What If the Best Way to End Drunk Driving Is to End Driving?

PHOENIX—The way my life is currently organized, the odds that I will ever commit the crime of driving while under the influence of alcohol are about as close to zero as you can get.

I live in Washington, D.C., where alternative transportation options are plentiful (there's the Metrorail system, good public buses, taxis you can hail on the street, not to mention Uber, Lyft, or just plain old walking). I also don't own my own vehicle, and when I do end up using a car-share service like car2go or Zipcar, it's almost always for a quick daytime errand, not an evening out that involves drinking. So virtually the only time I ever have to confront the concept of moderating my alcohol intake because I'm going to have to drive is when I'm out of town, in a city that doesn't have great transportation options, and therefore in possession of a rental car.