Forgive me for answering your rethorical questions ;).
> If you are going for full enforcement of traffic laws, distraction/intoxication would seem many times more important than speed.
Can't provide a citation right now, but I recall that apparently most accidents are caused by distraction and/or speeding, often during the day, and not by drunk-driving.
> Why do bars have parking lots?
Because it's apparently not banned, and even if it was, someone would stand to make money by providing said lot next to a bar.
> Why doesn't first-offense drunk driving destroy your life like drug possession?
I don't know, but I very much feel this should be reversed.
> Why does it remain socially acceptable to text and drive?
People don't expect to get in an accident + well, no offense, but most of the drivers I know behave like entitled assholes when it comes to driving-related things. "Speed limits are stupid, and no accident could ever happen to me.".
> Why do photos clearly taken while driving on the freeway gather tens of thousands of upvotes on Reddit and not criminal prosecution?
I guess it has to do with the fact that it's hard to take a picture posted on the Internet and turn it into a lawsuit.
And to clarify - you're right asking those questions. IMO traffic laws should be enforced much, much more decisively.
>Because it's apparently not banned, and even if it was, someone would stand to make money by providing said lot next to a bar.
Not only isn't it banned, it's required. American cities require enough parking for all commercial uses to match the absolute largest amount of car drivers that might want to visit simultaneously on the busiest day of the year if parking is assumed to be absolutely free. [0] The Institute for Transportation Engineers publishes a manual of uses with maximum imaginable parking 'generation' and most cities follow it closely.
Since parking is a pure private good, it's an obvious thing to leave to free markets to decide how much to provide, but the Soviet mentality of city planners is firm. Of all the bad rules and plans Americans impose on their cities, minimum parking requirements are the single most destructive. Parking socialism is the biggest reason among many why American cities are the ugliest with the worst quality of life among all first world cities.
Bizarrely even bars are required to make driving alone the best way to access their establishments. And that requirement is firm in the law.
> If you are going for full enforcement of traffic laws, distraction/intoxication would seem many times more important than speed.
Can't provide a citation right now, but I recall that apparently most accidents are caused by distraction and/or speeding, often during the day, and not by drunk-driving.
> Why do bars have parking lots?
Because it's apparently not banned, and even if it was, someone would stand to make money by providing said lot next to a bar.
> Why doesn't first-offense drunk driving destroy your life like drug possession?
I don't know, but I very much feel this should be reversed.
> Why does it remain socially acceptable to text and drive?
People don't expect to get in an accident + well, no offense, but most of the drivers I know behave like entitled assholes when it comes to driving-related things. "Speed limits are stupid, and no accident could ever happen to me.".
> Why do photos clearly taken while driving on the freeway gather tens of thousands of upvotes on Reddit and not criminal prosecution?
I guess it has to do with the fact that it's hard to take a picture posted on the Internet and turn it into a lawsuit.
And to clarify - you're right asking those questions. IMO traffic laws should be enforced much, much more decisively.