Drink driving convictions for women nearly double

Published: 30/03/2015

The percentage of drink driving convictions for women has nearly doubled – from nine percent in 1998 to seventeen percent in 2012. A prominent road safety expert has claimed that women account for a greater proportion of drink drivers because of the stress in their lives.

She believes the effect of stress is compounding the physiological differences between women and men. Women’s bodies process alcohol differently to men and so they reach higher blood alcohol concentrations then men when drinking the same amount – even when differences in body weight are taken into account.

Professional pressures, family issues such as divorce or children leaving home all can lead to women drinking more whilst safety concerns around using public transport or taxis can then cause them to go behind the wheel to return home.

Personal injury solicitor, Kevin Smith comments:

“Recent statistics show that in 2012 drink drive deaths stood at 230 with 1,200 serious injuries. Whilst the Department for Transport report stresses that the number of drink drive deaths and serious injuries were both approximately 85 percent down on 1979 the fact remains that behind these statistics there are many tragic stories. For some the tragedy is that, whilst not drink driving themselves they are nonetheless caught up in a road traffic accident caused by a drink driver.

“Drink drive road accident victims with serious injuries have to live with the consequences of someone else’s irresponsible behaviour. The injuries they sustain may affect their ability to work or indeed continue to lead their previous life. For these victims a compensation claim for the road traffic accident and the rehabilitation they can benefit from as a result of this can put them on the right road to resuming as normal a life as possible.”

Content correct at time of publication.