The State of Connecticut recently enacted several new driving safety measures, headlined by laws carrying stiff penalties for reckless driving and street racing.
Here is what you need to know about the new laws, what you can do to ensure you follow them, and how they might affect a personal injury claim if you are hurt in an accident by a driver violating one. These changes could also play an important role in determining fault and compensation if you are injured in a motor vehicle accident.
Overview of Connecticut’s New Driving Laws
Connecticut’s Department of Motor Vehicles issued a press release outlining the changes to state driving laws that took effect on October 1, 2025.
- Motorists who engage in street racing, street takeovers, or illegal demonstrations will face fines of up to $2,000 and a two-year license suspension for a third or subsequent violation. Municipalities can destroy seized ATVs after 90 days of impoundment.
- A new law creates a new class of excessive reckless driving. A driver caught going over 100 mph could face a fine of between $300 and $600 and up to 30 days of imprisonment for a first offense. Subsequent offenses increase the punishments to a maximum $1,000 fine and up to 364 days in prison.
- Fines increase to $750 for drivers who do not yield to pedestrians in designated crosswalks. Motorcyclists under the age of 21 must now wear helmets.
- Drivers over 25 who are convicted of three moving violations and drivers under 25 convicted of two moving violations must take a driver retraining class within 60 days. Failure to do so will lead to an indefinite license suspension that costs $175 to restore.
- Police can now conduct traffic stops if they suspect a driver is under the effects of cannabis. In the past, this was not a serious enough violation to serve as probable cause for a stop. Proponents say this new rule strengthens impaired driving enforcement in Connecticut and may make it easier to hold impaired drivers accountable after a crash.
How These Laws Could Affect Accident Claims
Connecticut’s new driver safety laws create ways for accident victims to hold drivers liable under the legal theory of negligence per se. Under negligence per se, a driver who violates a safety law can be held automatically liable for a subsequent accident. All the victim needs to show is that the violation was the direct cause of their injuries.
For example, if a driver causes a crash while engaging in street racing or driving at excessive speeds in violation of the new law, that violation may establish liability without the need to prove ordinary negligence.
What Connecticut Drivers Should Do Now
The first thing Connecticut drivers should do is to familiarize themselves with the new laws and adhere to them, as failure to do so could lead to stiff fines, license suspension, and even jail time. Drivers should also review their insurance coverage to ensure they are adequately protected in the event of a serious accident.
Motorists who become injured as a result of another driver’s violation of a traffic law should contact a personal injury lawyer from D’Amico Pettinicchi immediately. Victims could be entitled to compensation for:
- Past and future medical bills
- Lost income and diminished earning potential
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Property damage
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Contact Our Connecticut Injury Attorneys to Learn More
Have you been injured in a motor vehicle accident caused by a driver who was violating one of Connecticut’s new driving laws? If so, you could be entitled to compensation for the harm they caused you. Let the legal team at D’Amico Pettinicchi help you demand maximum compensation for all your losses.
Contact us today to get started with your free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Connecticut.
