New Hampshire · Handbook chapter 5 · 3 min read

New Hampshire's checks before driving: tires, seat and mirror set-up, safety belts, child seats, motorcycle helmets, air bags, securing a load, trailers and the snow and ice removal law.

Why this chapter matters

You control the condition of your car even when you cannot control the road. New Hampshire's belt, child seat and snow-removal laws all have figures that turn up on the test.

Vehicle check

Look over the car before you drive. Under- or over-inflated tires and worn tread cause preventable crashes, so have tire pressure checked once a month.

Seat and mirrors

• Sit upright with feet on the floor; slouching weakens the restraint system.
• Your foot should pivot from brake to gas with the heel on the floor.
• Keep about 10 inches between your chest and the steering wheel, with the top of the wheel no higher than your shoulders and below your chin.
• Set the head restraint so it touches the back of your head, not below the ears. It is there to prevent whiplash.
• Set the inside mirror to frame the rear window. Mirrors never remove every blind spot, so use head checks too.

Safety belts

• New Hampshire requires restraints for everyone under 18; belts are strongly recommended for all ages.
• Wear the shoulder belt across the shoulder and chest with little slack, never under the arm or behind the back.
• Wear the lap belt snug and low across the hips, so you cannot slide out of it in a crash.
• Belts keep you from being thrown from the vehicle and help you keep control.

Children

• Under 18: belted or in a child seat, with exceptions such as vehicles carrying passengers for hire, large school buses, antique vehicles without belts, motorcycles and a child whose IEP says restraints are unsafe.
• A child under 7 and under 57 inches tall must ride in a child passenger restraint that meets federal standards.

Air bags and helmets

• Air bags are supplemental: they work best with belts, so always buckle up even in a car with air bags.
• Motorcycle riders and passengers under 18 must wear a DOT-approved helmet.

Loads and trailers

• A load is secure only when nothing can slide, shift, fall, sift onto the road or become airborne. An unsecured load is illegal.
• Trailers need properly mounted, lubricated wheels with fenders or mud guards, properly inflated tires, and tail, stop, turn signal, plate and side marker lamps and reflectors.

Snow and ice removal

Since 2002, drivers must clear all snow and ice from their vehicles before driving (Jessica's Law). Driving a vehicle in a way that endangers people or property can be negligent driving, with a fine of $250 to $500 for a first offense (RSA 265:79-b).