As Super Bowl Sunday approaches, New York State Police are cracking down in an effort to reduce drunk driving associated with the game. Reports from CBS 6 News say that police announced yesterday that they will be conducting their first campaign of the year against DUI offenses.

The agency says they will be conducting a number of sobriety checks this weekend in conjunction with heavy saturation patrols in targeted areas of the state.

While the dangers that an intoxicated driver faces from injury or death to themselves or another person should be enough to persuade someone to choose otherwise, the penalties if one is caught drinking and driving can be quite severe.

Leandra’s Law, which makes it a felony to drive drunk with anyone under the age of 16-years-old in the vehicle, makes New York state arguably one of the toughest on the stance against drunk driving. A first-time offender, with no minors in the car, will spend an average of around $10,000 on a DUI offense in the state and could face up to a year in jail, a six-month revocation of his or her driver’s license, and anywhere between $500-$1,000 in fines.

The New York Car Accident Lawyers with William Mattar Injury Lawyers ask that all motorists be safe over the coming weekend by not drinking and driving. Instead, designate a driver before drinking, or call a cab or sober friend.

With recent studies showing prescription drug overdose as the leading cause of death among young people in our country, two United States senators are proposing legislation that would invest in training to help law enforcement identify drugged drivers. According to CBS-6 News, the legislation is a response to a growing number of drugged driving incidents in the state of New York.

One of the resolutions supporters, Senator Charles Schumer (NY), says that drugged driving arrests across the state have risen by 35 percent in the last 10 years. Drugged driving has also claimed thousands of lives, most recently two boys killed in accidents where drugs were suspected to be a contributing factor.

The senator says that the money could be used for equipment, as well as for training officers on what to look for, as drugged drivers may act very differently than someone under the influence of alcohol.

A decision is expected to be made in the next several months on how exactly the money will be allocated to law enforcement departments across the state.

The New York Car Accident Lawyers with William Mattar Injury Lawyers ask that motorists keep themselves and others safe by not getting behind the wheel without doctors of pharmacist approval after taking medications. Also, if you have been injured in an accident caused by someone found to be under the influence of drugs at the time of the crash, their experienced team of attorneys may be able to help you.

Lives have been lost in the Bronx, in Virginia, in Upstate New York as sleep-deprived intercity bus drivers cause their buses to careen into other drivers and off the road.

The National Transportation Safety Board’s report commissioned by Senator Schumer and Representative Velazquez is the latest in a string of wake-up calls, said Lawrence J. Hanley with the Huffington Post.

Their leadership on this issue so far has been admirable, but not yet enough has been done. Congress needs to focus on ensuring driver fatigue is addressed in bus reform proposals.

Focused on seat belts, vehicle structure, and unsafe bus owners, the Motor Coach Enhanced Safety Act of 2011 passed by Congress does nothing to combat drivers who get behind the wheel with little or no sleep.

Due to an outdated loophole, intercity bus operators do not get overtime pay. They are exempt from overtime rules under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which is not fair to intercity bus drivers.

Congress and the Administration need to realize what a danger these drivers are on our roads, a danger to themselves, their passengers, and other drivers. Lifting the FLSA overtime pay exemption is a start.  Then bus drivers can be fairly compensated for their work exceeding 40hours.

Not only is this the right thing to do, but it is the safe thing to do for all of us who travel on the roads.

Read more.

If you or someone you know were the victim of a New York auto accident, the New York auto accident lawyers at the William Mattar Law Offices may be able to help you.

The headlines have been coming in for months: lives lost in the Bronx, in Virginia, in Upstate New York, as intercity buses careen into other drivers and off the road.

Last week’s National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report was a much-needed look at the ugly underbelly of the bus industry, said Lawrence J. Hanley with the Huffington Post.

These crashes are devastating, but they are not unexpected. They are the result of an unregulated intercity bus industry that operates below the law and encourages its drivers to work on little to no sleep, according to Hanley.

Among the key findings in NTSB’s latest report is “driver fatigue as a contributing factor to fatal motor coach accidents,” and it “has identified driver fatigue as an issue on its Most Wanted List of Safety Improvements.”

Intercity bus companies get away with paying their drivers criminally low wages, forcing them to work more than 100 hours per week to make ends meet.

NSTB estimates that 36 percent of fatal bus crashes in the past decade have been the result of driver fatigue. It is the number one cause of fatal accidents.

These intercity bus drivers asleep at the wheel  are a danger not only to themselves and their passengers, but also to any car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, and pedestrian on the roads.

In our next blog, you will find out what is being done to correct this problem.  Check back in on Wednesday.

Read more.

If you or someone you know were the victim of a New York auto accident, the New York auto accident lawyers at the William Mattar Law Offices may be able to help you.

A 43-year-old male from Auburn, New York, was sent to jail yesterday following Saturday’s hit-and-run scooter crash, which left the driver of the scooter with critical head and leg injuries.

The accident occurred at 1:45 a.m. on Saturday morning on North Division Street near West Street when a 37-year-old male—also from Auburn—was found lying unconscious in the road, said Lieutenant Shawn Butler to The Post-Standard. The scooter-rider and his Razor-type scooter had been hit by an SUV, which a witness says never stopped after the crash.

The SUV’s driver was charged yesterday with leaving the scene of a serious personal injury accident, a felony, and failure to stop at a stop sign. He was arraigned and booked in Cayuga County jail with no bail.

The hurt man was taken by ambulance to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, where he remains in serious condition. The man has undergone surgery to reduce swelling and had a rod inserted into his leg.

Read more.

If you or someone you know were the victim of a New York car accident, the New York car accident lawyers at the Law Offices of William Mattar may be able to help you.

WCAX reports that a 14-year-old boy was killed in a Rochester bicycle accident after being struck by a police vehicle while riding his bicycle.

The officer was responding to a call and traveling with lights and sirens flashing when the teen rode into his path from between two stopped vehicles.

The cruiser was driven by a police trainee. Neither officer was hurt in the Rochester bicycle accident. The accident remains under investigation. It is unknown at this time how fast the vehicle was going at the time of the Rochester bicycle accident.

Read more.

Do you think bicyclists should travel on the roads, or would it be safer to restrict them to sidewalks?

If you have been injured in a Rochester bicycle accident, the Rochester bicycle accident attorneys at William Mattar Law Firm can help you.

The Utica Observer Dispatch reports that a 14 year old boy traveling on a bicycle was struck by a vehicle in New Hartford. The Utica accident happened around 12:20 in the afternoon. The boy was riding on French Road when he entered a crosswalk at the intersection of Burrstone Road. He was struck in the New Hartford intersection by an eastbound car.

The Utica driver of the car was a 19-year-old. The bicyclist was transported to the hospital following the New Hartford auto accident to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The New Hartford auto accident is still under investigation.

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Do you think it is safe for teens to ride their bikes on busy New Hartford roads? Bicycles and cars are supposed to share the road, but this can often be a more dangerous situation for New York bicycle riders.

If your child or teen has been injured in a New York bicycle accident like this, the New York bicycle accident attorneys at William Mattar Law Firm can help you.

A teenage boy was killed in a New York bicycle accident after a vehicle that fled the scene hit him from behind.

According to The Corning Leader, a passerby found the teenage boy involved in the New York bicycle accident lying in the road. When paramedics arrived, the boy was unresponsive and had no pulse.

The teenager was pronounced dead at Newark-Wayne Community Hospital shortly after his arrival from the scene of the New York bicycle accident.

The driver who caused the New York bicycle accident turned himself into the police following the accident, and now faces charges of first-degree vehicular manslaughter, felony driving while intoxicated, aggravated unlicensed operation, and leaving the scene of a fatal motor vehicle accident.

Read More:

http://www.the-leader.com/archive/x883020931

A Utica bicyclist was injured in a New York auto accident.

The Utica bicycle accident occurred after the bicyclist was struck by a minivan. The bicyclist was taken to a nearby medical center after the New York auto accident occurred.

According to The Utica Dispatch-Observer, the man remains in critical condition.

The Utica bicycle accident is still under investigation at this time, and currently no one in the auto accident has been ticketed.

Read More:
http://www.uticaod.com/news/x513685327

A woman faces three misdemeanor charges including leaving the scene of a New York auto accident after hitting a Syracuse teenager who was riding his bicycle.

The bicycle accident occurred when the woman tried to pass the bicyclist, but instead hit the teenager and pinned him up against another parked car. The owner of the parked car was in the vehicle at the time of the car accident and was able to identify the hit and run driver and her license plate numbers.

The Syracuse bicycle accident victim was taken to the hospital by ambulance.

According to the Post-Standard, police found Hydrocodone pills in the woman’s vehicle and said she appeared to be “highly intoxicated.”

Read More:
http://blog.syracuse.com/news/2007/10/driver_faces_drug_charge_after.html