Latest news with #HB466
Yahoo
a day ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
State says NH roads getting deadlier by the day
Deadly driving crashes continue to rise across New Hampshire with 2025 already outpacing last year, when 135 roadway deaths marked a 6% increase overall and young driver deaths spiked at an alarming rate, transportation officials said. As of Monday morning, 45 people had died in crashes across the state since Jan. 1, according to Mark Munroe, highway safety program manager for the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. Yearly traffic deaths have been trending up since 104 people died in crashes in 2020. In 2024, deaths among drivers age 16 to 21 more than doubled, with 10 fatalities. Most recently, a teen was killed in a motor vehicle incident in Bedford Sunday night. Details of that incident have not been released. So far this year, four drivers under 21 have died, compared with three over the same time period last year. There's been an even bigger spike in deaths among drivers over 70 — 11 deaths, nearly double for that age range, Munroe said. To address the number of roadway deaths, last year the state relaunched a program called Driving Toward Zero, which aims to reduce traffic fatalities by 50% by 2030. This past February, 75 first responders, safety, transportation, health and municipal officials held a Traffic Fatality Summit aimed at curbing the trend. Munroe could not be reached for further comment Tuesday afternoon, but said in late February he had never seen anything like the deadly trends across the state in his 40 years working in public safety. Both Munroe and State Police Lt. Chris Storm have repeatedly voiced concern and frustration with the deadly trends they're seeing. New laws considered This year, legislators have considered three bills addressing recent dangerous driving trends. None have passed so far. HB 466 would have made it so anyone who refuses to take a blood-alcohol test loses their license for a year. Representatives killed that bill and a similar state Senate bill. HB 482 would have raised the fine for driving over 100 mph to $750 on the first offense with a 90-day license suspension. The state Senate tabled the bill last month. However, the House and Senate are working on similar legislation. HB 776 would add wrong-way driving to the list of factors that elevate driving while intoxicated or impaired to aggravated DWI, which has stiffer penalties. State Police said there were 271 wrong-way drivers reported in 2024. The bill passed both the House and Senate and is awaiting a conference committee after it was amended by the Senate. More statistics Of the 45 people killed this year, 26 were drivers, eight were not wearing a seat belt, six were pedestrians and eight were on motorcycles. The number of pedestrians killed is double what it was at this time last year. dpierce@
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
New Hampshire roads getting deadlier by the day, state says
Deadly driving crashes continue to rise across New Hampshire with 2025 already outpacing last year, when 135 roadway deaths marked a 6% increase overall and young driver deaths spiked at an alarming rate, transportation officials said. As of Monday morning, 45 people had died in crashes across the state since Jan. 1, according to Mark Munroe, highway safety program manager for the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. Yearly traffic deaths have been trending up since 104 people died in crashes in 2020. In 2024, death among drivers age 16 to 21 more than doubled, with 10 fatalities. Most recently, a teen was killed in a motor vehicle incident in Bedford Sunday night. Details of that incident have not been released. So far this year, four drivers under 21 have died, compared with three over the same time period last year. There's been an even bigger spike in deaths among drivers over 70 — 11 deaths, nearly double for that age range, Munroe said. To address the number of roadway deaths, last year the state relaunched a program called Driving Toward Zero, which aims to reduce traffic fatalities by 50% by 2030. This past February, 75 first responders, safety, transportation, health and municipal officials held a Traffic Fatality Summit aimed at curbing the trend. Munroe could not be reached for further comment Tuesday afternoon, but said in late February he had never seen anything like the deadly trends across the state in his 40 years working in public safety. Both Munroe and State Police Lt. Chris Storm have repeatedly voiced concern and frustration with the deadly trends they're seeing. New laws considered This year, legislators have considered three bills addressing recent dangerous driving trends. None have passed so far. HB 466 would have made it so anyone who refuses to take a blood-alcohol test loses their license for a year. Representatives killed that bill and a similar state Senate bill. HB 482 would have raised the fine for driving over 100 mph to $750 on the first offense with a 90-day license suspension. The state Senate tabled the bill last month. However, the House and Senate are working on similar legislation. HB 776 would add wrong-way driving to the list of factors that elevate driving while intoxicated or impaired to aggravated DWI, which has stiffer penalties. State Police said there were 271 wrong-way drivers reported in 2024. The bill passed both the House and Senate and is awaiting a conference committee after it was amended by the Senate. More statistics Of the 45 people killed this year, 26 were drivers, eight were not wearing a seatbelt, six were pedestrians and eight were on motorcycles. The number of pedestrians killed is double what it was at this time last year. dpierce@
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State reminds buyers of new real estate law ahead of home buying season
(WKBN) – As the spring buying season heats up, the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing is reminding buyers about changes to the relationship with their real estate agent. The notice surrounds changes that came about last August when Ohio House Bill 466 went into effect, which requires buyer agents to have a written agency agreement in place, including details about compensation, before they can conduct most real estate activities on behalf of their client. House Bill 466's legislation doesn't necessarily require an agreement to do things such as tour a home, however, a settlement agreement stemming from a lawsuit against the National Association of Realtors (NAR) requires one, and most real estate agents are members of NAR. House hunters have the option of signing an exclusive or nonexclusive buyer agency agreement or working directly with a seller's agent with the seller's approval. Here are some commonly asked questions about the new law: If you want to buy a home and hire an agent, do you need to sign a buyer's agent agreement?While Ohio law technically allows a buyer agent to show properties without a written agreement, most agents are members of the National Association of Realtors and must comply with the settlement agreement requiring a signed buyer agency agreement before showing homes. Consumers have the option of signing an exclusive or nonexclusive buyer agency agreement or working directly with a seller's agent with the seller's approval. What is the difference between exclusive and nonexclusive agreements?An exclusive agreement guarantees the agent earns their commission no matter who sells the property. In other words, the buyer agrees not to work with another agent while the agreement is in effect. A nonexclusive agreement provides the agent with a commission only if you purchase a property they introduced you to. As a result of HB 466, all agreements must include the amount and terms of the agent's compensation. Can you view a home without a buyer's agent?Yes, you can view a property by coordinating the visit with the seller's agent. Keep in mind, if you decide to make an offer, you will need to choose whether to proceed unrepresented or to utilize dual agency, if the brokerage allows it. Dual agency means the agent acts as a neutral facilitator for both the buyer and seller, ensuring fairness while not advocating for either party. If this option is chosen, both buyer and seller must authorize a dual agency agreement in order to proceed. Do you need to sign an agreement to attend an open house?No, you are not required to sign an agreement with a buyer agent or listing agent to attend an open house. If you are already working with a buyer agent, it's best to discuss open houses with them in advance. Remember, the listing agent represents the seller, so be cautious about disclosing personal or financial details. You can learn more about Ohio's real estate law and the new legislation on the Department of Commerce website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Yahoo
Safety officials seek tougher highway offense penalties
Feb. 12—With highway fatalities involving New Hampshire youth sharply on the rise, state safety officials sought legislative support Wednesday for a package of bills to increase punishment for those caught speeding over 100 miles per hour, driving the wrong way or refusing to take a blood alcohol test. Chris Storm, State Police lieutenant and liaison to the Office of Highway Safety, told the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee that it used to be a "big deal" when someone was caught driving over 100 mph. "Now every time we put the helicopter into the air we get two or three cases of motorists going that fast," Storm said. Bill Lambert, a Department of Transportation administrator, said cars have been built to go much faster than the maximum target speed that a roadway is designed to safely allow. "If people are doing twice the design speed, the physics just don't work," Lambert said, pointing to last October when drivers in three straight weeks went airborne over a median on Interstate 95 into oncoming traffic. Currently, the maximum speeding fine is $500 and a suspension of driving privileges for 60 days. This bill (HB 482) for driving over 100 would raise the fine to $750 on the first offense with a 90-day license suspension. The fine would go up to $1,000 and a license suspension of up to a year. The wrong-way driving bill (HB 776) would subject the offender, if found to be impaired, to enhanced penalties used for someone who commits aggravated drunk or drugged driving. Storm said a majority of those caught driving the wrong way have been using drugs or alcohol. Committee Chairman Terry Roy, R-Deerfield, said the state has the highest rate in the country of motorists suspected of impaired driving who refuse to take the blood alcohol test. This is because penalties for those who refuse and those who consent and fail to take the test are the same, he said. "We don't want to be last in the country for this," Roy said. In New Hampshire, roughly 70% of such drivers have refused to take the test each of the last three years, while the national refusal rate was about 25%, said Ryan McFarland, the administrator of the hearings bureau that reviews the cases. Under the bill (HB 466), anyone who refuses to take a blood alcohol test loses their license for one year while those who take the test and fail would still face a six-month suspension. A repeat case of refusal would carry a three-year suspension, up from two years under current law, McFarland said. klandrigan@
