They have a certain amount of sympathy for those who get caught. Sometimes they go to jail, and sometimes they lose their licenses, and sometimes they lose their jobs, we are told. These paragraphs are crucial to Simon's purpose . He wants to write a tough piece that will shock people out of their complacency toward the issue. But, in reality, they rarely do.
Most drunken drivers get away with it.
If they are caught, and few are, most go out and hire the best lawyers they can afford in order to beat the rap. Crouch was killed, leaving behind a son and a wife whom the report said 8 months pregnant. That line wasn't in the documentary, of course. Burke's lawyer did a heck of a fine job, by the way. He was worth whatever he cost, because Burke's case was plea-bargained.