To me impaired driving is driving when anything is dulling your senses, making you react slower, confusing your judgment, or taking your attention off the road. It’s not just drinking and driving, it could be texting, taking medication, being extremely tired, or letting your emotions take over before getting behind the wheel. Everyone misinterprets what it actually means to be impaired because they think it has to do with alcohol, or they think they can do more than they actually can. Even the people who have taken driver’s ed think that a “little” doing this or that won’t make much of a difference, and in reality, it only takes a little bit of being impaired to be involved in a fatal crash.
The top four impairments today are alcohol, drugs, distraction, and fatigue. The biggest distraction these days is looking down at our phones to text or get notifications. Students and young adults get so engaged in their phones that they don’t realize it’s extremely dangerous to look down at your phone, even for a few seconds. Looking down for a few seconds could mean running a red light, drifting out of your lane, or not seeing a pedestrian crossing the crosswalk. Alcohol and drugs, whether it’s prescription or illegal, dulls your reflexes and makes it harder to stay in your lane and react to traffic. When you’re tired, you’re not as alert and your vision is blurred and your judgment drops. You can also fall asleep for a few seconds without even realizing it. Every single one of these impairments may seem different, but they all lead to the same impaired behaviors of making poor decisions that can lead to crashes, injuries, and death.
One incident that changed the way I thought about being impaired was when I heard that one of my classmate’s older brothers fell asleep at the wheel after working a long shift. He got lucky that he didn’t kill anyone, but his car was a total loss and he was seriously injured. When I heard this, I realized that impairment doesn’t always have to be something you choose, like drinking or being distracted with your phone. It’s possible to be impaired without even wanting to be, like when you’re extremely tired or when you’re extremely emotional. That will always stick with me and make me more careful when I choose to drive, and make sure I’m rested before I get behind the wheel. Driver’s ed and traffic class can be very successful at changing attitudes toward impaired driving. They don’t teach you the rules of the road; they teach you the consequences of impaired driving through stories, simulations, and videos of crashes caused by people who were impaired. When they tell us that impairment can slow our reaction times or make it hard to make good decisions, it’s much more clear when they show us or let us experience it in a realistic way. The best classes don’t focus on memorizing the laws but teach us how to develop safe driving habits, how to identify impairment in ourselves and in others, and how to say no to unsafe situations. They make it clear that being a good driver isn’t just about having good skills—it’s about being responsible and aware.
My part? I think I can play a part in stopping impaired driving by being a responsible role model for my peers. That means putting my phone down, never driving impaired in any way, and speaking up when someone is about to make a reckless decision. I’ve learned a lot in driver’s ed, and the things I’ve learned make it easy to understand why impairment is such a big deal. I can use that to help my friends and family make better choices when they get behind the wheel. Even something as simple as being a designated driver, taking someone’s keys when they shouldn’t be driving, or reminding a friend to get some sleep before a long road trip can make a huge difference. I also believe in using what I’ve learned to raise awareness—whether that’s talking to my friends and family, sharing information on social media, or doing a school project about impaired driving. Raising awareness is one of the best tools we have to prevent tragedies from occurring. Impaired driving is 100% preventable, but it still kills thousands of people every year. That’s why it is so sad. Every single crash was preventable. Stronger driver’s ed and open communication can help us all play our part in preventing impaired driving. Every driver needs to know that being fully awake, focused, and sober is not just good practice—it’s something we all need to take responsibility for, not just for ourselves and for our passengers, but for everyone else on the road. If we take driver’s ed seriously and use it every time we drive, we can help make our communities safer places where lives are saved and every trip starts and ends safely.