Conn. Civ. Jury Instr. 3.7-4

We have a statute that provides that no person shall operate a motor vehicle upon any public

highway of the state at a rate of speed greater than is reasonable, having regard to the width,

traffic and use of the highway, the intersection of streets and weather conditions. A reasonable

speed is the speed at which a reasonably prudent person would travel under all of the

circumstances.

One fact that you may consider is the posted speed. There is evidence that the public highway in

question had a posted speed limit.

If you find that the defendant was driving in excess of the posted speed limit at the time in

question, that fact standing alone permits but does not require you to find that the defendant's

speed was unreasonable.

If you find that the defendant was not driving in excess of the posted speed limit at the time in

question, this does not necessarily relieve the defendant of liability. The statute provides that the

fact that the speed of a vehicle is lower than the posted speed limit shall not relieve the operator

from the duty to decrease speed when a special hazard exists with respect to pedestrians or other

traffic or by reason of weather or highway conditions.