Fatalities on New Hampshire Roadways Increased in 2008

Fatal motor vehicle crashes are on the rise for the second year in a row according to the New Hampshire Department of Safety.

The numbers released include all fatalities from Jan. 1 to Dec. 22, 2008. A fatality includes those who died at the scene, as well as people who were taken to the hospital with serious injuries and died within 30 days of the accident.

Last year, 138 people died in motor vehicle accidents, a 7.6 percent increase over the same period last year. The largest increase in fatalities was in drivers older than 71. In 2007, four people 71 or older died in a car accident, but this year, the number rose to 13.

Peter Thomson, coordinator of the New Hampshire Highway Safety Agency said the agency doesn’t believe this is an alarming change. In 2006, there were 15 fatalities in this age group, so this year’s numbers are not unusual, he said.

State safety officials are concerned about the rise in motorcycle fatalities, which have been trending upward for the last five years.

In 2008, 30 people died in motorcycle accidents, up from 25 last year. Thomson said there has been an upward trend in motorcycle fatalities since the early part of the decade.

After a spike in deaths in 2005, the state implemented a driver safety program for motorcyclists.

There were some areas that saw a decrease in fatal car crashes, including accidents involving minors.

The number of children passengers and pedestrians killed in accidents was down, as was the number of 16- and 17- year-old drivers killed.