Why do people drink and drive when they know it's dangerous?

Some people are fools. Actually, public transportation in the USA is fairly well available. We should not compare to European public transportation which can be vast because in the USA the automobile has long been the preferred mode of transport. The fact is a person can always take a taxi or walk, sadly they often choose to drive. Good judgment is not a automatic personality trait but a learned skill many have not yet learned or often ignore.