[Women and drunk driving--references from the legal expert practice].

Abstract

From 1980 to 1990 the number of female drunken drivers increases significantly from 5.33% to 7.87% in Germany. Women between 25 and 55 years old are overrepresented, especially the 35-45 aged. The number of women, who had been sentenced for the first time because of drunken driving significantly decreases from 12.75% in 1985 to 9.07% in 1990 within the total subpopulation of those who were medical-psychologically examined in Münster. The blood-alcohol-concentrations (BACs) of the women examined in Münster were analyzed. There were no differences in the average BACs and in the variance. In every year the examined women were part of the same population of people with similar problems. The average BACs are 2.04/1000 (1980), 2.2/1000 (1985) and 2.01/1000 (1990). The analysis of the results of the medical-psychological examinations shows no significant difference between men and women in 1990. In 1980, 1985 and 1990 there was no increase in negative judgements because of medical reasons, in 1980 only one woman was suggested to participate in a driver-improvement-course and in 1985 significantly less women were rejected because of psychological reasons. This was caused by a significant increase in positive judgements in the subgroup of those women, who had more than one drunken driving offence or other incidents. The results show, that those women examined in Münster belong to the group of people who drink alcohol in an excessive an abnormal way. The equal treatment of women and men by the examining psychologists can be regarded as justified. In respect to the different conditional structure responsible for abnormal drinking of women in comparison to men it is necessary to examine women and men in different ways.