State Senate approves safety upgrades for ice cream trucks
Ice cream truck vendors whose musical rounds punctuate the spring and summer in cities and towns alike would be forced to retrofit a variety of new safety equipment under legislation unanimously approved Wednesday in the state Senate after a brief debate.
Safety arms, new flashing lights of up to five inches in diameter, and convex mirrors for dessert truck drivers to see in front of their vehicles would be included in the new equipment requirements. Truck operators would be prohibited from stopping in neighborhoods where the speed limit exceeds 25 miles per hour and 35 in more-rural areas. They would have until the end of September to comply with the new equipment rules or face $100 fines.
Passing motorists would be required to stop within 10 feet of dessert trucks, then proceed cautiously at no more than five miles per hour, yielding to any pedestrians.
Sen. Will Haskell, cochairman of the legislative Transportation Committee, said that the legislation culminates decades of incidents, throughout the state, dating back to at least 1999, of children killed or seriously injured while getting frozen treats.
But in particular, it is the June, 2020 death of 10-yearold Tristan Barhorst of Wallingford - killed on both the last day of school and his father’s birthday, who inspired lawmakers to pursue the legislation. Haskell credited Tristan’s parents, Christi Carrano and Tyler Barhorst, with helping gain momentum for the bill through their passionate advocacy for the proposal.
“Their pain is something that they do not want anybody to feel in the entire state or in the world if possible,” said Sen. Saud Anwar, D-South Windsor, co-chairman of the Children’s Committee. “But at least in the state of Connecticut, we have an opportunity to try to have a protection and prevention for them.”
Carrano, contacted after the 33-0 vote, said her son was an “amazing” person and she hopes the General Assembly can follow through.
“He was a force and I was so blessed that I am able to continue his name and have him present,” Carrano said, recalling the backyard party at the home of some close friends, in a party aimed at celebrating the end of school within the social limits of he pandemic.
“We had a ton of desserts, but the kids heard the jingle of the truck and our lives...changed,” Carrano said in a phone interview. “Sadly, the kids had been socially distanced for so long and that was part of the excitement. We wanted to have some some semblance of normalcy.”
She said that not only ice cream trucks, but delivery vehicles of all kinds can be hazardous to drivers and pedestrians. “It’s very scary for anyone who is passing,” she said. “And nobody has any sense of caution because everyone is in a hurry these day.”
“This bill is coming too late for people like Tristan, but hopefully we can prevent
further loss,” Haskell said in the 15-minute Senate debate.
State Sen. Paul Cicarella, R-North Haven, whose district includes Wallingford, said it has been a bipartisan effort to protect children through what has become known as Tristan’s Law.
“When I spoke to senators and House members, on both sides, the support was overwhelming and the quick response of the Transportation Committee and leadership to move this forward in such a bipartisan way and
working so well together to honor Tristan was great to see,” Cicarella said. “It was great to see the process unfold and see the good that it could do, not only in Tristan’s name, but possibly save other children in the process. There are injuries every year but we don’t hear about them.”
California, New Jersey and New York have safety laws for dessert trucks, along with 21 localities in 17 states. “Connecticut needs to take the lead and set an example,” Carrano said.