Many people may believe that getting pulled over and charged with DUI in Broward County and elsewhere in the nation is something that happens mostly to men. But that's not necessarily the case.
A recent study found that the number of females charged with DUI is on the rise.
Regardless of the person's gender, being charged with DUI in Broward County is a life-altering experience. A driver who sees the flashing lights behind them after they have been drinking instantly becomes nervous, which can lead to the officer thinking the driver is acting "suspiciously."
As our Broward DUI defense lawyers know and have talked about over the years is that being pulled over is nerve-racking for anyone. Yet officers sometimes use that nervousness to justify beginning a DUI investigation.
And for a growing number of female drivers, they are the one's sitting in the driver's seat. A recent Washington Post article reports that there has been a 36 percent increase in drunken-driving arrests among females in the last decade.
The study found that the average female drunk driver is more educated and older than her male counterpart. Many also tend to be primary caregivers to children and have lower-paying jobs.
The study came to fruition after a 2009 accident in New York where a mother, who was found to be drunk and high, drove across a highway and crashed, killing herself, her daughter, three nieces and three people in another car.
The article suggests that parenting and drinking have become commonplace for some mothers. Even having a glass of wine or two while visiting with friends and watching their children can be a problem.
Because the average woman weighs less than the average man, it can take fewer drinks to cause them to be intoxicated. And it can lead to their blood-alcohol level being higher, even if only a few drinks are consumed.
This furthers the notion that DUI isn't a planned crime. It happens mostly by accident in situations when a person had no intention to get arrested. Yet, lawmakers have made the penalties so severe that it can cause major long-term problems for a person who gets arrested. That highlights the need to fight the charges aggressively.
Every aspect of a DUI case can be looked at by an experienced DUI defense lawyer. The initial stop can be challenged if officers didn't have probable cause to pull the driver over in the first place. This is typically because of speeding, swerving or another traffic violation.
After that, if an officer conducts field sobriety tests and isn't properly trained to do so, those results may be tossed out of court. As we've detailed on our blog many times, breathalyzers statewide have been challenged for their faulty manufacturing and problematic results. Those can be challenged as well.
A DUI can poorly affect anyone's future. So, fight the charges and do so aggressively.
If you need to speak with a Broward defense lawyer regarding DUI charges, contact Russell D. Bernstein P.A. at 1-855-FLA-TICKET for a free consultation.
More Blog Entries:
Broward County Police Will Be Scouring the Area For DUI Arrests Starting in Thanksgiving: November 23, 2011
Additional Resources:
Drunken-driving arrests for women up 36 percent, by Janice D'Arcy, The Washington Post
