N.H. CARS MOVED AFTER ACCIDENT:

A law that took effect Jan. 1 requires New Hampshire motorists to move their vehicles off the road as soon as possible after an accident, so long as doing so won’t injure anyone or cause more damage. “Most of us were taught that if we were involved in a collision we should not move or vehicle under any conditions until the police came to investigate,” Safety Commissioner Richard Flynn said. “Today that is no longer practical if it would result in clogging the roadway, given the danger to occupants of the involved vehicles and the hazard and annoyance to other traffic,” he said.

The law is similar to others around the country and is part of a nationwide effort by the federal Department of Transportation to prevent high-speed collisions and alleviate traffic jams at the scene of accidents. Safety officials caution that the law does not permit people to leave the scene of an accident, which is a crime.