CONCORD, NH – Governor Kelly Ayotte and the Governor’s Special Task Force on Highway Safety on Wednesday presented its report with recommendations to save lives and address pressing challenges on New Hampshire roads, including speeding, wrong-way driving, and distracted driving.
Led by Department of Safety Commissioner Robert Quinn and Attorney General John Formella, in coordination with the Office of the Governor and Executive Councilor John Stephen, the task force examined current laws, policies, and data, and collaborated with local officials, law enforcement, traffic engineers, and community advocates to ensure a broad range of perspectives were represented in its findings. [View the report below].
“To ensure our state remains the safest in the nation, we must do better when it comes to saving lives and improving highway safety,” said Governor Ayotte. “I thank Commissioner Quinn, Attorney General Formella, Councilor Stephen, and all of the members of my Highway Safety Task Force for their hard work and collaboration on this important issue. This report gives us a strong roadmap to keep drivers, road crews, law enforcement, and everyone who travels our highways each day safe.”
“Nothing is more important than saving lives, which we can do by preventing serious crashes on our roads,” added Commissioner Quinn. “I am grateful for the collaborative work of this Task Force to form these recommendations. Our residents and visitors should know we see what’s happening throughout the state, and we are committed to dedicating the fullest extent of our resources to combat these dangerous and deadly trends.”
“The recommendations put forward by the Governor’s Highway Safety Task Force represent a strong and practical strategy to make New Hampshire’s roads safer. Each of us – law enforcement, policymakers, and drivers alike – has a role to play in preventing crashes and saving lives,” said Attorney General Formella. “The New Hampshire Department of Justice looks forward to working with our state and local partners to implement these measures and hold accountable those who put others at risk.”
“By bringing together state agencies with local law enforcement, members of the Legislature, AAA, advocates, and victims’ families, we’ve put together sound recommendations that will help save lives and make our roads safer,” Executive Councilor Stephen concluded. “Effective Highway safety outcomes come, not only from law enforcement, but through a collaboration of many state and local partners working together to make an impact in every community of this state. That is what Governor Ayotte did by convening this task force. I commend her for that, and I was proud to be a part of it. I look forward to working with the Governor to see these recommendations through so we can improve highway safety, reduce the number of crashes, and save more lives.”
Highway Safety Task Force 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