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What Does the NH Hands Free Law Mean For Me?

Jul 1, 2015

As you know, New Hampshire enacted a law prohibiting the use of handheld electronic devices while operating a vehicle. This law went into effect today, and is not limited to just cell phones; GPS, tablets, iPods, iPads, and other devices that require manual data entry are included as well. You are not allowed to use a handheld device even if stopped in traffic at a red light, stop sign or other delay in traffic. The only legally acceptable way to use an electronic device is to use a hands-free method such as an earpiece that uses Bluetooth or a similar product. If you do not have Bluetooth in your vehicle, you can have this functionality added after-market. Please give us a call and ask to speak with our accessories manager about after-market Bluetooth installation. We would love to help you! Drivers under the age of 18 will not be allowed to use any electronic device, even a hands-free one, unless they are reporting an emergency. The penalties for violations of this law are: a $100 fine for the first offense, a $250 fine for a second offense, and a $500 fine if a third offense occurs within two years of the second offense.

If these penalties sound expensive, it is because distracted driving is so dangerous. There have been 116 fatal car accidents in New Hampshire since 2012 that were directly caused by distracted driving. This number does not reflect the number of distracted-driving accidents that only resulted in injury or property damage, which is a much higher number. In fact, sending or receiving text messages while driving makes you 23 times more likely to be an in accident.

With safe driving in mind, here are some other useful tips that can help keep you safe on the road.

Look beyond the car in front of you. Be sure to scan the horizon and look for potential hazards that could cause the car ahead of you to brake suddenly. If you only focus on the car ahead of you, your reaction time is limited to when you see that car’s brake lights turn on. If you look beyond the car ahead of you, you can anticipate sudden stops, and potentially avoid a collision.

Be sure to check the sides of the road. You never know when someone will pull out from a side street. One of the best things about New Hampshire is the natural beauty of this state. But with the abundance of green spaces and wildlife comes the risk of a deer, bear, moose, or other animal darting out in front of you. So even on quiet country roads, stay alert for wildlife.

Exercise caution at intersections. If you have stopped for a red light, do not punch the gas as soon as the light turns green. Wait a couple seconds to verify that the intersection has truly cleared and then accelerate slowly and smoothly. Not only is this safer, but you will get better fuel economy this way than if you accelerate and brake aggressively.