that involves a temporary but substantial disfigurement, Substitute Senate Bill No. 983
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causes a temporary but substantial loss or impairment of the function of
any bodily part or organ, or causes a fracture of any bodily part, and (4)
"serious physical injury" has the same meaning as provided in section
53a-3.
(b) Any person operating a motor vehicle on a public way who fails
to exercise reasonable care and causes substantial bodily harm to, or the
serious physical injury or death, of a vulnerable user of a public way,
provided such vulnerable user has shown reasonable care in such user's
use of the public way, shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars.
Sec. 2. Subdivision (1) of section 14-297 of the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October
1, 2021):
(1) The following terms shall be construed as they are defined in
section 14-1: "Authorized emergency vehicle", "class 1 electric bicycle",
"class 2 electric bicycle", "class 3 electric bicycle", "driver", "electric
bicycle", "electric foot scooter", "head lamp", "highway", "intersection",
"limited access highway", "motor vehicle", "number plate", "operator",
"person", "rotary" or "roundabout", "shoulder", "stop", "tank vehicle",
"truck" and "vehicle";
Sec. 3. Section 14-232 of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2021):
(a) Except as provided in sections 14-233 and 14-234, (1) the driver of
a vehicle overtaking another vehicle proceeding in the same direction
shall pass to the left thereof at a safe distance and shall not again drive
to the right side of the highway until safely clear of the overtaken
vehicle; and (2) the driver of an overtaken vehicle shall give way to the
right in favor of the overtaking vehicle and shall not increase the speed
of his or her vehicle until completely passed by the overtaking vehicle.
For the purposes of this subsection, "safe distance" means not less than Substitute Senate Bill No. 983
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three feet when the driver of a vehicle overtakes and passes (A) a person
riding a bicycle, an electric bicycle or an electric foot scooter, (B) a
commercial motor vehicle equipped with a garbage compactor, a
detachable container or a curbside recycling body, (C) a tank vehicle,
(D) a vehicle authorized by the United States government to carry mail,
(E) a vehicle operated by an express delivery carrier, or (F) an
agricultural tractor.
(b) No vehicle shall be driven to the left side of the center of the
highway in overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the
same direction unless the left side is clearly visible and is free of
oncoming traffic for a sufficient distance ahead to permit such
overtaking and passing to be completely made without interfering with
the safe operation of any vehicle approaching from the opposite
direction or any vehicle overtaken.
(c) Violation of any provision of this section shall be an infraction.
Sec. 4. Subdivision (1) of section 14-212 of the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October
1, 2021):
(1) The following terms shall be construed as they are defined in
section 14-1: ["Authorized emergency vehicle"] "Agricultural tractor",
"authorized emergency vehicle", "class 1 electric bicycle", "class 2 electric
bicycle", "class 3 electric bicycle", "commissioner", "driver", "electric
bicycle", "electric foot scooter", "fuels", "gross weight", "head lamp",
"high-mileage vehicle", "highway", "light weight", "limited access
highway", "maintenance vehicle", "motor bus", "motorcycle", "motor
vehicle registration", "nonresident", "nonskid device", "number plate",
"officer", "operator", "owner", "passenger motor vehicle", "passenger and
commercial motor vehicle", "person", "pneumatic tires", "pole trailer",
"registration", "registration number", "second offense", "semitrailer",
"shoulder", "solid tires", "stop", "subsequent offense", "tail lamp", "tank Substitute Senate Bill No. 983
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vehicle", "tractor", "tractor-trailer unit", "trailer", "truck" and "vanpool
vehicle";