Sex differences in driving under the influence: What can we conclude from accident data and point system?

The Czech Republic regularly ranks among the countries with the highest average alcohol consumption in the world, with men consuming about three times more alcohol than women. This is of particular concern in road safety. Approximately 5% of road accidents caused by motor vehicle drivers in the Czech Republic between 2012 and 2020 happened due to drivers under the influence of alcohol and/or other addictive substances (DUI). However, these accidents accounted for almost 11% of all fatalities registered in these accidents, most of which (95%) were caused by male drivers. This paper aimed to (1) analyze the differences in DUI between men and women, (2) relate data from drivers' penalty point system regarding DUI to data on the accident rate of inebriated drivers in the Czech Republic between 2012 and 2020. It was ascertained that men have a marked preponderance in both the point system (89%) and the accident data (86%) and the point system positively correlates with accident data in both men and women. In addition, the causes of traffic accidents vary according to the sex of the culprit - women crashed most often due to loss of vehicle control, whereas crashes of men occurred as a result of speeding. The statistical findings were complemented by the experience of an expert group conducting rehabilitation programs for drivers with suspended driving license.