2001 SESSION

01-0224 03/01

HOUSE BILL 241

COMMITTEE: Transportation

ANALYSIS

This bill establishes the offense of careless and negligent driving.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

01-0224

03/01

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand One

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 New Section; Motor Vehicles; Rules of the Road; Serious Traffic Offenses; Careless and Negligent Driving. Amend RSA 265 by inserting after section 79-a the following new section:

265:79-b Careless and Negligent Driving. Whoever upon any way drives a vehicle in a careless and negligent manner shall be guilty of a violation and shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $250. For purposes of this section, careless and negligent driving shall consist of being in actual physical control of a vehicle in motion while simultaneously performing another task or tasks which the driver knows or reasonably should know are likely to prevent him or her from giving full attention to the road or from becoming aware of a substantial and unjustifiable risk. Such tasks shall include, but not be limited to, eating, reading, viewing a computer screen or television screen, operating a computer keyboard, or using a cellular telephone, when the task causes the vehicle to be operated erratically or stray from the proper lane of travel, or otherwise causes an actual or potential hazard to other traffic or pedestrians.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2002.