Driving, it’s something we all do and heavily rely on. A privilege that comes with great responsibility. I remember being extremely nervous about getting my license, not because I was afraid to fail, but because of the amount of high risk I’d be confronting. Driving includes following an incredible amount of specific rules and with every decision that is made behind the wheel, even the smallest, has consequences. That idea was essentially overwhelming, I had never realized how much trust and attention driving truly required. Since getting my license, I’m lucky to have never gotten into a crash, but why should I have to be lucky? I should be certain that I am surrounded by people who take safe driving seriously. Except, I’m not. I’m not certain that there won’t be an impaired driver beside me, behind me, or coming straight toward me. To me, impaired driving means to drive when something is affecting your ability to think, react, and respond clearly, anything that keeps you from controlling a car safely. Sometimes drivers misunderstand what impaired driving means, people who’ve taken driver’s ed or traffic school still think it’s fine to go on their phone “just for a quick second” or drive after “only one drink”. They can pass the class or test, pretending to understand the requirements to drive safely , but do the opposite in the real world. Today, there are impaired drivers everywhere, more than ever before. According to the article “Drunk Driving”, it makes it clear that it is the most common type of impairment when driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that around thirty-four people die every single day because of drunk drivers, adding up to 12,429 in 2023 alone. It’s important to understand that these aren’t just numbers, they were families, friends, real people who were permanently affected due to someone’s poor choices. Drunk driving has an immense effect as it weakens the little control someone has when they’re operating a car. It slows reaction time, blurs their judgements, and makes it incredibly hard to stay in control even during the simplest procedures. It puts everyone in danger, even those who are doing the right thing. The same drivers that caused these deaths are the ones who pretend to understand what impaired driving and the consequences behind it really mean. They were taught the same lessons about staying alert, sober, and focused behind the wheel. Driver’s ed doesn’t fail to teach us that being in a healthy and stable mental and physical state is necessary to drive safely. And yes, I understand that car crashes are inevitable. Everyone makes mistakes, cars break down, and the weather gets bad. The car crashes caused by the choices of not being able to stay away from using their phone, drinking then driving, speeding for no reason, or driving while being exhausted, that’s preventable. There is no true explanation as to why someone should risk their life or someone else’s just because they can’t resist a distraction or making a bad choice. My older brother, who loves to speed, says it’s for the thrill, the rush of feeling faster than everyone else, the excitement and joy of winning by getting to your destination first. Hearing him talk like that changed my entire perspective about impaired and unsafe driving. It has made me aware that just because someone is more “experienced” it doesn’t mean that they are doing it right. That’s why I have made sure not to follow in his footsteps. I play a role in preventing impaired driving every single day. I don’t drive carelessly, I don’t drive when I’m exhausted, and I don’t let myself get distracted by my phone. I refuse to be held accountable for taking a life, simply because I thought “it won’t happen to me”. By having this knowledge, I can speak up to those around me who think they are the exception and remind them that they aren’t, helping them understand that one person’s actions can change another’s life in just seconds. What I do behind the wheel might be one small choice, but it could be the difference between life and death for someone else. Driving is a shared responsibility, with the help of everyone choosing to act both responsibly and attentively, these “small” choices would add up and create an environment where people can drive without fear, one where getting a license doesn’t feel overwhelming, and everyone can have certainty in feeling unquestionably safe, confident, and protected when driving.