WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- The number of drunken-driving arrests for women has increased in recent years, going up 36 percent in the last decade, a U.S. study says.
The study by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation found the average female drunk driver is older and better educated than her male counterpart, but holds a lower-paying job and is usually the primary caregiver for her children, The Washington Post reported.
The study suggests mothering and drinking may be a more common problem than thought as some parents drink to excess while caring for their children.
Stefanie Wilder-Taylor is a popular blogger and author who, after first writing about having a drink or two to deal with the daily stresses of child-rearing, later revealed she had become addicted to alcohol.
Her blog now includes a section where other parents who have realized their drinking has become problematic can discuss the issue.
"I joke around a lot and talk about drinking more than I actually do it; I exaggerate when I've had a bad day and say things like, 'I want to drink my body weight in alcohol,' and it's funny," one recent post said.
"Except it stopped being funny. I can control myself some of the time, which is why it's been so easy to rationalize why I continue to drink."
