A Cattaraugus County man was charged over the weekend in connection with a car accident last Wednesday in New Albion that injured a Jamestown man.

Brian J. Snyder, 25, of Cattaraugus County told sheriff’s investigators that he had fallen asleep at the wheel and lost control of his vehicle while traveling north on State Route 353 at 6:06 p.m. Wednesday, causing him to collide with a southbound vehicle operated by Ryan T. Bradley, 33, of Jamestown. The crash caused Bradley’s vehicle to overturn. Bradley was airlifted to Erie County Medical Center for treatment of chest injuries he suffered in the crash.

Snyder, who was not injured, was charged with failure to keep right and is due in New Albion Town Court at later date.

Article source: http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130519/CITYANDREGION/130518993/1010

May 19, 2013

Updated May 19, 2013 at 10:48 AM EDT

New York State Police report that an early morning accident in the Town of Lewiston, involving three females under the age of 21, was fatal to one and sent two others to the hospital via Mercy Flight. One of the females is listed in critical condition at ECMC in Buffalo.

The accident occurred at Walmore Road near Mt Hope Road around 6 a.m.

While the accident is currently under investigation, EWN has learned that the vehicle left the roadway, struck a telephone pole and flipped over several times.

We will have more details on Eyewitness News at 6pm this evening.

Article source: http://www.wkbw.com/news/Fatal-Sunday-Morning-Accident-in-Lewiston-208051951.html

William Mattar speaks about his seat belt safety initiative on Channel 4’s program.

Buffalo, NY (PRWEB) May 16, 2013

William Mattar knows that seatbelts help save lives. That’s why every year, the William Mattar Buckle Your Belt Program is run to encourage the people of New York State to buckle their seat belts every time they travel in a motor vehicle.

In order to incentivize individuals to actively practice seat belt safety, Mattar offers a chance to win a trip for 4 to Fern Resort in Ontario, Canada for those willing to always Buckle Their Belts. On Thursday, May 16th, Mattar will appear live on CW 23 on the “Winging It! Buffalo Style” program from 8-9 AM. Mattar will discuss the importance of seat belt safety and the details of the vacation getaway prize.

For more information, visit the Community Page on http://www.WilliamMattar.com.

About William Mattar, P.C.

William Mattar Law Offices, established in 1990, is composed of experienced injury attorneys representing clients in the Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Binghamton and Albany areas. The injury attorneys at William Mattar Law Offices are ready to help those hurt in a car accident. The firm’s main goal is to get their clients the best possible results. If you’ve been seriously injured in a car or motor vehicle accident, call the attorneys at William Mattar. http://www.williammattar.com.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2013/5/prweb10738583.htm

Article source: http://www.watchlistnews.com/2013/05/17/car-accident-attorney-william-mattar-appears-on-cw-23s-winging-it-buffalo-style-program/

Buffalo,NY (WIVB) – Buffalo Police are investigating a head-on crash between a motorcycle and a SUV that happened on the city’s east side at approximately 1:45 a.m. Friday. The accident occurred at Genesee and Fox Streets.

Police say a motorcycle was traveling west on Genesee Street when it struck a vehicle that was traveling south on Fox Street, attempting to turn onto Genesee.

The motorcycle was pinned under the SUV.  Both drivers were taken to ECMC where they were treated and released.

Buffalo Police say there were no charges filed Friday morning.

Article source: http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/local/head-on-crash-between-suv-and-motorcycle

Tracey Drury
Buffalo Business First Reporter- Business First

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Buffalo CarShare members have nothing to worry about, despite a state insurance probe into a car-sharing service in New York City.

RelayRides has agreed to stop conducting business in New York state following a cease-and-desist order from the state Department of Financial Services. DFS said the car-sharing service was falsely advertising that users would be covered through its insurance policy, and was violating the state’s insurance law and putting the public at risk.

“RelayRides sold New Yorkers a false bill of goods,” said DFS Superintendent Benjamin Lawsky. “Despite RelayRides’ assurances to the contrary, their New York customers could get left holding the bag financially for an accident because the company’s insurance is illegal and inadequate.”

The DFS issued a consumer alert warning and is continuing to investigate the full extent of possible violations and penalties it may impose.

The company’s peer-to-peer business model allowed individuals to essentially share their vehicles with other people using an online reservation system in exchange for a fee. On the company’s website, users are told they are covered through RelayRides’ insurance policy with Hudson Insurance Co. But DFS said the insurance offered was illegal and inadequate and could leave consumers personally financially liable in the case of an accident.

That’s a very different business model than the one Buffalo CarShare operates here in Buffalo, where a nonprofit corporation owns 15 vehicles that are accessible to paid members. Members are covered under its insurance through their monthly membership dues. Drivers 18-20 years of age must show proof of supplemental auto insurance or coverage as an occasional driver under somebody else’s policy.

Tracey Drury covers health/medical, nonprofits and insurance

Article source: http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2013/05/16/nys-cracks-odwn-on-nyc-car-share-service.html

Written by: Megan Stewart

on
May 16 2013 9:00 AM

A new study from the University at Buffalo has found that crash test scores are less relevant when a sedan is in an accident with an SUV. The study will be presented in full on May 16 at the annual meeting of the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine in Atlanta.

In a head-on collision between a passenger car and an SUV, the study found that the driver of the car was 10 times more likely to die if the SUV had better crash test scores, and were 4 times more likely to die if the car had the better crash test scores.

“When two vehicles are involved in a crash, the overwhelming majority of fatalities occur in the smaller and lighter of the two vehicles. But even when the two vehicles are of similar weights, outcomes are still better in the SUVs because in frontal crashes, SUVs tend to ride over shorter passenger vehicles, due to bumper mismatch, crushing the occupant of the passenger car,” said Dietrich Jehle, MD, UB professor of emergency medicine at Erie County Medical Center and first author when talking about the study.

Taking the ratings out of the equation, the odds of death in a passenger car were seven times higher than SUV drivers in all head-on crashes. The researchers conducted the study on severe head-on crashes in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) database between 1995 and 2010. Jehle went on to say that prior studies have found that cars with a rating between one and four stars have up to 36 percent more of a chance of death.

Source: University of Buffalo

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Article source: http://blogs.automotive.com/suv-vs-small-car-crashes-deadly-despite-good-test-scores-138337.html

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Car Accident Attorney William Mattar Appears on CW 23′s “Winging It! Buffalo Style” Program

PRWEB.COM Newswire

Buffalo, NY (PRWEB) May 16, 2013

William Mattar knows that seatbelts help save lives. That’s why every year, the William Mattar Buckle Your Belt Program is run to encourage the people of New York State to buckle their seat belts every time they travel in a motor vehicle.

In order to incentivize individuals to actively practice seat belt safety, Mattar offers a chance to win a trip for 4 to Fern Resort in Ontario, Canada for those willing to always Buckle Their Belts. On Thursday, May 16th, Mattar will appear live on CW 23 on the “Winging It! Buffalo Style” program from 8-9 AM. Mattar will discuss the importance of seat belt safety and the details of the vacation getaway prize.

For more information, visit the Community Page on http://www.WilliamMattar.com.

About William Mattar, P.C.

William Mattar Law Offices, established in 1990, is composed of experienced injury attorneys representing clients in the Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Binghamton and Albany areas. The injury attorneys at William Mattar Law Offices are ready to help those hurt in a car accident. The firm’s main goal is to get their clients the best possible results. If you’ve been seriously injured in a car or motor vehicle accident, call the attorneys at William Mattar. http://www.williammattar.com.

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/5/prweb10738583.htm

Article source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1251838

“I’m happy to spread the word about the William Mattar Buckle Your Belt Program. It is a wonderful opportunity to teach seatbelt safety to the people of New York State!”

William Mattar
Founder
William Mattar Law Office

Buffalo, NY (PRWEB) May 16, 2013

William Mattar knows that seatbelts help save lives. That’s why every year, the William Mattar Buckle Your Belt Program is run to encourage the people of New York State to buckle their seat belts every time they travel in a motor vehicle.

In order to incentivize individuals to actively practice seat belt safety, Mattar offers a chance to win a trip for 4 to Fern Resort in Ontario, Canada for those willing to always Buckle Their Belts. On Thursday, May 16th, Mattar will appear live on CW 23 on the “Winging It! Buffalo Style” program from 8-9 AM. Mattar will discuss the importance of seat belt safety and the details of the vacation getaway prize.

For more information, visit the Community Page on http://www.WilliamMattar.com.

About William Mattar, P.C.

William Mattar Law Offices, established in 1990, is composed of experienced injury attorneys representing clients in the Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Binghamton and Albany areas. The injury attorneys at William Mattar Law Offices are ready to help those hurt in a car accident. The firm’s main goal is to get their clients the best possible results. If you’ve been seriously injured in a car or motor vehicle accident, call the attorneys at William Mattar. http://www.williammattar.com.

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Article source: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/5/prweb10738583.htm

When shopping for a car, you’ve no doubt compared crash-test ratings. Whether from the government or insurance industry, crash-test scores provide valuable insight into the occupant protection a car provides. But these ratings don’t tell the whole story.

For instance, the front-crash scores simulate striking a same-sized vehicle. What happens if you hit a larger, heavier, or taller vehicle? Results from a new study being presented today by researchers at the University of Buffalo reveals the impact of your car-buying decision.

While the laws of physics dictate that in a crash between mismatched vehicles, the lighter one takes the brunt of the impact, this study shows just how unequal the contest is.
In car vs. SUV head-on crashes, the study found that the odds of death were 7.6 times higher for the car driver than the SUV driver. In crashes where the car had a better front crash-test rating than the SUV did, the car’s driver fared a bit better but was still four and a half times more likely to die than the SUV driver. (Watch crash-test videos.)

The study looked at information from severe head-on crashes in the government-managed FARS (Fatality Analysis Reporting System) database. In particular, the authors were looking to see what role car-type played in the outcome and how reliably crash scores predicted survival. The data sample included 83,251 crashes. (To learn more about crash tests, read our primer “Crash test 101.”)

The researchers concluded that at least for head-on crashes, the vehicle type is more important than the crash-test rating in predicting survival. It’s correct that you can’t assume that a good crash-test score is some sort of guarantee. But there is more to choosing a safe vehicle than simply picking a big one.

Front crashes account for about half of all passenger vehicle deaths on American roads, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Based on its analysis, the Institute says overall “…a driver of a vehicle rated Good in the moderate [front] overlap test is 46 percent less likely to die in a frontal crash, compared with a driver of a vehicle rated Poor. A driver of a vehicle rated Acceptable or Marginal is 33 percent less likely to die than a driver of a poorly rated one.” In other words, ratings do matter.

Choosing an SUV for safety isn’t an automatic win, as their higher center of gravity makes them more prone to rollover, an often fatal event. Electronic stability control (ESC) substantially reduces rollover risk, and we highly recommend it when shopping for a used vehicle. ESC has been mandatory since the 2012 model year and was widespread for several years before then. It is telling that most of the 6,800 occupants killed in rollovers in 2010 were not wearing seat belts, suggesting that many of those deaths were easily preventable. (Learn more in “Rollover 101.”)

How to choose a safe car
Just because a big, heavy vehicle has the advantage in a head-on with a smaller, lighter one, it doesn’t mean that lighter vehicles are unsafe. In truth, they’re safer than ever and overall traffic fatalities are near their all-time low. But do choose a vehicle with up-to-date safety equipment, such as antilock brakes, curtain air bags, and stability control. And choose one that has performed well in the various government and insurance industry crash tests. It should also have done well in the Consumer Reports’ dynamic tests, such as accident avoidance and wet/dry braking. Even better than surviving a crash is avoiding one in the first place.

Safety considerations play an important role in Consumer Reports’ criteria for recommending any car. A recommended vehicle also has to perform well overall in our more than 50 tests and have average or better predicted reliability, based on our annual survey of 1.2 million cars. (Check out our new and used car Ratings.)

After that, it is up to the driver to buckle up, stay sober and alert, and maintain a safe speed. That’s the best way to maximize your odds of survival, no matter what size car you drive.

Article source: http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2013/05/suvs-are-safer-than-cars-in-front-crashes-but-there-is-more-to-the-story.html

redOrbit Staff Wire Reports – Your Universe Online

Even if a car has a better safety rating than an SUV, the driver in the smaller vehicle is more likely to be the one killed in a head-on collision between the two different types of automobiles, according to research being presented Thursday at the annual meeting of the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) in Atlanta.

While consumers often view crash safety ratings as a way to gauge how safe an automobile will be in an accident, researchers from the University of Buffalo have determined that vehicle type plays a much more important role when it comes to the odds of survival.

They found that if a car crashes into an SUV with a better crash rating, the drivers of the smaller vehicle were ten times more likely to be killed. However, even if the car had a better safety rating than the SUV, the driver of the car was still over four times more likely to die in the accident.

“When two vehicles are involved in a crash, the overwhelming majority of fatalities occur in the smaller and lighter of the two vehicles,” said Dietrich Jehle, a professor of emergency medicine at the university and first author of the study.

“But even when the two vehicles are of similar weights, outcomes are still better in the SUVs, because in frontal crashes, SUVs tend to ride over shorter passenger vehicles, due to bumper mismatch, crushing the occupant of the passenger car,” he added.

Eliminating crash safety ratings from their considerations and looking only at fatality data, the researchers found that the odds of death for drivers in passenger cars were over seven-times higher than SUV drivers in all head-on collisions.

In accidents involving two cars, the one with the lower safety rating was linked with a 1.28 times increased risk of death for the driver, and a driver was found to be 1.22 times more likely to die in a head-on wreck for every point of reduction in that vehicle’s crash safety rating.

Information from all severe head-on crashes listed in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) database between 1995 and 2010 was used for the study. According to the researchers, that database contains all motor vehicle crashes that resulted in a death within 30 days, and includes 83,521 vehicles that were involved in head-on collisions.

“Along with price and fuel efficiency, car safety ratings are one of the things that consumers rely on when shopping for an automobile,” Jehle said. Those ratings, he explained, range from one to five stars and are based on collected data from frontal, side barrier and side pole crashes that compare vehicles of similar type, size and weight.

The ratings system was first established by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 1978.

“Currently, the larger SUVs are some of the safest cars on the roadways with fewer rollovers and outstanding outcomes in frontal crashes with passenger vehicles,” Jehle explained.

“Passenger vehicles with excellent safety ratings may provide a false degree of confidence to the buyer regarding the relative safety of these vehicles as demonstrated by our findings. Consumers should take into consideration the increased safety of SUVs in head-on crashes with passenger vehicles when purchasing a car.”

Article source: http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1112847512/suvs-safer-than-cars-regardless-of-safety-rating-051513/