New study will focus on drink driving among women

A new study will explore the incidence of drunkenness among women and the possibility that this has led to an increase in drink driving or risk to women as pedestrians.

The first stage of the project is a literature review, ‘Drinking among British women and its impact on their pedestrian and driving activities’, carried out by Social Research Associates (SRA). The authors include Kris Beuret OBE, director of SRA, Claire Corbett, Brunel University and Heather Ward, UCL.

The literature review states that older adults and those with higher incomes are most likely to be at risk of harm from drinking. It also found that convictions for drink driving among women are increasing, while rates for males are falling. It also found that women drivers aged 40 and over appear to be more over the breath alcohol limit, proportionately, than other groups (both females and males).

The review claims that while most road safety campaign material is aimed at males, the small amount that is specifically aimed at women often carries the wrong message and acts as a ‘turn-off’.

SRA concludes that a lack of distinction by sex in statistics and literature is hampering understanding of the subject of women and drink driving. It recommends that this gap needs to be redressed and that a gender specific response is necessary to address what is clearly a disproportional increase in drink driving among women.

Click here to download the literature review or for more information contact Kris Beuret.