Governor Ayotte assembles Highway Safety Task Force to address highway fatalities
Governor Kelly Ayotte on Wednesday announced the formation of a Highway Safety Task Force in response to a sharp rise in roadway fatalities and accidents across New Hampshire.
CONCORD, NH – Governor Kelly Ayotte on Wednesday announced the formation of a Highway Safety Task Force in response to a sharp rise in roadway fatalities and accidents across New Hampshire.
“It’s critical that we ensure drivers are safe on our highways and stop these accidents before they happen. Every fatal crash is more than just a statistic—it’s a life lost, a family shattered, and a community forever changed,” Ayotte said in a news release. “As a mom, this is especially important to me, which is why I am proud to announce today a new Highway Safety Task Force. I look forward to reviewing the Task Force’s recommendations to address issues like speeding, distracted driving, and wrong-way driving incidents to make our roads safer for Granite Staters.”
Ayotte cited a 2024 statistic – 135 lives lost in motor vehicle accidents—many involving alcohol or drugs, according to the governor. The state also faces a growing trend of accidents involving wrong-way drivers and incidents of these drivers being stopped by law enforcement before they can cause a deadly accident, she said.
The Governor’s Highway Safety Task Force will be led by Department of Safety Commissioner Robert Quinn and Attorney General John Formella, in coordination with the Office of the Governor and Executive Councilor John Stephen. The Task Force is charged with conducting a comprehensive review of accident data, identifying patterns and risk factors, evaluating current laws and enforcement practices, and developing a set of actionable recommendations to improve highway safety. The Task Force will also collaborate with local officials, law enforcement, traffic engineers, and community advocates to ensure a broad range of perspectives are represented in its findings.
Highway Safety Task Force Members:
- Attorney General John Formella, Department of Justice
- Executive Councilor John Stephen
- Commissioner Robert Quinn, Department of Safety
- Assistant Commissioner Eddie Edwards, Department of Safety
- Colonel Mark Hall, New Hampshire State Police
- Commissioner William Cass, Department of Transportation
- Director John Marasco, Division of Motor Vehicles, Department of Safety
- Senator Regina Birdsell
- Senator Howard Pearl
- Senator Mark McConkey
- Senator Donovan Fenton
- Senator Tim McGough
- Senator Bill Gannon
- Representative Jennifer Rhodes
- Representative Ross Berry
- Representative Ted Gorski
- Representative Terry Roy
- Representative Thomas Walsh
- Representative Nancy Murphy
- Sheriff William Wright, Belknap County, President of Sheriff’s Association
- John Coughlin, Hillsborough County Attorney
- Kimberly Tessari, Deputy Attorney, Carroll County
- Lt. Chris Storm, New Hampshire State Police
- Stephen Pecora, Special Assistant to the Governor, Office of the Governor
- Alexandria Morrell, Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor and Attorney General’s Representative, Department of Justice
- Ryan McFarland, Bureau of Hearings Chief, Department of Safety
- Tim Crowley, President, New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police
- Mike Geha, President, New Hampshire Police Association
- Rod Forey, Retired New Hampshire State Police
- Dan Goodman, AAA Northern New England
- Bob Kelley, Amethyst Foundation
- Beth Shaw, Parent Road Safety Advocate
- David Croke, Parent Road Safety Advocate
- Jacob Evangelista, Youth Representative
