As a society, we generally try to strive for a higher standard than "The less cautious among us get what's coming to them."
We don't, for example, have the attitude "seatebelts are whatever, let speeding people get pulped." And there's a good history as to why we don't do that.
Even people with bad judgment deserve a shot at avoiding horrible death in a civilized society.
I'm currently working on minimizing the risks to life and limb associated with drunk driving, partially because I've known too many people dear to me who have suffered because of it to be comfortable with the notion "you deserve everything coming to you." So I think we may find ourselves at an "agree to disagree" place. ;)
You seem to be assuming that my friends were the ones who were doing the drunk driving, not the ones in the other lane of traffic when the drunk driver swerved.
In truth, they were both. I've known people who drove drunk and hurt others and I've known people who drove drunk and have been hurt and I know people who didn't drive drunk and were hurt by a drunk driver.
It's a systemic problem and requires a systemic solution. Personal responsibility is the can we kick when we're unwilling to face the need to change incentives and structures.
We don't, for example, have the attitude "seatebelts are whatever, let speeding people get pulped." And there's a good history as to why we don't do that.
Even people with bad judgment deserve a shot at avoiding horrible death in a civilized society.