Connecticut General Statutes/Title 14/Chapter 249/Section 14-301

CGS § 14-301. Through ways. Stop signs.

(a) The Office of the State Traffic Administration may designate any state highway or part thereof or any bridge upon any such highway as a through way, and may, after notice, revoke any such designation. The traffic authority of any town, city or borough may designate any highway or part thereof under the control of such town, city or borough as a through way, and may, after notice, revoke any such designation.

(b) No designation of a through way shall become effective as to regulation of traffic at any intersection thereon until the Office of the State Traffic Administration or such other traffic authority has caused signs to be erected at such intersections. Each such sign shall bear the word “stop”, which shall be self-illuminated at night or so placed as to be illuminated by street lights or by headlights of approaching motor vehicles, and each such sign shall be located as near as practicable to the traveled portion of the highway at the entrance to which the stop is to be made, or at the nearest line of the crosswalk thereat, and shall be clearly visible for a distance of one hundred feet along the street intersecting the through way.

(c) The driver of a vehicle shall stop in obedience to a stop sign at such clearly marked stop line or lines as may be established by the traffic authority having jurisdiction or, in the absence of such line or lines, shall stop in obedience to a stop sign at the entrance to a through highway and shall yield the right-of-way to vehicles not so obliged to stop which are within the intersection or approaching so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard.

(d) Nothing herein contained shall prevent said office or such traffic authority from erecting such stop signs on all corners of any intersection within its jurisdiction, and thereafter the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, relating to the stopping of motor vehicles and the right-of-way within such intersection, shall apply to the operation of motor vehicles on each of the intersecting streets.

(e) The driver of a vehicle shall stop in obedience to a stop sign at a railroad crossing erected and maintained on the highway by requirement of the Commissioner of Transportation or the Office of the State Traffic Administration.

Short History

(1949 Rev., S. 2520; 1949, S. 1405d; 1955, S. 1404d; 1959, P.A. 163; 1963, P.A. 29; 1971, P.A. 144; P.A. 75-486, S. 44, 69; P.A. 77-614, S. 571, 587, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 12-132, S. 32.)

Long History

History: 1959 act amended Subsec. (c) by adding requirement of stopping at stop lines; 1963 act added Subsec. (e); 1971 act deleted clause in Subsec. (c) allowing drivers having once yielded right-of-way to proceed and requiring others approaching to yield to them; P.A. 75-486 replaced public utilities commission with public utilities control authority in Subsec. (e); P.A. 77-614 and P.A. 78-303 replaced public utilities control authority with commissioner of transportation, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 12-132 replaced references to State Traffic Commission with references to Office of the State Traffic Administration, effective July 1, 2012.

Citations

Purpose of former statute accomplished by a stop at a stop sign. 116 C. 599; 117 C. 551. Stopping at stop sign not sufficient, as sign may be considerable distance from traveled portion of through street; where no reasonably observable property line, statute inoperative to impose obligation to stop; statute places no duty upon traffic authority to erect sign of any particular type or legible for any particular distance, but, if there is sign legible for 100 feet, duties upon driver of car arise. 127 C. 234. Operator of vehicle approaching from right who complies with stop regulation has superior right-of-way if vehicles arrive at intersection at approximately same time. 130 C. 400. Cited. 131 C. 79. Whether placing of stop sign complies with statute is question of fact for jury. Id., 165. Right-of-way of driver entering through street. 133 C. 455. Where visibility is obscured at required stopping point, statute imposes no duty to make second stop. Id., 724. Failure of defendant to stop at a stop line was negligence. 139 C. 223. Error where court charged, in effect, that car disregarding stop sign at intersection might have right-of-way over car making left turn. 151 C. 199. Charge, “once operator from right has complied with stop sign regulation, he has superior right-of-way if vehicles arrived at intersection at approximately same time”, was erroneous. Id., 221. The word “entrance” does not require a special definition when a jury is charged. 160 C. 480. Cited. 163 C. 279.

Cited. 29 CA 791.

Cited. 24 CS 375; 26 CS 184.

Subsec. (c):

Subsec. explained. 165 C. 635. Cited. 170 C. 583.

Cited. 16 CA 272.

The judge's charge as to statute if read in its entirety was accurate in law, adapted to the issues and sufficient as a guide to the jury. 5 Conn. Cir. Ct. 164.