New Jersey DWI Lawyer Blog
As DWI defense attorneys here in the Garden State, we can certainly say that the male contingent is not the only sector of the driving public who has a history of drunken driving arrests. While some may argue that men are more likely to be cited for driving while intoxicated, it’s actually understood that as a group female motorists are being stopped for impaired driving more often than, say, ten years ago.
As New Jersey drunk driving defense lawyers, I and my colleagues have defended numerous clients, many of them women, who have been accused of driving under the influence. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that many people have made the mistake of getting behind the wheel of a motor vehicle after taking a few drinks. Of course, there are certainly fewer individuals out there who would consciously decide to drive while legally drunk, if they knew that they would end up in a courtroom accused of DWI.
The penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol or prescription drugs here in New Jersey can be quite heavy. And as we’ve seen over the past several years, women and men are constantly being introduced to what it’s like to be stopped for DWI. It wasn’t long ago that news articles, were heralding the new trend in drunk driving, that of female drivers being arrested on the highways and city streets.
Why this trend has been occurring is hard to say, but with all manner of individuals being stopped for intoxicated driving — grade school teachers to corporate executives — intoxicated driving arrests happen every day, all around the country, not just in New Jersey.
We could blame television, which made afternoon wine-tasting parties look like the latest trendy neighborhood event. But whether it’s the stay-at-home moms or the real housewives, being charged with drunken driving or drug DUI can lead to serious consequences if one is convicted. This can be especially difficult for those who are arrested following and injury accident.
According to an article some time ago, although four times as many men as women were being arrested nationwide for drunk driving, the number of women facing DWI charges had increased by almost one-third during the ten-year period ending in 2007. That year, 162,493 women were arrested for driving while intoxicated, according to FBI statistics. Surprisingly, arrests of men declined 7.5 percent during the same period.
No matter what the reasons, the trend for DWI arrests had been rising for the female population. Regardless, the results can be devastating to a person’s career or family life. This why we always recommend that anyone arrested for drunk driving, breath test refusal, or drug DUI seek the services of a qualified legal professional experienced in DWI defense.