Tag Archives: drinking and driving

More women are drinking and driving

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More women are drinking and driving

More women are drinking and driving

Traditionally, men have been seen as the riskier gender when it comes to car insurance. However, a disturbing new trend shows that DUI rates among men are rising while among women they are rising rapidly. Men are still more likely to get a DUI but new research shows that more and more women are drinking and driving.

More women are drinking and driving: A growing trend

Researchers recently convened in Washington to present evidence that drinking and driving is a growing problem among women. DUI arrests among women have increased almost 30% from 1998 to 2007, according to the Traffic Injury Research Foundation.

More women are drinking and driving: What is the cause?

Many experts have hypothesized the reason that more women are drinking and driving. Binge drinking (consuming more than four drinks in a sitting for women and five for men) rates are also rising for women. Some think that today’s women have to deal with more stress than their predecessors. More equality in the workplace combined with the same amount of home life duties may be causing more women to turn to alcohol. Because of the recession, women’s incomes have become more important because so many men have lost their jobs. Meanwhile, women are still responsible for most of the child-rearing responsibilities.

In addition, there are more female drivers on the roads today. In fact, female drivers outnumber male drivers. So part of the cause may just be that more women are drinking and driving because more women are driving.

Another theory points to the increase in the female-directed marketing campaigns for marketing.

In addition, women may not realize that alcohol tends have a greater effect than it does on men. The same number of drinks may put a woman over the legal limit while the man is still able to drive.

More women are drinking and driving: Who’s at risk?

Studies show that women who drink and drive tend to share similar characteristics. They tend to be unmarried and have less steady employment compared to men who drink and drive. Women who drink and drive were also more likely to have a primary problem with drugs like cocaine and/or a psychological problem like depression and bipolar disorder. Also, young women wanting to fit in, young mothers after the birth of a baby, and empty nesters drink and drive more often.

Women are also more likely to have children in the car, so more women drinking and driving also means more children at risk of fatal car accidents.

More women are drinking and driving: Getting help

Unfortunately women with drinking problems are much less likely to seek help than their male counterparts. Unlike men, women tend to drink alone and at home, which enables them to hide a problem from friends and family. When women do seek treatment, it is usually after something catastrophic has already happened. Women also tend to have most of the responsibility in raising children, so they are less likely to be able to go to inpatient treatment centers.

Sources:

http://healthland.time.com/2013/01/24/why-women-drink-and-drive/

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/32321637/ns/health-addictions/t/women-drinking-more-duis-experts-say/

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Drunk Driving Statistics

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Alcohol Drinkign and Driving Stats Chart

Drunk Driving Statistics

Drunk driving or driving while impaired or under the influence of illegal substances is still a major problem for those on and off the road in the United States. According to the CDC in October 2011 there were nearly 11,000 car accident fatalities linked with drunk driving. These drunk driving statistics are related to accidents where at least one driver had a blood alcohol level above the legal limit.

The number of drunk driving statistics is still too high and may always be too high. The number of drivers that get behind the wheel after having too much to drink is frightening. The numbers for drunk driving statistics have decreased due to groups such as MADD etc. for example, the 2006 drunk driving statistics still showed about 20% more fatalities than the most recent drunk driving statistics. More drunk driving statistics from the CDC estimated that more than 112 million episodes of drunk driving or alcohol-impaired driving occur every year. Combine this now with other things like texting and driving on dangerous road condition and the number of car accident fatalities can sky rocket.

Some more drunk driving statistics from Madd.org

  • Drivers involved in fatal crashes with a BAC level of .08 or higher in 2010 were 28 percent for motorcycle riders, 23 percent for passenger cars, and 22 percent for light trucks. The percentage of drivers with BAC levels of .08 or higher in fatal crashes was the lowest for large trucks at 2 percent.
  • Over 1.41 million drivers were arrested in 2010 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics
  • About one-third of all drivers arrested or convicted of driving while intoxicated or driving under the influence of alcohol are repeat offenders
  • Almost half of all drivers who were killed in crashes and tested positive for drugs also had alcohol in their system

Drunk driving statistics show that young people are most likely to be involved in fatal drunk driving accidents. Young people meaning those aged 21-24. Motorcyclists and drivers that have had a prior conviction for DWI are also more likely. In fatal crashes in 2010, the highest percentage of drunk drivers was for drivers ages 21 to 24 (34 percent), followed by ages 25 to 34 (30 percent) and 35 to 44 (25 percent). These drunk driving statistics are why the government is so harsh on convicted DWI offenses and upping their game on stopping drunk driving from happening. For instance they install more checkpoints on the roads, take away drivers licenses, and install ignition interlock systems into cars or require those convicted to attend drug alcohol treatment.

Drunk driving statistics may be down from 2006 but there are a lot more things that can be done on the individual level to keep the statistics dropping. For instance, if you know you are going to be drinking make sure that you have alternative transportation or that someone who hasn’t been drinking can drive you home. If you know someone has been drinking too much don’t allow them to drive. Take their keys. If you are hosting a party and serving alcohol make sure to remind your guests to drive responsibly. Be sure to offer drinks that don’t contain alcohol so that those who will be driving have something else to drink instead of alcoholic beverages.

Source www.cdc.gov

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Drink Responsibly: Top 3 Rules to Safe Drinking

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Drink Responsibly: Top 3 Rules to Safe Drinking 

We live in a society where having a drink or two is as normal as going for a run, doing yoga, meditating, sleeping, going grocery shopping, or taking a stroll down the block. Drinking has evolved from an option (or recreational activity of sorts) to being a habit; and a bad one at that. We’ve glamorized and portrayed alcohol as a normal part of everyday life. Alcohol has ingrained itself into our society and to inform people on the dangers of alcohol when we’ve be told that it’s “normal” behavior to consume it and “live it up” is not easy. So, we won’t attempt to shove down your throat the perils of drinking alcohol, instead we just want to share our thoughts on how you can drink alcohol safely. Here are our top 3 rules to safe drinking:

  1. Do not engage in underage drinking. The drinking age in America is 21 years old for a reason and even at this age millions of people abuse alcohol by binge drinking or engaging in reckless behavior while intoxicated which puts themselves and others in danger. The human brain is not fully developed until the age of 25. That means that a person is truly not considered an adult until age 25. The brain is still growing and developing until the age of 25 yet people are allowed to ingest alcohol which affects the development of the human brain. We’ll safely blame that on a mixture of societal and governmental doing. Drinking prematurely can affect the development of your brain so it’s crucial that you do not engage in underage drinking. Just wait, it’s not worth the risk of getting caught by your parents, doing poorly in school, becoming sick or getting in trouble with the law. Be smart and be safe, just wait.
  2. Do not drink and drive or operate heavy machinery. When you become 21 and are able to drink, if you choose to drink, do so responsibly. Do not drink and drive or operate heavy machinery. When alcohol enters your body is slows downs your motor skills and thus impairs your ability to operate any type of vehicle. People who are intoxicated can barely walk straight so imagine how it’d be if they tried to drive a car. It just doesn’t sound too smart, does it?
  3. Do not binge drink or consume more than 1 alcoholic drink per hour. Alcohol like everything else should be consumed in moderation. Our bodies are not never-ending vessels that can handle large amounts of alcohol. Think about it, if we overeat we will get sick and/or throw up. Our bodies have limits when it comes to what we put in it. The body only needs enough food and liquids to keep it alive. Alcohol, though it has some benefits, can do us more harm than good if taken in large amounts, especially over a long period of time. When we ingest alcohol it goes into our blood stream, pumps into our brain throughout the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and the limbic system.  In the brain, alcohol latches onto the membrane of cells. It affects the neurotransmitters sent between different cells. These messages control what a person thinks, does and feels. By inhibiting some messages, and encouraging others, alcohol changes behaviors and thoughts.

This article is for informational purposes only. We’re not trying to tell anyone what to do but we just want to spread information on how to make the best choices when deciding to drink any alcoholic beverages; even those labeled non-alcoholic. Oh, yeah they do have alcohol in it so be careful.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Hangover Story: Passing out in her car and ruining it for good

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After a long night of drinking Sarah was ready to go home. Her story is the perfect example of what not to do after drinking a copious amount of alcohol. Sarah stumbling drunk got into her car to drive. This is our first absolute no, no.  Not only could she have ended up killing herself but she could have ended up killing someone else on the road. Regardless, our drunken woman Sarah got in her car and made the short drive from the bar to her apartment complex.

Once she got to her apartment complex and parked her car she opened her car door to get out. The next thing Sarah knew was she was opening her eyes to the sun shining, birds chirping and people going to work. She looked around and realized she had passed out before she could even step out of her car. Not only that but she had thrown up all over the floorboard of her car. When she tried to turn her car on the battery was dead from leaving her car door propped open all night. Sarah didn’t even remember how she got home the night before much less not making into her apartment or even throwing up in her car.

The car ended up smelling like vomit for the next six weeks. She didn’t make it to work the next day due to her hangover and could of gotten arrested, killed or killed someone else driving drunk.

The Moral of this story: Don’t drink. Definitely don’t drink and drive-I mean really? C’mon now. If you are going to drink have a designated driver or call a cab. Drink plenty of water before you go to bed if you can make it to your bed and get plenty of rest.

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.