More Women Held for Driving while Intoxicated, Study Finds

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Arrests for women driving under the influence jumped by nearly 30 percent during the decade ending in 2007, according to a study released Wednesday by the U.S. Transportation Department.

"To be honest with you, I was certainly surprised about that statistic," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said at a news conference.

However, when it comes to drunken driving arrests, women continue to be outnumbered by men by four to one.

Laura Dean-Moody, president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said that "women are unfortunately picking up some of the same terrible, reckless behaviors that men have exhibited."

The report, authored by the FBI for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, found a declining number of men arrested for similar alcohol-related violations.

The numbers were compiled from national law enforcement records covering 1998-2007.

Moody said the report does not explain why women are increasingly driving while impaired but speculated, "Women are under more pressure. They're now perhaps the breadwinner with the unemployment rate."

She also added that "TV shows have made it look hip or cool to be a mom that stays home and drinks."

The findings were part of the launch of a Labor Day law enforcement campaign called "Over the Limit, Under Arrest."

Describing what's intended to be a nationwide effort, Fairfax County, Virginia, police Capt. Susan Culin said, "we'll be making more traffic stops, writing more tickets, conducting more sobriety checkpoints and DUI saturation patrols, and we'll be arresting any driver we determine to be impaired."

Moody, whose husband was killed in 1991 by a drunken driver, cited statistics suggesting that 2 million drivers with multiple alcohol convictions will be on the road during the Labor Day holiday.

Criticizing a court system that has allowed such drivers to keep their licenses, Moody said, "these are people who have proven not once, not twice but three times that they are not worthy of the public's trust when it comes to operating a vehicle."

Quote of the Week

"Women would rather be right than reasonable."
-Ogden Nash
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Some Men Carry "Commitment-Phobia" Gene

No Shit!

Forget the prenup. Couples pondering whether to tie the knot should proceed straight to gene testing.

Well, that's one conclusion you can draw from a study in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. Researchers at the Karolinksa Institute in Sweden examined a gene allele 334 in people enrolled in the Twin and Offspring Study in Sweden. This gene can affect the production of a hormone called vasopressin, which has been shown to influence monogamy in animals. They found that men who had two copies of allele 334 were twice as likely to have had a marital or relationship crisis in the last year compared with those who lacked the gene variant.

These men seemed less able to bond with their partners, says lead author Hasse Walum, a postgraduate student in medical epidemiology and biostatistics. "Women married to men who carry one or two copies of allele 334 were, on average, less satisfied with their relationships than women married to men who didn't carry this allele.

But, men, if you're tempted to use genes as an excuse for bad behavior, forget about it. Walum notes that though the study may shed some light on the genetic underpinnings of human bonding, "there are, of course, many reasons why a person might have relationship problems."

Walum's research is aimed at improving the understanding of vasopressin and its role in disorders such as autism and social phobia.