Fatal motorcycle crashes in New Hampshire reach highest level since 2005

Local News

So far this year, 39 people have died in crashes in New Hampshire, compared to a 20-year average of 22 deaths per year.

This has been the deadliest year for motorcyclists in New Hampshire in nearly 20 years, according to the state’s Office of Highway Safety.

So far in 2023, 39 people have died in crashes involving motorcycles and mopeds across the state, compared to a 20-year average of 22 deaths per year, the office said in a press release.

Motorcycle crash fatalities haven’t been this high since 2005 when 43 people were killed, the office said. 

“For each life lost, many more lives were altered forever,” Department of Safety Assistant Commissioner Eddie Edwards said in the release.

Of those who were killed this year, 35 were motorcycle drivers, three were motorcycle passengers, and one was a moped driver, the office said. Thirty-one of the fatalities were men, while eight were women, and 31 of the 39 fatalities were New Hampshire residents. 

“This season’s fatality numbers are particularly distressing,” Larry Crowe, the state’s motorcycle education coordinator, said in the release. “ … None of us think ‘This is the ride that I crash’ when we throw our leg over the bike. Making smart choices, like slowing down, as well as aggressively predicting traffic issues, can help prevent a crash.”

Among those who died in New Hampshire motorcycle crashes this year was a longtime firefighter and paramedic who was killed in a crash on Route 102 in January. Another New Hampshire man was killed in a motorcycle crash on Route 16 in late April.