DUI: Women vs Men
Each and every DUI arrest is a unique story with a different set of factors. One of the factors that people often overlook is gender.
According to most data, men are more likely to get arrested for drunk driving than women. According to 2019 data from the FBI, men accounted for 81% of DUI arrests, 19% were women. But, women face their own challenges when it comes to defending themselves in DUI court.
When it Comes to DUI, Women and Men Fare Differently
One of those is Blood Alcohol Content (BAC).
We know BAC can vary wildly for different people. But in general, women tend to metabolize alcohol more slowly. While this is partly because women tend to be smaller than men, it can also be related to metabolism, brain chemistry, hormones, medications and many other factors. For example, according to one study, women usually have a lower level of a specific enzyme that breaks down alcohol in the stomach.
So, a man and woman who are the exact same size could have the exact same alcoholic beverage, at the same time, and still have very different alcohol levels in their breath and blood at the same moment. And they can have varying levels of impairment behind the wheel of a vehicle.
There can also be issues with the breathalyzer.
Often, the breath tests are calibrated to a man’s breath to blood content. This ratio can be very different in a woman’s body. That means a breathalyzer could actually show an inaccurate BAC and skew the results higher in women.
Field Sobriety Tests
There are often issues with field sobriety tests. Clothing, footwear and nerves can all be factors that make a person perform poorly on these tests.
Hire an Experienced DUI Attorney
Because each arrest is unique, it is essential to have an experienced lawyer to help you sift through the facts of your case and help you find the best outcome for your situation. For DUI, women call Ashley Schiavone.