Connecticut has relatively modest punishments related to speeding and reckless driving compared to the rest of the United States, according to an analysis by the financial site WalletHub.

The site suggests that Connecticut is 31st in the nation in strong enforcement against this type of driving behavior. The state tied with Georgia, Minnesota, and Nevada.

Alina Comoreanu, a research analyst writing for WalletHub, says the analysis sought to determine how laws against speeding and reckless driving vary between states. These behaviors increase the likelihood that a driver will be involved in a crash, and it also increases their vehicle's fuel consumption.

States were ranked based on speeding enforcement as well as penalties for reckless driving. Factors contributing to a state's rank in speeding enforcement included the speed over the limit that is automatically considered reckless driving, any additional penalties for aggressive driving such as tailgating, laws against street racing, the use of speed cameras, how much speeding tickets count toward a license suspension, and the average increase in insurance premiums resulting from a speeding ticket.

The speeding enforcement category also looked at whether speed limits were considered absolute, prima facie, or a mixture of both. Under absolute speed limits, exceeding the posted limit is enough for a speeding conviction. Prima facie speed limits allow a driver to argue before a court that the speed they were traveling was reasonable.

The reckless driving penalties category considered maximum fines and minimum jail time for breaking a reckless driving law and for multiple offenses. It also took into account the length of any mandatory license suspension following a reckless driving conviction.

Connecticut was 31st in the speeding enforcement ranking, tying with California, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Vermont, and West Virginia. It fared better in the reckless driving penalties category, coming in 27th and tying with Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, and Utah.

According to WalletHub's analysis, speeding in Connecticut results in an average increase in insurance premiums of 7 percent. Speeding is considered reckless driving when a driver exceeds the speed limit by 20 miles per hour or more. The state has a mixed type of speed limit, and a speeding ticket counts 10 percent toward a license suspension. Connecticut has a law against street racing, but does not use speed cameras and has no additional penalties for aggressive driving.

Reckless driving in Connecticut results in a mandatory one-month license suspension. While there is no minimum jail sentence for this behavior, the maximum fine is $300 for a first offense and $600 for a second offense.

Colorado was named the toughest state in the United States on speeding and reckless driving. The state tied with Massachusetts for the second most stringent laws on reckless driving and with the District of Columbia, Indiana, and Louisiana for the 10th strongest speeding penalties.

In Colorado, reckless speeding does not result in a mandatory license suspension. However, both the first and second offense result in a minimum jail sentence of 10 days, as well as a $300 maximum fine for a first offense and $1,000 maximum fine for a second offense. A speeding ticket counts one-third of the way to a license suspension, and the state also uses speed cameras and has a law against street racing.

Delaware—which tied for second overall with Arizona and Illinois—had the strongest reckless driving punishments. The state has a minimum 10-day jail sentence and maximum $300 fine for a first offense, which increases to a minimum of 30 days in jail and a maximum fine of $600 for a second offense.

Iowa, which tied Massachusetts for seventh overall, was named the toughest state on speeding enforcement. Speeding in this state results in an average increase in insurance premiums of 22 percent, and speed limits are absolute. The state also uses speed cameras and has a law against street racing.

Washington State had the highest average maximum reckless driving ticket at $5,000. The lowest penalties were in Kentucky, Mississippi, and New Mexico, with an average maximum of $100. The average maximum cost for a reckless driving ticket in the United States was $742.

WalletHub named Texas the most lenient state on speeding and reckless driving. The state tied Utah at the bottom for speed enforcement, and tied Kentucky, Ohio, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin for last in reckless driving penalties.

Though Texas has a law against street racing and a speeding ticket counts as one-third of the way toward a license suspension, it has not set a point where speeding is considered reckless driving and speed limits are prima facie. The state does not have a mandatory license suspension for reckless driving, no minimum jail sentence for a first or second offense, and a fine of $200 for both first and second offenses.

WalletHub's analysis found that three-quarters of the states have absolute speed limits. The remaining 25 percent are either prima facie or mixed.

No states have any mandatory jail time for speeding. However, the average minimum jail sentence for reckless driving is one day for a first offense and four days for a second offense.

WalletHub says most states use a point system, in which accrual of enough points will result in a license suspension. On average, a speeding ticket brought drivers 27 percent closer to a license suspension.

Forty-nine percent of states do not automatically cite a driver for reckless driving for driving at a certain speed over the speed limit. Twenty-nine percent of states use cameras to assist in enforcing speed limits.