State Police Focused on Impairment, Speeding, Distracted Drivers

The New Hampshire State Police will be out in force with 50 extra troopers and a coordinated enforcement effort with local and county police forces in an effort to make Granite State roads as safe as possible this Thanksgiving weekend.

At a press conference in Concord on Nov. 25, Col. Robert Quinn, the director of the Division of Public Safety, highlighted that so far this year there have been 33 fewer fatalities than 2013, an impressive reduction of 27 percent, although he wasn’t ready to declare victory on highway deaths just yet. He noted that impairment by alcohol and drugs were becoming more significant in crashes and deaths, along with speeding and distracted driving.

In an effort to work even harder to lower fatality rates, state police have compiled a team of analysts including local police, educators, and others, to look at where and when the accidents are occurring in order to be accessible before the crashes happen.

“We’re taking this data to better deploy resources, look at roadways, look at design, and try and be where the crash is and prevent it before it takes place,” he said.

Quinn advised those who would be drinking this weekend should plan ahead and find designated driver. To prevent speeding incidents, he said, just take time and plan ahead to get to destinations. And while driving, pay attention to the road and not your phone. Quinn stated that 3.7 seconds at 65 mph was the equivalent of the length of a football field so it was very dangerous to look down at a cellphone for even just a few seconds.

“If everyone would driver with courtesy, plan ahead, and don’t drink and drive … and we will do our best with visibility and enforcement to, hopefully, make this a safe holiday weekend,” he said.