Insurance adjusters and defense lawyers like to throw around this phrase when they want a driver to sound reckless, immature, or "showing off" instead of simply moving with traffic. That framing can be used to cut the value of a claim, deny coverage, or argue that a crash was partly your fault. What it really means is a display of rapid acceleration or vehicle performance meant to draw attention - such as hard launches, tire squealing, fishtailing, or other showy driving - even when no formal race is happening.

On a traffic ticket, exhibition of speed usually sits somewhere between ordinary speeding and more serious conduct like a speed contest or reckless driving. The exact wording varies by state, and New Hampshire does not commonly use that phrase as a standalone statutory label the way some states do. In New Hampshire, similar facts may be charged under reckless driving under RSA 265:79 or used as evidence of negligence after a crash on roads like I-93 or Route 3.

That matters because an allegation of showy driving can poison an injury claim fast. Insurers may argue you caused the collision or made your own injuries worse. Under New Hampshire's modified comparative fault rule, RSA 507:7-d, compensation can be reduced by your share of fault, and barred entirely if you are found more than 50% responsible. Words on a ticket, witness statements, and even video can all be used against you.