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Improving
safety features on New Hampshire's roads and highways would
result in a decrease in fatal traffic accidents.
Facts:
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An average of 139 people were killed each year
in motor vehicle accidents in
New Hampshire
from 1999 through 2004.
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The traffic fatality rate on
New
Hampshire’s
rural, non-Interstate roads is more than twice as high as
the fatality rate on all other roads in the state. The
fatality rate on
New Hampshire’s
rural, non-Interstate roads was 1.77 fatalities per 100
million vehicle miles of travel, which the fatality rate on
all other roads in the state was 0.85 fatalities per 100
million vehicle miles of travel.
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While only 45 percent of travel takes place on New Hamphire’s rural,
non-Interstate roads, 61 percent of fatalities occur on
these roads.
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There are several factors associated with
vehicle accidents that result in fatalities, including
driver behavior, vehicle characteristics and roadway design.
It is estimated that roadway design is an important factor
in one-third of fatal traffic accidents.
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Highway improvements such as adding turn
lanes, removing or shielding obstacles, adding medians,
widening lanes, widening and paving shoulders, improving
intersection layouts, providing better road markings, and
installing or upgrading traffic signals could reduce the
severity of serious traffic crashes.
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The Federal Highway Administration has found
that every $100 million spent on needed highway safety
improvements will result in 145 fewer traffic fatalities
over a 10-year period.
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