NH Driving Toward Zero

One Death is Too Many

Vulnerable Roadway User Spotlight

May has arrived and Summer is around the corner. The roads are once again populated with Pedestrians, Bikes, Motorcycles and many other forms of active transportation. 

The month of May brings National Bike Month. presented by the League of American Bicyclists. 

a flyer for national bike month

It is important to be mindful of these activities on our roadways and be prepared to share the road. This responsibility involves all parties respecting the road and its various users. 

 

Quick Stats:

  • 2023 
    • 15 Pedestrian Fatalities
    • 1 Bicycle Fatality
  • 2024
    • 12 Pedestrian Fatalities
    • 4 Bicycle Fatalities
  • 2025 (as of May 8, 2025)
    • 5 Pedestrian Fatalities

Complete Streets

An effort by NH DOT, Towns, Cities and Regional Planning Commissions is the idea of "Complete Streets". The goal of Complete Streets is to integrate people and safety into the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of our transportation networks. This helps to ensure that streets are safe for people of all ages and abilities, help balance the needs of different transportation modes, and support local land uses, economies, cultures, and natural environments. 

As such, NH DOT hosts a Complete Streets Advisory Committee. 

Additional information on Ped/Bike can be found here

Motorcycles

Motorcycles are another example of a Vulnerable Road User. 

They lack the protection that an enclosed vehicle provides as well as not required to wear a helmet or other protective gear. This is important for NH drivers since we are ranked 4th in the country for motorcycles per 100 residents. 

a chart showing New Hampshire ranked 4th in motorcycles owned

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quick Stats

  • 2023
    • 37 Motorcycle Operator Fatalities
      • 31 Were Not Wearing a Helmet
    • 3 Motorcycle Passenger Fatalities 
  • 2024
    • 31 Motorcycle Operator Fatalities
      • 18 Were Not Wearing a Helmet
    • 2 Motorcycle Passenger Fatalities
  • 2025 (as of May 1, 2025)
    • 3 Motorcycle Operator Fatalities
      • 2 Operator Not Wearing a Helmet

More information about motorcycles can be found below

Federal Highway Administration

New Hampshire Motorcyclists' Rights Organization

As a partner of the NHDOT Drive Toward Zero Program you can provide education and feedback to your friends, family, and community regarding safe driving practices. It takes everyone united to create safe roads for all. In this section we have provided educational tools for you and your family to begin a new, safe journey while on the road.

NHDOT is committed to roadway safety for all and firmly believe that one death is too many. The Driving Toward Zero program will be reaching out and connecting with towns, schools, public events, and the community to raise awareness of the mission to reduce roadway deaths to zero. By identifying common causes of accidents and connecting with partners and users who can facilitate change, either on a town or government level or with concerned parents teaching their teens how to drive, we strive to achieve our mission. 

 

Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)

Department of Safety

Office of Highway Safety

Community Alliance for Teen Safety

New England Traffic Safety Education Association

Brain Injury Association of New Hampshire

New Hampshire Teen Driver Program

Buckle Up New Hampshire

Safe Kids New Hampshire

University of New Hampshire Technology Transfer Center (LTAP)

 

NH DOT Safe Driving Pledge

It takes everyone working together to create safer roads for New Hampshire. Take the pledge to partner with NH DOT and help us reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries. YOU need to be accountable for your actions!

  • Take the Pledge - By taking the pledge and committing to be a safe driver, we will send you a quarterly newsletter updating you on the latest efforts of the DTZ campaign and provide recent data. 

Educational Handouts

Educational Videos

Grants

May 8th. 2025 - Pelham High School - 250+ students 

Driving Toward Zero presenting at Pelham High School Driving Toward Zero presenting at Pelham High School

 

March 21, 2025 - Epping High School - 200+ students

DTZ at Epping High school DTZ at Epping High school

March 19, 2025 - Bedford High School - 200+ students

DTZ at Bedford High school

March 18, 2025 - Merrimack Valley High School - 300+ students

DTZ at Merrimack Valley Highschool

February 24, 2025 - NH DOT Fatality Summit 

New Hampshire DOT hosted a Fatality Summit in Concord to bring together Fire, Police, EMS, and DPW professionals to discuss how to improve the safety of the roadways and increase cooperation between agencies. Over 100 attendees engaged with each other and provided feedback on what needs to change in order to achieve the goal of reducing roadway fatalities by 50% by 2030. 

Summit held for first responders as traffic deaths rise in NH

Attendees of the NH Fatality Summit Attendees of the NH Fatality Summit 

Attendees of the NH Fatality Summit Attendees of the NH Fatality Summit Attendees of the NH Fatality Summit 

January 27 - Feb 10, 2025 - Driving Toward Zero was on the road with Thinkfast Interactive providing an engaging and informative presentation to High Schools across NH. 

Thinkfast Interactive set up

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thinkfast Interactive setup - Safe driving and pop culture trivia were mixed for an hour of fun! At the end, 4 students are selected to compete in a game show format for Amazon gift cards. The finalists had to apply the knowledge learned throughout the show in order to win. 

Driving Toward Zero at Milford High School Driving Toward Zero at Newport High School

Milford High School                                            Newport High School

Driving Toward Zero at Windham High School Driving Toward Zero at Woodsville High School

Windham High School                                         Woodsville High School

January 9, 2025 - Driving Toward Zero was at Colebrook Academy speaking to the High School classes. 

NH Driving Toward Zero presenting at Colebrook Academy   NH Driving Toward Zero presenting at Colebrook Academy

December 19, 2024 - Driving Toward Zero was at Sanborne Regional High School speaking with 300 Juniors and Seniors. 

NH Driving Toward Zero presenting at Sanborne Highschool   NH Driving Toward Zero presenting at Sanborne Highschool

NH Driving Toward Zero presenting at Sanborne Highschool  NH Driving Toward Zero presenting at Sanborne Highschool

 

Unfortunately, not everyone is educated on the importance of road safety. The below stories show the aftermath of horrible incidents which has impacted the lives of many others. Death and life altering injuries impact more than just those directly involved in a crash. Keep this in mind as you take the wheel. Drive Safe. Drive Responsibility. Drive Toward Zero.

Roundabout crash in Lebanon, TN

 

The crashes linked below all involve drivers under 21 that occurred in Fall 2024. 

Fatal crash in Exeter, NH - September 13, 2024

Fatal crash in Dublin, NH - September 20, 2024

Fatal crash in Francistown, NH - September 21, 2024

Fatal crash in New Ipswitch, NH - September 21, 2024

Fatal crash in Bow, NH - November 21, 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 26, 2025

March 22, 2025

January 14, 2025 - Law Enforcement seek harsher penalties for speeding

November 19, 2024 - NH Voted Safest State for Youth Drivers

October 13, 2024 - Driving Toward Zero Program returns to promote safe driving

The roadways can be a dangerous place and there are numerous variables that must be considered to improve safety. The link below will provide you with information on the following areas:

  • Adolescent Drivers
  • Older Drivers
  • Distracted Driving
  • Impaired Driving
  • Speeding
  • Vulnerable Roadway Users
  • Crash Locations
  • Motorcycles

Driving Toward Zero Critical Emphasis Areas 

 

 The Safe System Approach is a holistic framework designed to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries by recognizing human vulnerability and emphasizing a proactive, multi-layered strategy. This approach shifts the focus from solely preventing crashes to reducing their severity when they do occur. It is widely adopted by transportation agencies, including the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the Vision Zero initiative.

 

The Safe System Approach

Key Principles: 

  • Humans Make Mistakes
  • Human Bodies are Vulnerable
  • Safety is a Shared Responsibility
  • Redundancy and Proactive Design
  • Safety Over Efficiency

By understanding and adopting these principles we can work towards safer roadways for all. See below for more information on the Safe System Approach.

FHWA Safe System Approach

 

30 Roadway Fatalities in the State of NH

 

a chart showing the last 5 years of NH roadway fatalities

Calendar of Events

Eliminating fatalities on New Hampshire roadways is an important vision and the driving force behind this plan and the coalition that united in its development. It is also an important vision for the public, all of whom travel New Hampshire’s roadways—by car, motorcycle, truck, bicycle, or even on foot—day and night under all types of weather conditions.

 

Objective: Our mission is to create a safety culture where even one death is too many, through a collaborative effort of both public and private entities, as well as the implementation of education, enforcement, engineering, and emergency management solutions.

Goal: Our vision is to reduce the number of fatal and severe injury crashes on New Hampshire roadways to ZERO. Though our overall goal is to reach zero fatalities, we have set a plan goal of reducing the number of fatalities and severe injuries by 50 percent by the year 2030.