With the new year often comes changes in laws. Connecticut is setting up 2021 to be a year in which it helps increase the safety of pedestrians.
According to NBC, 2020 was not a safe year for pedestrians with many accidents occurring due to speed and distracted drivers. In fact, 52 people lost their lives in pedestrian accidents. Connecticut lawmakers plan to focus on making roadways safer for you if you are walking through new laws that they will debate in 2021.
Crosswalks
One of the ways lawmakers want to protect you is to change the crosswalk laws. The current law only requires a driver to stop if you are in the crosswalk. The suggested change is to make it so pedestrians can signal to drivers that they are about to enter the crosswalk and make the driver responsible for stopping upon seeing the signal.
This law could be incredibly beneficial because it will force drivers to be more aware of pedestrians. Because they will have to watch for signals, drivers will constantly scan the sides of roads to look out for pedestrians.
Speed and distracted driving
Another major change is for speed limits. Lawmakers want to reduce them in more populated areas. They also want to suggest the installation of speed enforcement cameras. Lawmakers also wish to propose stiffer fines for drivers who drive distracted.
Obstacles
It is important to note that these are not laws on the books yet. They require debate and passage still. There are expectations that the installation of cameras and higher fines will be met with resistance from some lawmakers.
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