A new national safety assessment suggests New Hampshire should tighten several road-safety rules to boost highway protection. The annual “2026 Roadmap to Safety” report, produced by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, evaluates all 50 states plus Washington, D.C., and assigns each a rating of green, yellow, or red based on their traffic laws. New Hampshire received a yellow rating, similar to most states and to nearly all other New England neighbors. Only a handful of places—Rhode Island, Maryland, New York, Oregon, Washington, and the District of Columbia—earned a green rating.
To strengthen road safety, the report urges New Hampshire to adopt several specific laws, notably requiring seat belt use, helmet use for motorcyclists, booster-seat requirements for children, and a handful of additional measures. The publication also highlights other recommendations meant to reduce fatalities and accidents on the state’s roadways.
During the briefing, U.S. Representative Chris Pappas, a Democrat from New Hampshire, stressed a common objective: lowering traffic-related deaths and crashes. He noted that lawmakers are weighing several steps to advance road safety, including exploring first-time offender interlock laws and pursuing national standards aimed at reducing drunk driving.
Updated updates on the story are available via WMUR, which reports that the statewide rating aligns with the broader national pattern: many states fall into the yellow category, with a small number achieving green and a few landing in red. The article also reiterates the call for stronger seat belt, helmet, and booster-seat policies, in addition to other recommended actions to improve safety on New Hampshire highways.
