There are many ways to look at DUI statistics to find out how they are likely to occur. For instance, there’s often a spike in DUI charges for those in their early 20s. A large part of this is because they can now legally buy alcohol at other locations, such as bars, clubs or sporting events. It just opens the doors to situations where people have been drinking and still need to drive home, making a DUI possible.
But one thing to consider is that studies indicate that men are more likely to get DUIs than women. For example, in one study looking at those between 21 and 24 years old, researchers found a four-to-one ratio. There was only one female drunk driver for every four male drunk drivers. Even if the ratio changes a bit for other age groups or for genders as a whole, without considering age, this still suggests that it’s more likely that men will be arrested.
Men are also more likely to drive
One interesting related fact, though, is simply that men drive more than women. For example, one study found that there were more female drivers who had a license, but they only averaged around 9,838 miles annually. There were slightly fewer male drivers, but their average miles came in at 13,356. This means that women drive 26% fewer miles, so there is less exposure to potential DUI charges.
Similarly, couples will sometimes be pulled over on the way home from an event where they’ve both been drinking. But only one of them will actually be driving the car. If men are more likely to be driving in this scenario, even though both people would be impaired, men would be the ones who would face drunk driving charges.
That said, there are tens of thousands of men and women who face DUI charges every year, and anyone who is in this position needs to know what legal defense options they have.