A new law in New Hampshire could hold truckers responsible for problems such as not clearing ice off their rigs.

The new law, effective Jan. 1, adds negligent operation of a motor vehicle as a traffic violation, and clarifies the application of the minimum penalty for reckless driving of a motor vehicle. It allows police to impose fines of up to $1,000 and suspend a driver's license for 60 days for a first offense, and up to a year for a second offense.
The bill was in response to the death of a 20-year-old who was killed two years ago after a large piece of ice fell off the roof of a tractor trailer and hit the windshield of a smaller truck, which lost control and hit the woman's car, reports the Associated Press. Many were outraged that the truck driver faced no penalties for not clearing off the ice.
The bill also would cover distracting activities such as talking on a cell phone or eating while driving.
"There is no law that says you cannot eat while you drive," Capt. Ray Burke of the New Hampshire State Police told the AP. "However, if you drop a French fry, reach to pick it up and cause an accident, that might change things."