It’s shaping up to be another record year in New Hampshire, but not the kind of record anyone’s aiming for. The state is on track to surpass last year’s total number of fatal motor vehicle crashes, which was the highest since at least 2014.
In 2024, 135 people died as a result of 121 crashes, according to data from the N.H. Department of Safety.
By June 23 that year, 46 crashes had caused 49 deaths. As of the same time this year, 51 crashes had caused 52 deaths. The first half of the year has also seen more drivers killed (51) and more drivers under age 21 killed (four) than in the same period last year.
Deaths of drivers 71 and older are also up, from four in the first half of 2024 to 12 so far this year.
The number of fatal crashes involving commercial vehicles doubled from three to six.
Summer proved a particularly dangerous period on New Hampshire roads last year, with 24 people dying due to crashes in July alone, according to data from the National Safety Council. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data show July 2024 was the deadliest month for New Hampshire motorists since at least 2008.
The deaths thus far this year include 14 people who were not wearing seatbelts. New Hampshire remains the only state without an adult-occupant seatbelt law. Only about 76% of vehicle occupants wear a seatbelt in New Hampshire, according to the National Safety Council, which reports that 68% of occupant deaths in New Hampshire vehicles involve people who are unrestrained.
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