Men of New Jersey be forewarned: law enforcement may be on the lookout
for you this holiday season. Why?

Apparently men are more likely to drive while under the influence than
women. According to two studies, one from the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention and the other from the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic
Safety, men are statistically drinking and driving more often than their
female counterparts.

There are a few hypotheses as to why this is the case. The disparity could
simply be because men drive more often than women. If so, it makes sense
that the number of men involved in alcohol-related incidents is greater
than that of women.

Could the gap be caused by a more general likelihood to engage in “risk-taking
behavior”? A New Jersey official believes that this could explain
why the rate of men who are drinking and driving is higher.

While there is no conclusive research that definitively pinpoints one explanation,
it may simply be a combination of several different factors that is driving
up the rate for male drivers.

A national campaign directed at reducing the number of intoxicated drivers
does seem to target men. The campaign, titled “Drive Sober or Get
Pulled Over” has already begun in the state and will run throughout
the upcoming holidays.

But is it possible for police officers to focus too much on male drivers?
If the emphasis is on men suspected of drunk driving, law enforcement
may make greater efforts to watch for men behind the wheel. This could
prevent them from seeing female drivers who might be drunk driving and
could actually widen the gap between the rate of men involved in alcohol-related
incidents versus the rate of women.

Source: New Jersey Star-Ledger:
“Men more likely than women to drink and drive,” Nov. 3, 2011