Connecticut General Statutes 14-81 – Brake equipment of trailers
(a) Each trailer or semitrailer having a gross vehicle weight rating of three thousand pounds or more shall, when operated on any public highway, be equipped with a braking system operating on all wheels. The braking system shall be adequate to safely control the movement of the trailer or semitrailer and, when set, to safely hold the trailer or semitrailer stationary. The brakes shall, at all times, be maintained in good and sufficient working order and shall be capable of being controlled or operated from the driver‘s seat of the towing vehicle by either the hand or the foot, except that brakes on trailers having a gross vehicle weight rating of eight thousand pounds or less need not be capable of being controlled or operated from the driver’s seat by either the hand or the foot. Except with respect to pole trailers and boat trailers, the commissioner may make regulations concerning the performance of such brakes when the trailer or semitrailer is operated in combination with a towing vehicle. The regulations shall designate the stopping distance, in feet, of the combination of trailer or semitrailer and shall include such other conditions as may be necessary to ensure brake performance adequate to safely control the movement of the vehicles.
Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 14-81
- Commissioner: includes the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and any assistant to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles who is designated and authorized by, and who is acting for, the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles under a designation. See Connecticut General Statutes 14-1
- Driver: means any person who drives, operates or is in physical control of a commercial motor vehicle, or who is required to hold a commercial driver's license. See Connecticut General Statutes 14-1
- Highway: includes any state or other public highway, road, street, avenue, alley, driveway, parkway, place or dedicated roadway for bus rapid transit service, under the control of the state or any political subdivision of the state, dedicated, appropriated or opened to public travel or other use. See Connecticut General Statutes 14-1
- Person: includes any individual, corporation, limited liability company, association, copartnership, company, firm, business trust or other aggregation of individuals but does not include the state or any political subdivision thereof, unless the context clearly states or requires. See Connecticut General Statutes 14-1
- Semitrailer: means any trailer type vehicle designed and used in conjunction with a motor vehicle so that some part of its own weight and load rests on or is carried by another vehicle. See Connecticut General Statutes 14-1
- Trailer: means any rubber-tired vehicle without motive power drawn or propelled by a motor vehicle. See Connecticut General Statutes 14-1
- Vehicle: includes any device suitable for the conveyance, drawing or other transportation of persons or property, whether operated on wheels, runners, a cushion of air or by any other means. See Connecticut General Statutes 14-1
(b) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be deemed to have committed an infraction and be fined fifty dollars for each offense.