The rising number of fatal car crashes involving young women in the U.S. is largely due to alcohol, according to research findings published in Injury Prevention. The findings indicate that the number of young women who have been driving under the influence has been increasing at a higher rate than that of their male counterparts.
Using data from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the researchers analyzed the number of fatal road traffic collisions between 1995 and 2007, among drivers aged 16, 17, 18, 19 to 20 and 21 to 24, whose blood samples contained alcohol. The researchers found there were just under 180,000 fatal car crashes that fit the criteria during this time period.
Among young men in the first four age groups, the rate of fatal crashes fell by 2.5 per 100,000 of the population each year, while the rate remained the same for those aged 21 to 24. While the study found the number of young women involved in fatal accidents was consistently lower than their male peers, the rates increased for nearly every age group among women, with increases of .7 per 100,000 for 19 year olds, and .6 per 100, 000 for 21 to 24-year-olds. Moreover, young women are more likely to be involved in alcohol-related car crashes at all times of the week than young men, as the number of crashes involving young women increased 3.5 percent during the weekdays and 2.2 percent on weekends, compared to 1.5 percent and .4 percent, respectively among young men.
The researchers point out that this study mirrors the increasing drug use among young women, which they believe may be attributed to changing social and cultural norms.
