FEATURE: Who is the Female Drunk Driving Offender?

Do men or women drink and drive more? And why?

Studies do prove that it’s men who drink and drive more in the U.S., yet there’s a slow, startling rise in female drunk driving occurrences.

It’s hard to argue against the fact that men still lead in DUI convictions and arrests. When you look at national drunk driving statistics by gender, three times as many men were arrested for drunk driving as women from 2005 to 2014. And according to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), men die in a drunk driving crash 5.2 more times every year than women at 1.5.

But why are women becoming a bigger part of the DUI problem in the U.S.?

Women Drunk Driving Offenders

Between 1998 and 2007, a nine-year period, the number of female DUI offenders rose nationally by 30 percent. In California alone, the number doubled from 10.6 percent of DUI arrests to 21.2 percent within 15 years. Women of all ages are also driving drunk more frequently. Between 1998 and 2004, female arrests increased in all age ranges.

It’s true. Women are drinking and driving more, but they’re also consuming alcohol at a higher rate than they used to.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found in 2012 that 13 percent of women in the U.S. binge drink on a regular basis. That is only half the rate of men who binge drink.

Why are Women Drinking and Driving More?

There are three factors that appear to be most responsible for the increase in female drinking and driving behaviors, and drinking in general.

1. The cultural shift that has happened in the U.S. regarding our attitudes toward females and female drinking.
2. Progressive changes that have occurred in the roles that females play in our society over the past 30 years.
3. Socio-legal changes that have impacted females, sometimes more than their male counterparts.

Cultural Shift

The cultural shift for “mommy drinkers” has been swift and certain. Online blogs and social media are full of mothers unburdening themselves about jobs, cooking, homework, college applications, school functions, clothes left in the dryer and housework. In fact, women age 30 and over are the biggest contributor to the wine industry in the past 15 years. Wine drinking moms has become so prevalent in our culture that blogs, memes, merchandise and wine bottles themselves all reflect this shift.

In general, it’s become more acceptable for women to drink and drink into intoxication. It’s across all ages as evidenced by older women’s’ “girl weekends” and “winery trips.”

The Female Role

There are changes that have occurred to the roles women play in society, and the expectations that society and females themselves place on how women should function in these roles.

Women over 40 in 2018 remember a time when few mothers worked. But today, few women 40 to 55-years-old had that option themselves. There was a greater pressure to go to college, find a profession, and work a career. Second incomes were needed, and the career world really opened up for women.

So now, more women are driving. More women are spending more hours in the car and are driving more miles than ever before. Women are more likely to be single parents and the sole caretaker of their children, which also contributes to the increase in roadway travel.

The pressure for women to succeed in every aspect of their lives, from work, to motherhood, to significant others and everything in-between, fuels more low self-esteem and self-worth, which in turn can lead to alcohol to help cope with these feelings.

Socio-legal Changes

Changes in social control policies and the cultural landscape have also contributed to more women getting charged with DUI.

Statistics from the 1980s indicate that when a woman was pulled over for impaired driving, they were more likely to be given a warning than an actual DUI. This can be attributed to many factors, not the least of which is the change in female roles in society.

In 1980, women were seen as more “innocent,” especially when it comes to drinking behavior. Fewer women held positions of power and were looked upon, by what was predominantly a male police force, as vulnerable and in need of rescue.

Flash forward to 2018.

Women are leaps and bounds ahead of where they were in 1980. There are also more female police officers and females in powerful positions. More female police officers imply they are not likely to have the same views as their male counterparts and are more likely to arrest female DUI offenders.

Another major contributor to the rise in female DUI arrests can be attributed to the passage of .08 as the legal BAC limit in all states. The result of .08 was the casting of a wider net to catch more DUI offenders. What was not predicted was that this wider net was more likely to catch female offenders than it was males. Here’s why:

• Men were already being arrested for DUI with BACs well above the .08 limit. There was not a large population of men being “let off” because they had BACs under .10. However, women are more likely to be arrested with lower BACs (such as in the .08 range). So, this wider net was more likely to include women drivers who did meet the legal limit previously, but do meet the .08 limit.
• Women are more vulnerable to the effects of alcohol. Women are more likely to be at .08 after only a few drinks as compared to males who require significantly more alcohol to reach that level. Women can reach .08 faster than men.

Who is the Female Drunk Driving Offender?

This following information was taken from a study done by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation in 2013.

The study was conducted with 154 female drunk driving offenders in four different locations throughout the U.S. The information that was gathered from these women collectively helps to create a multi-faceted profile of exactly who the female offender is and a picture of her life circumstances at the time of her arrest.

Of the 154 women in the study, ages ranged from teens to mid-60’s. Female drunk driving is not limited to just one age group, however, most of the women ranged from age 20 into the 40’s. Some of the women were first offenders and some were repeat offenders. For all of them, their first DUI arrests occurred as early as age 18 and as late as age 55.

The study found that there were some vast differences among the women from age group to age group. So, let’s look at the age groups separately.

Young Women

Young women were found to do most of their drinking in bars or at house parties. These women also reported that the main reasons they drink are to relax/fit in socially and/or because they felt pressure to “keep up” their alcohol consumption of their boyfriends or other males in their group.

Many of the women came from unstable home lives, but if they were from a stable home, they reported feeling immense pressure from their families to ‘succeed,’ which caused them to drink to deal with the pressure. These young women reported almost daily alcohol consumption and binge drinking was very common. They often have partners who drink heavily and those partners encouraged them to drink. They also reported a high level of psychosocial stresses (i.e. family problems, parent problems, school problems, etc).

Newly Weds and Recent Mothers

Recently married women with children is the next group that emerged with a common profile.

These women reported that their drinking did not really “take off” or become a regular issue until after the birth of their children. We have moms who are being told everywhere they look that “to deal with parenthood in this day and age, you need alcohol.” Couple that with the new female role in society where we expect women to be successful and accomplished in every aspect of their professional and parental life. Women in this group have an immense amount of pressure on them to be “super women and super moms.”

Women in this group may feel like they are set up for failure and to cope, they are turning more frequently to alcohol. And yet, their duties as moms, wives and employees do not stop. They must also drive more frequently to meet their life demands. More drinking + more driving = more female DUI offenders.

They report that they also did not have many instances of drinking and driving prior to this period of their lives. They admit that their drinking and driving increased (in some instances significantly increased) only after the birth of their children.

Many reported some degree of post-partum depression and drinking to cope with feelings of loneliness and isolation. In some instances, they reported that their drinking really became an issue after entering a relationship with someone who was a problem drinker.

Most reported drinking at home and that they were arrested close to home while out “running errands” (i.e., getting groceries, picking up kids, etc.) And 50 percent reported that they had been guilty of driving drunk with their children in the car at some point (not necessarily at the time of the arrest event).

Divorced, Older Women

The divorced, older women and/or empty nesters also emerged with a distinct profile. These women typically did not begin their drinking problems until later in life (late 30s through 40s).

Most of them reported a catalyst for their increased drinking, which included divorce, failed long-term relationships, shared custody arrangements, grown children leaving the home and/or an older parent dying or suffering a long-term illness.

They are most likely to be drinking at home and most likely to be drinking alone. Which leads to the next characteristic which is that they also report feeling depressed.

The divorced women reported drinking in social situations to feel comfortable being “back out there” for the first time in many, many years.
Interestingly, this age group displayed a much higher degree of shame and guilt with their DUI arrest which they attributed to the fact that their children were old enough to comprehend the negativity of their actions.

Within this age group, it is the women over 40 who are most likely to be arrested for DUI.

Substance Abuse, Mental Health Among Female DUI Offenders

Over half of female DUI offenders report early onset drinking behavior, and their first exposure to alcohol and/or drugs was in the home with relatives or friends. In some cases, drinking became more problematic after becoming involved with a partner who drank more frequently and extensively than they did. And 75 percent or more of these cases mix alcohol with prescription medications for mental health issues, primarily for anxiety or depression.

In fact, a study in 2007 states that higher degrees of addiction severity and cooccurring mood disorders suggests that female DUI offenders possess more serious and complex problems than male DUI offenders. Most do not realize that their drinking is more distinct until their DUI event.

Female Drunk Drivers’ Arrest Circumstances

A very high percentage of female DUI offenders are arrested near home while running errands or taking their children somewhere. 25 percent are arrested with children in the car, and 50 percent report having previously driven under the influence with children in the car.

The Female Drunk Drivers’ Profile Summary

• The average age of a first DUI ranges between 18 to 55-years-old.
• Early onset drinking and late onset drinking and driving behavior is common.
• 75 percent have a high school diploma and 33 have a post-secondary degree.
• More than 50 percent are single, separated or divorced and most have children.
• Only 33 percent report having a support network.
• Nearly all reported a major life stressor precipitated the DUI event.
• 75 percent use prescription medication for mental health issues.
• A large percentage have a history of emotional, sexual and/or physical abuse.

How to Treat the Female Drunk Driving Offender

Studies say that female offenders differ from male offenders in several ways, yet most treatment and sanctions programs are based on research and results from strategies that were applied primarily to the male population.

While this makes sense with male DUI offenders still prevalent in the U.S. by a landslide, with the rise of female DUI offenders, some adjustments should be made in these programs to accommodate to their separate reasons for drinking and driving.

Sanctions that are certain and swift prove to be the most effective, such as immediately answering to violations of their Ignition Interlock program. Having on-site childcare, addressing the occurrence of other mental health issues, and female-only treatment/education groups or treatment centers could also lead to a more effective program.

Over the past 10 years, DUI arrests have decreased overall. But female DUI offenders’ arrest rates have not. With more of a focus on the female DUI offender in treatment programs, women can change their lives and get back to a normal lifestyle on the road.

Need an Ignition Interlock Now?

Smart Start can get you back on the road again with a reliable device and an affordable program. Ask for any current specials or discounts in your state! Call and schedule your installation appointment today at (800) 831-3299 or fill out our online form.