Mother’s “Little Helper” (Alcohol) Results In More Drunk Driving Arrests Among Women In Pennsylvania As Well As Nationally
According to a recent report, drunk driving arrests among women are rapidly rising in the United States while DUI arrests among men are falling. A recent deadly crash in New York claimed the lives of eight people, including 4 children, and involved a woman allegedly driving drunk while transporting her children. In this New York case which drew national attention, Diane Schuler, 36, was noted to be high on alcohol and marijuana when she drove her minivan the wrong way for nearly two miles on a highway before smashing head-on into another vehicle. Schuler, four children in her van and three men in the other vehicle died in the violent car accident.
According to the survey, nationally the women arrested while driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs was 28.8% higher than in 2007 while arrests of men for drunk driving decreased 7.5%. Uniform crime reports in Pennsylvania indicated that males accounted for 78% and females for 22% of the state’s DUI arrests last year and Lt. Mira Taylor, Director of Public Information for the Pennsylvania State Police, noted that there was a 6.2% increase in the number of women arrested for drunk driving from 2007 to 2008 in Pennsylvania.
The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration stated that impaired driving by women causing car accidents and resulting catastrophic injuries and fatalities has become a national safety issue and that over 2,000 fatalities a year involved impaired female driving as a result of alcoholism. Many experts claim that the increase in women driving while intoxicated is the result of increased financial difficulties, relationship problems, work issues and the pressures of parenting.
The experienced car accident lawyers at Reiff & Bily have seen a dramatic increase in their intake of car accident and serious injury cases and consultations with individuals who have been involved in an accident with a drunk driver or a driver operating a vehicle under the influence of a controlled substance. Pennsylvania DUI Association said DUI arrests, especially with drug use or drugs combined with alcohol increased last year with 1,421 DUI crashes among 16 to 20 year olds. PennDOT recorded in 2008 298 crashes and 25 deaths that involved drugs or drugs combined with alcohol up from 278 crashes and 13 deaths the year before. One out of every five vehicular deaths in 2008 among 16 to 20 was due to driving under the influence. Impaired driving is a serious issue that affects everyone on the highways. The trend of more mothers and women driving under the influence is very disturbing.
The experienced car accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily have been committed to promoting highway and automotive safety since 1979. If you or a loved one has been in a car accident and you would like a free consultation regarding your rights, please feel free to contact one of our experienced Pennsylvania car accident lawyers at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.
