According to data released Thursday by the United States government, the number of women driving under the influence of alcohol has increased dramatically in the last decade. According to data released by the Department of Transportation and the FBI, the number of women arrested for drunk driving or driving under the influence of drugs increased nearly 30 percent from 1998 to 2007. Conversely, the number of men arrested for DUI fell 7.5 percent during the same period. This data comes as no surprise to top car accident and fatal DUI injury lawyers, who represent family members of those killed by drunk drivers.
Still, despite the increase in women driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the vast majority of people arrested for drunk driving (DUI) are men. In 2007, for example, 626,371 men were arrested for DUI, compared with 162,493 women.
In a parallel study released by the Transportation Department found that women drunk drivers were responsible for approximately 2,000 highway deaths each year. According to transportation officials, the number of people killed in a motor vehicle crash by a drunk driver who was a woman increased in 10 states from 2007 to 2008.
These studies were released in connection with the government’s anti-drunk driving enforcement campaign targeting drivers leading up to the Labor Day holiday weekend, which typically results in a spike of alcohol-related car accidents. To speak with a top Chicago personal injury lawyer with experience handling cases involving serious motor vehicle accidents, call Passen & Powell at (312) 527-4500 for a free consultation.