Already this year, 115 people have died in vehicle crashes in New Hampshire — three of them this week alone.
Public safety officials say traffic deaths spiked last year — to 146 fatalities, up from 118 the year before — and the state’s on track to see a similar number this year.
John Clegg, program manager for New Hampshire’s Office of Highway Safety, says a lot of those crashes could have been prevented.
“Many of our fatalities that are occurring are speed related, are distracted driving related, are impairment related,” he said.
Clegg reminds motorists to make phone calls, adjust their seats and fiddle with the radio before they hit the road, to minimize distractions.
Heading into the winter months, people should be especially cautious as the days shorten and the roads get icy.
“We can reverse this trend that we're seeing on our roads if drivers slow down, buckle up, avoid all distractions and never, never drive impaired,” says Dan Goodman, manager of public affairs for AAA Northern New England.
AAA Northern New England is urging drivers to be especially on alert as daylight savings time ends. They noted “drowsy driving” can be as dangerous as drunk driving, and encouraged motorists to make sure they’re getting at least seven hours of sleep, in addition to other safety measures like maintaining working headlights and staying alert for pedestrians.
