The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-03-30
Police Studying La1Us
On Bicycle Traffic
Regulations Becoming More Important Daily as
Adults Adopt Substitutes for Autos-Penalties
Prescribed for Violation of General Statutes

With the adult population taking
more and more to bicycle riding be-
cause Of tire rationing and the even
tual rationing Of gasoline 1t be-
comes important that knowledge OF
laws governing the traffic of BIZ
cycles on the highway be issued to
all cyclists.
Officer William Dwyer, oil the Ac-
cident Prevention Bureau of tho
Waterbury Police Department. who
has been active for several years IN
bicycle safety and registration WORT
has prepared the following list Of
bicycle traffic laws from the motor
vehicle statute book. These laws
are similar In nature TO the laws
governing the movements of motor
vehicles on the streets and high
ways.
The first law is governed by Sec
ton 1851 Of the General Statutes
and Is as follows:
Riding Bicycles or TrIcycleS
Regulated
No person shall without the PEI
nit provided for In section 1852
ride upon any public highway, street
or square or in any park, within the
territorial limits Of any city or bor-
ough, or within the thickly populat-
ed portion of any village, a bicycle
or tricycle. at a rate Of speed exceed
ing ten miles an hour, nor unless
the same is provided with suitable
alarm bell or horn adopted for use
by the rider, and any person who
shall fail to sound such alarm bell
or horn, within reasonable dist
ance, before overtaking and passing
any person, or who shall ride such
machine on a sidewalk, shall be
fined not more than twenty dollars
for each offense, and shall be liable
for all damages thereby occasioned
The term Sidewalk, as used In this
section and in the following Sec
ton, shall mean any sidewalk laid
out as such by any town, city or
borough, and any walk which Is re-
served by custom for the use Of Pc
destrians, or. which has been Spe-
cially prepared for their use. II
shall not include walks, nor
shall 1t include footpaths on portions
Of public highways outside Of thick
~ settled parts Of towns, cities, OF
boroughs or by abuters. The terms
bicycle" and tricycle., as used In
this section and in the following
section shall include all vehicles pro-
PEELED by the person riding the same
by foot or hand power. The terms
park" and square, as used In this
section and In the following Sec
ton, shall not include any spaces
under the control OF park commits
sioners, or O park board, or OF
special park department Of town
city or borough having power to
make regulations relative to sucf
spaces and This section shall not In
any way abrldge the powers Of slcf
commissioners, board Of department
Prosecutions for violations Of any
provision of this section shall not bt
Instituted except within fifteen days
after the commission Of the offense
Section 1859. PermltssFor The U.s.
OF Bicycles, Tricycles and Veloci'
pedeS.
The selectmen OF any town, the
mayor of any city or the warden OF
a burgess Of any borough may, upon
any special occasion, or when 1t may
be deemed advisable, grant permits
to any person or to the public tc
ride bicycles, or tricycles during O
specified portion Of the public ways
Of such town, city or borough, OF
thickly populated portion Of any
town at any rate Of speed exceeding
ten miles an hour; and may include
other reasonable conditions In rusl
permits. The selectmen Of any
town, the common council Of any
city and. the warden and burgesse'
of any borough may also, under such
conditions as they may deem advis.
able, permit the use Of velocipedei
or other similar machine by chill
dren on any sidewalk, and IN any
public way, square or park, in sucf
town, city or borough. No town, city
or borough shall have authority Y
make any ordinance, bylaw or reg.
ulation respecting the use Of bIcy.
cles, except as provided In this sec
ton.
Section S49e. An Act COncernint
The Operation Of Bicycles.
Sec. !. No person shall operats
q bicycle on any public highway, o