DUI Arrests Are Down, But Not for Women

 Posted on March 12, 2018 in DUI

The number of driving under the influence arrests in the U.S. has steadily decreased in the past decades. At the same time, there has been an unsettling increase in DUI arrests among women. To be clear, men still make up 75 percent of all DUI arrests. However, women were only 18 percent of the arrests as recent as 2003. An FBI study estimated that the number of female DUI arrests increased by 20 percent from 2003 to 2012. The most recent gender data in 2015 showed that the number has decreased slightly, though still nowhere near the 2003 arrest levels. Trying to understand the trend, researchers have largely hypothesized that women’s changing societal role has led to the increase in DUI arrests.

Work-Related Drinking

People in the workforce may partake in drinking as a social activity with co-workers or a means of relieving stress. The trend of an increased number of women in the workforce started long before the more recent increase in DUI arrests. However, women’s statuses in workplaces have seen more recent improvements. Women are more likely to hold positions that are the equal of men and thus may be invited to more social outings at restaurants and bars. DUI arrests often follow a night of drinking with friends or co-workers.

Social Acceptance

There has long been a double standard when it comes to genders and social drinking. Unlike men, women are often viewed negatively if they drink to excess because:

• They are supposed to be caretakers of their husbands and children;
• Drunkenness is thought to be indecent behavior for a woman; and
• They are more vulnerable than men when they are drunk.

Drinking, in general, has become a more socially acceptable activity for women. Also, many women are putting off marriage or maternity, meaning that they are not tied down by their responsibilities to others.

More Driving, Less Breaks

The number of female DUI arrests may have been deflated in the past because:

• Men were more likely to drive women to and from social outings; and
• Male police officers may have taken pity on female drivers and let them off with warnings.

With more female drivers, the number of women stopped on suspicion of DUI will naturally increase. The emphasis on treating genders equally also means being stricter with women suspected of DUI.

Women and DUI Cases

The punishment for a DUI conviction does not have a gender bias. A San Francisco DUI defense attorney at Burglin Law Offices, P.C., can help you contest your DUI charges. Schedule a free consultation by calling 415-729-7300.

Source:

https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2015/crime-in-the-u.s.-2015/tables/table-42