New York State’s Move Over Law is being expanded to include more vehicles, according to Hudson Valley Your News Now.

In an effort to keep all workers safe, New York lawmakers have amended the year-old Move Over Law to include, not only emergency vehicles like police cars and ambulances, but also maintenance, utility, and tow trucks.

“All drivers need to understand that they have a responsibility to keep roads safe. Slowing down and moving over for emergency and hazard vehicles on the highway needs to be one of those responsibilities,” State Police Superintendent Joseph D’Amico said.

The New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) has 100 work zones set up across the state each day. There were 100 accidents involving drivers at those work zones last year.

“When you’re working to hook that vehicle up or load that vehicle on a tow truck, if you’ve got traffic passing by you, it’s hazardous, it’s dangerous, and it’s one more worry,” said tow truck operator Doug Rowland.

A big part of the amended law will be enforcement. Anyone caught violating it could face a $275 fine, three points on their license, and potentially jail. Troopers issued roughly 16,000 citations for the Move Over Law in its current form last year.

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

Drunk driving accounts for numerous deaths and injuries year after year. That’s why William Mattar Law Offices are partnering with Designated Drivers of Buffalo and Rochester to offer free rides home for people who have been drinking or who need a safe way home on New Year’s Eve.

Too many tragedies occur on New Year’s Eve because of drinking and driving. Don’t be another statistic. Get a free ride home.

William Mattar challenges us to set an example for our family, friends, and peers this New Year’s Eve by not drinking and driving.

Actions speak louder than words: do not drink and drive. Encourage your friends with your words and your actions by getting a free ride home for you and your car this New Year’s Eve (January, 1, 2012).

Rides are available in Buffalo from 12 a.m. until 4:00 a.m. Just call 716-713-7703.

Rides are available in Rochester from 12 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Just call 585-880-0380.

Put these important numbers in your phones now! Some restrictions apply.

Find out how you can get a FREE ride home this New Year’s Eve!

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

New Jersey’s Motor Vehicle Commission and Division of Highway Traffic Safety offered shoppers visiting Bridgewater Commons a chance to experience firsthand the simulated dangers of drunk driving, reports Central Jersey.

Whether it was a 16-year-old or an 81-year-old, once the person strapped on a pair of specialized goggles to simulate alcoholic intoxication, the results were identical. Neither could take a single step without awkwardly stumbling around. Each person had to be kept upright by a state police sergeant.

“That was weird,” the 16-year-old said. “It’s like you think you’re standing in one place, but you’re actually in a completely different place.”

“It was tough. I just lost my balance,” said the 81-year-old. “And if you can’t put your foot in front of you, how the hell are you going to get behind the wheel?”

In the U.S., nearly one-third (32 percent) of all traffic-related deaths last year occurred as a result of alcohol-related car accidents, accounting for 10,839 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Especially at this time of year, we know how people are. They’re under pressure. . . . But when people are driving, they should be focusing on the task at hand,” the Motor Vehicle Commission’s chairman and chief administrator, said Tuesday, while watching shoppers participate in the simulations. “The goal here is not to write more tickets. . . . It’s less crashes, less injuries, less fatalities.”

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

Police saw an SUV running red lights and disregarding traffic signs, and attempted to pull over the vehicle. The vehicle failed to negotiate a turn, and crashed into a garage attached to a home.

The driver entered the home and was found a short time later hiding in the bathroom. A female resident of the home fled the house when she saw that a man was inside. As she exited the house, she fell and hit her head, and she had to be taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries.

The investigation into the Syracuse auto accident continues.

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How do you think police should track down violators to prevent Syracuse auto accidents? Often it seems that police chases result in crashes. Do you think it is more dangerous to pursue them or to let them go?

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

According to New York State Police, the driver was traveling in excess of 100 mph when a police officer tried to pull him over. The man continued traveling on his motorcycle and ran two red lights before he crashed into a car that was attempting to back into a driveway near the intersection of Chester Avenue and Military Road.

The man was transported to the hospital to be treated for severe injuries. According to police, the man had been previously ticketed for speeding at a rate higher than 100 mph.

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When does speeding become reckless driving? In this instance, it seems the man had a history of driving at excessive speeds. Do you think his license should have been taken away before this accident? Would it have prevented this accident from occurring?

If you have been injured in a Niagara Falls high-speed auto accident, the New York auto accident attorneys at William Mattar Law Firm can help you.

WCAX reports that nine people were injured in a series of accidents on an icy stretch of road.

The Buffalo car accidents happened on a snowy and windy stretch of road around Lake Erie. According to police, several two and three car accidents were reported along the same stretch of Route 5.

Witnesses report that snow was blowing horizontally off the lake, making visibility very difficult. Ten to twenty cars were damaged in the Buffalo car accidents and nine people were transported to the hospital to be treated for injuries.

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The Buffalo car accident lawyers at William Mattar can help if you were injured in a New York auto accident.

WCAX reports that a woman was killed in a Rochester car accident.

The hit-and-run accident occurred around 7:30pm. Police found the victim lying by a parked car near the intersection where the Rochester auto accident occurred.

The woman was transported to the hospital where she later died from severe internal injuries sustained in the New York auto accident.

The vehicle that struck the woman fled the scene of the crash.

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The Western New York auto accident lawyers at William Mattar can help if you were injured in a Rochester car accident.

WGRZ reports that a New York Senator was involved in a hit-and-run, Niagara Falls auto accident. The senator was stopped at the intersection of Hyde Park and Pine Avenue when his vehicle was struck from behind by another car.

The impact from the Niagara Falls car accident pushed his vehicle into the intersection, while the other car drove off.

The person who caused the New York auto accident was caught and charged with driving under the influence, along with leaving the scene of an accident.

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The New York auto accident attorneys at William Mattar can help if you were injured in a Niagara Falls car accident.

WHAM 13 reports that a man was charged with a DWI following a Rochester auto accident.

The Rochester car accident happened when a driver ran a red light and hit a marked police car. The police officer was driving south on Lake Avenue when the accident occurred. The officer was taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries.

The driver was charged with passing a red light, unlicensed operator and aggravated unlicensed operator following the New York auto accident.

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The New York car accident attorneys at William Mattar can help if you were injured in an accident.

The Press and Sun Bulletin reports that a four-vehicle crash on Interstate 81 caused major delays. The Binghamton auto accident happened as a vehicle was merging onto the combined Interstate 81 South and Route 17 east from the 4S on ramp, struck another vehicle.

According to police, the vehicle merging might have been traveling at a high rate of speed. The impact of the crash sent one vehicle into a concrete divider, where it was then struck by a box truck. The box truck lost control, striking a fourth vehicle in the Binghamton car accident.

The driver of the vehicle that caused the New York auto accident was the only person transported to the hospital to be treated for injuries.

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The Binghamton auto accident lawyers at William Mattar can help if you were injured in a New York car accident.