Young Women and Drunk Driving
Drunk driving is a tragic and completely preventable problem around the world. Yet many continue to get behind the wheel while impaired from even small amounts of alcohol. A recent study has taken a look at the fatal crash rates of alcohol-related car accidents. Read on to learn more about the patterns of drinking and driving for young women.
More Drunk Driving Crashes For College Age Women
The Injury Prevention journal did a study on alcohol related crash rates for young women and men over a twelve year period (1995-2007) and across five different age groups. One notable trend featured no change in sixteen year old drivers across that time span, but a concerning increase in women ages 19-24. While young men still outnumber women in total representation of fatal alcohol-related crashes, this upward trend for 19-24 year old women is certainly eye-opening.
Another alarming statistic (concerning for both men and women) is that seatbelt use goes down as a person’ BAC (blood alcohol count) goes up. Many people know that a person’s judgment is impaired as they drink more alcohol. It seems that this study has highlight one of those judgment-based activities – the decision to wear a seatbelt.
More Questions About Drunk Driving And Young Women
While the study made a few wide sweeping conclusions and observations, it’s still uncertain what this means for the future. The college aged woman is driving drunk in larger numbers than ever before. What does that say about the social norms for young women who drink alcohol? Are they also drinking more each time they have alcohol? Are they drinking more often? Do they do other risky things at a higher rate than in years past?
Those answers are still out there, perhaps just being explored and connected. It certainly says enough to mean that parents and young women need to take extra caution when considering expectation surrounding alcohol use. Not all of this drinking is necessarily happening in college either. Many young women decide to go right to work instead of going on to school, or perhaps they put off school for a few years to save up money. One thing is for certain – this report opens up a lot of questions about our society and the choices young women are making about alcohol.
Alcohol Treatment Needed For Some Young Women
A young woman willing to drive while intoxicated may very well need alcohol rehab. If her judgement is so impaired that she cannot make a sound decision about driving safely, this risky behavior may be a clear red flag for alcohol treatment. If you are a parent of a young woman who is abusing alcohol, you may need to have an honest talk about driving drunk. It may be uncomfortable and embarassing, but you may save her life in doing so. Alcohol treatment can help a young woman with out-of-control drinking. Don’t wait – call an alcohol treatment program in your area today.
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