Female Drunk Driving Incidents on the Rise
A new trend is emerging that is alarming to many individuals: the rate of drunk driving incidents caused by female drivers is on the rise.
While the total number of fatalities attributed to drunk driving accidents has decreased across the nation during the last few years, early reports indicate that 2012 may have seen an increase in the total number of drunk driving accidents. This potential increase is the first increase in several years. The new trend regarding female drivers may partially explain this increase.
A conference in Washington, D.C. invited individuals to discuss about the potential reasons for the increase involving drunk female drivers. The Transportation Research Board hosted the annual conference. While a number of statistics were presented, the data is limited and prevented proponents from making any official recommendations.
While women are traditionally less risky drivers as evidenced by lower automotive insurance rates for this demographic, some women are exhibiting riskier behaviors such as drunk driving. Additionally, these particular women may engage in more risk-taking tendencies, may have memory problems and may have difficulty learning from negative past experiences.
Another reason for the trend is that more women are binge drinking than in previous decades. Binge drinkers are defined as individuals who have five or more drinks at one time. These individuals are more likely to drive while intoxicated and more likely to be arrested than any other types of drivers.
The Traffic Injury Research Foundation supports the theory that more women are causing drunk driving accidents. The organization cites data that the number of DUI arrests of drunk women has repeatedly climbed over the last few years. This increase has been quite significant, with a 30 percent hike between the years 1998 and 2007. While men previously far outnumbered women regarding the number of DUI arrests, this gap has narrowed dramatically during the last few years.
When a person causes an automotive accident due to negligent or reckless actions, the victim may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit in order to pursue compensation for the injuries that he or she sustained.
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