In the United States, penalties for drunk driving vary by state. Wikipedia says that in California first-offense drunk driving is a misdemeanor crime, and one o

In the United States, penalties for drunk driving vary by state. Wikipedia says that in California first-offense drunk driving is a misdemeanor crime, and one of the penalties can be a four-month driver license suspension. Since public transportation is inadequate in much of the country, many states offer an "occupational license" during a suspension that allows a person to drive to/from work. Likewise due to inadequate alternate transportation options, many drivers with suspended licenses violate the law and drive anyway; the penalties for this are often not very high. PS: Guardrail is the correct word.