Women DUI arrests show alarming rise in drunk driving
Men have always been guilty of enormous wrongs as drunk drivers. No news there. But women are narrowing the gap rapidly, and that’s news — big news.
In fact, it’s alarming news, because if women drinkers become as dangerous on our roads and highways as men, then America’s carnage from drunk driving accidents is going to get far, far worse. And it’s bad enough already, with about 16,000 drunk driving deaths per year.
Here’s the latest DUI news on which to chew: The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that the number of women arrested for drunk driving has jumped almost 30 per cent in the past decade. That’s not a statistical aberration — that’s a huge chunk. And it’s getting worse.
Why? Societal changes play a part. More men are unemployed today, and more women may feel the stress and pressure to bring home the bacon — as well as cart the kids from school to the doctor to the mall to home. Such stress and pressure might be relieved with a drink — maybe one drink — but for many people, one is never enough, and inebriation ensues — which becomes especially dangerous when they drive a heavy vehicle at high speeds through complex traffic patterns while making cell calls.
The DOT says 10 states have had an increase in impaired women in fatal wrecks: Wyoming, New Hampshire, Ohio, Montana, Indiana, Washington, Kansas, Tennessee, Nevada and West Virginia.
Yes, men remain the big DUI problem. But though male DUI arrests still outnumber female DUI arrests by almost four-to-one, a decade ago the ratio was almost six-to-one.
In fact, male DUI arrests have actually dropped by 50,000 per year in the past decade. In the same time, female DUI arrests have increased by 36,000 per year.
No one wants to be a statistic, but such numbers don’t lie — and can be illuminating. It’s time for all Americans to take stock of their lives and those of their loved ones and realize that anyone, at any time, can cause a life-changing if not life-ending car accident because they drove while intoxicated. USA-LegalHelpCenter.com takes that very seriously, and we hope you do too.
auto accident, car accident, drunk driving, traffic accident