However, most of us understand that films etc are made up stories told for entertainment where if we based our expectations of people solely on that information we'd be grossly mistaken.
There are plenty of people that have their lives severely tilted if not turned upside down from a single DUI. There are also people of means that get off with a much less interruption to their day. I'm guessing it is the same on your side of the pond as well.
I do agree infras and density is a better option. But lack of infra doesn’t justify to drive drunk.
The data is really easy to get. I wish more people would avail themselves of it.
It's just a little funny you think California is unique in this regard. Pretty much all of the US is extremely underdeveloped when it comes to public transportation. Hillbillies in the boonies have to drive a lot too.
Indeed, people really under(over?)estimate how small a loss of attention has to be to become catastrophic.
I once wanted to know the name of a track that was playing while driving on the highway. I looked right to the stereo display and read it, that probably took a tenth of a second, but it happened right at the moment when something came into my lane and I had to veer off not to hit it, I did not hit it but also almost drove the car out of the road.
When you're distracted, even if you're looking straight ahead, coming back to reality, assessing the situation, reacting, ... takes at least a couple seconds and that's a lot of time in these scenarios.
"Ludicrous mode."
> the top killer of drivers are trees on the side of the road.
It's actually alcohol and drugs. Which is the reason those drivers find themselves in the trees.