The scene of a deadly car crash on I-93 in Windham, New Hampshire, on Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
A newly formed Highway Safety Task Force will address what the governor's office described as a sharp rise in crashes on New Hampshire's roadways, Gov. Kelly Ayotte announced Wednesday.
In 2024, 135 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes, according to Ayotte's office, which said many of these crashes involved alcohol or drugs. According to the state Department of Transportation, the most common factors in New Hampshire's serious crashes include impairment, speeding and distracted driving.
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Data from the Federal Highway Administration shows the fatality rate in New Hampshire consistently increased between 2019 and 2022, the latest year the full data is available.
The state is also seeing a growing number of accidents involving wrong-way drivers or incidents where wrong-way drivers have to be stopped by law enforcement, Ayotte said.
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"It’s critical that we ensure drivers are safe on our highways and stop these accidents before they happen. Every fatal crash is more than just a statistic—it’s a life lost, a family shattered, and a community forever changed," Ayotte said in a media release.
The task force, led by Department of Safety Commissioner Robert Quinn and Attorney General John Formella, will undergo a review of accident data to identify patterns and risk. It will also look at current law and enforcement practices. With all that, it will present a set of recommendations to improve highway safety.
The project will involve collaboration with local leaders, community advocates, traffic engineers, and law enforcement. Here is a current list of assigned members:
- Attorney General John Formella, Department of Justice
- Executive Councilor John Stephen
- Commissioner Robert Quinn, Department of Safety
- Assistant Commissioner Eddie Edwards, Department of Safety
- Colonel Mark Hall, New Hampshire State Police
- Commissioner William Cass, Department of Transportation
- Director John Marasco, Division of Motor Vehicles, Department of Safety
- Senator Regina Birdsell
- Senator Howard Pearl
- Senator Mark McConkey
- Senator Donovan Fenton
- Senator Tim McGough
- Senator Bill Gannon
- Representative Jennifer Rhodes
- Representative Ross Berry
- Representative Ted Gorski
- Representative Terry Roy
- Representative Thomas Walsh
- Representative Nancy Murphy
- Sheriff William Wright, Belknap County, President of Sheriff’s Association
- John Coughlin, Hillsborough County Attorney
- Kimberly Tessari, Deputy Attorney, Carroll County
- Lt. Chris Storm, New Hampshire State Police
- Stephen Pecora, Special Assistant to the Governor, Office of the Governor
- Alexandria Morrell, Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor and Attorney General’s Representative, Department of Justice
- Ryan McFarland, Bureau of Hearings Chief, Department of Safety
- Tim Crowley, President, New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police
- Mike Geha, President, New Hampshire Police Association
- Rod Forey, Retired New Hampshire State Police
- Dan Goodman, AAA Northern New England
- Bob Kelley, Amethyst Foundation
- Beth Shaw, Parent Road Safety Advocate
- David Croke, Parent Road Safety Advocate
- Jacob Evangelista, Youth Representative
