New Hampshire
Deaths in Crashes Involving Teen Drivers in New Hampshire
In 2008, 27 people were killed in crashes involving teen drivers in New Hampshire. Over the past five years, New Hampshire crashes involving teen drivers claimed 137 lives. Nationally, since 1999, more than 84,400 people have been killed in crashes involving teen drivers.
Graduated Driver Licensing Laws in New Hampshire
The current GDL law in New Hampshire includes the following components:
- A three-stage licensing system beginning at age 15 years and 6 months for learner’s permit, age 16 for the intermediate stage, and age 17 years and 1 month for full licensure
- A minimum of 40 hours of supervised practice driving during the learner’s permit stage, 10 of which must occur at night
- A prohibition on unsupervised nighttime driving between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. during the intermediate stage
- A passenger restriction prohibiting more than one passenger younger than age 25 for the first 6 months after licensure
- A prohibition on texting while driving for all drivers
These changes are needed to improve New Hampshire’s GDL law and meet the requirements of the STANDUP Act
- Require age 16 for entry into the learner’s permit stage
- Extend restrictions on teen drivers through age 17
- Strengthen the passenger restriction to prohibit more than one non-familial passenger under the age of 21 unless a licensed driver over age 21 is in the vehicle, for the entire intermediate stage through age 17
- Add a prohibition on non-emergency use of cell phones and other communications devices during the learner’s permit and intermediate stages
