DUI Demographics: Who is Most Likely to Get Caught?
Posted on Feb 12, 2013 3:44pm PST
According to recent studies by the Center for Advancing Health, white young adults are the most likely candidates to be arrested for a DUI. Research from the Journal of Adolescent Health discovered that white 21-year-olds are 50 percent more likely to receive a DUI than their Asian, Hispanic, or Black peers. This research has been backed up with actual statistics based on arrests in local jurisdictions. A study group has determined that young adults between 21 and 25 have the highest rate of driving under the influence than any other age group.
This is partially because they are enjoying the new freedoms of drinking, and fail to remember to designate a driver when they go out to parties or clubs. As well, younger drivers often don’t think about all the different implications of driving under the influence and fail to plan ahead and consider the issues at hand. A study that was completed at the University of Florida’s College of Medicine says that the risk for a DUI and dying in an alcohol-related crash rise significantly during adolescence and then keeps on going up into the mid-20s. In the mid-20s, charts show that there are more DUIs among that age group than at any other time in a person’s life.
This information has caused many health groups to ponder what factors cause DUI offenders to commit so many crimes while in this age group. Researchers used data from 10,271 teenagers who were apart of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to get some answers. The teens joined the study back in 1994-1995 and reported their DUI behaviors at 21. The results of the study determined that DUI risk is highest for white 20-somethings, and that this is followed by a significant risk for Hispanic 20-somethings. The next ethnic group with the most DUI arrests was Asians, followed by Blacks. Supposedly, this data is consistent with other national studies among adults. The research also proved that white males struggle most with the high-risk factors that enhance the possibility of a DUI. These include smoking marijuana, binge drinking, or driving other people’s cars without their permission.
Another important finding that was discovered in the study is the fact that young people who had easy access to alcohol at home were more likely to be arrested for a DUI. This was a common issue for Whites, Hispanics and Asians but most Black youth and mid-20’s adults said that they did not have alcohol readily available at their residencies. One Doctor and researcher at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center’s School of Health Professions says that this may be because of the fact that many Black Americans are a part of protestant denominations that reject the use of alcohol.
Therefore, the families do not normally purchase the alcohol and have it readily available for teens and young adults who may be tempted to consume it. Research teams that took part in this DUI demographic project also determined that males were more likely to be arrested for a Dui than females. Teens from higher income families and teens who owned their own cars were also at a higher risk to an arrest. The researchers who conducted this project hope that their findings will help to eliminate the amount of young offender DUIs in the United States. If you have been arrested for an underage DUI or are a legal driver but had a BAC over 0.08% then you need to contact an attorney near you today for aid. You will want an experienced DUI attorney there to help you as you combat your charges in the court, so use this directory to finding a willing lawyer near you!