Every fifteen minutes, someone in the United States dies in a car crash involving an impaired driver. This issue is rooted in the effect that starts when a driver believes they are “good enough” to handle the wheel while distracted, slightly buzzed, or too tired. Impaired driving is not just a DUI/DWI, but it is a physical or mental state that causes the driver to not safely drive a vehicle. Impaired driving is a safety issue rooted in a variety of misinterpreted impairments. These impairments tend to stem from alcohol, drugs, distraction, and fatigue. Through driving education, personal responsibility, and a heart for others, actions and behaviors can change.

The common misunderstanding of impaired driving is that it primarily means “drunk driving.” While this is a popular issue in our society, there are many causes of impaired driving. Drivers tend to ignore major threats when it comes to impaired driving because of the lack of education and emphasis on all of the ways someone may be impaired. Educational courses focus on the legal facts rather than the practical, real-time brokenness of the cognitive function. There needs to be a course that focuses on the brokenness of the brain and not just driving under the influence of substances or alcohol.

Alcohol and drugs affect judgement, ability to drive a car, and reaction time. Prescription drugs can even overlook the danger of legal substances that cause foggy thinking or drowsiness. Distractions are also a big impairment. Texting involves visual issues and manual distraction. The equivalent reaction time of texting while driving is just as bad as the reaction time of intoxication. The brain cannot truly multitask, but it just switches to what you are doing. Even while looking at the road, your brain is mentally processing the text, meaning you do not register all things on the road or see critical information like a brake light or a pedestrian. Not only are these dangers of being a driver on the roads, but sleep deprivation is also an increasingly common impairment in modern life. Being awake for eighteen hours and not getting enough sleep are nearly the same as being intoxicated while driving. Driving requires a lot of roles like the following: working memory, divided attention, and risk assessment. When distracted or very tired, these functions are degraded in ways that mimic chemical intoxication. Overall, the outcome of degraded reaction time and poor judgement are the same no matter if the cause is alcohol, drugs, a lack of sleep, etc.

My dad grew up in a small town where everyone knew everyone. A girl known to the community caused a car crash due to being under the influence. This lady was driving home from choir practice at her church in the dark while impaired. She ran a red light and injured the lady in the other car, causing her to be sentenced to jail while she is still a mom and has kids. This shows that impairment is careless and inconsiderate. It affects good people, and its consequences ripple through families and communities far beyond the immediate crash. This story has shaped my personal commitment to safety and intervention. 

There are ways driver’s education can be more effective. Incorporating personal stories, like the one discussed in the paragraph above, to bring compassion to one another is a way you can personally impact a driver’s education on impairment. Utilizing virtual reality or controlled driving simulations to demonstrate the actual degrading impact of skills under impairment. It is important to prevent impaired driving by being proactive to bring zero hesitation to whether or not someone is okay to drive. Lastly, influence is something that will either make someone drive when they shouldn’t or not. Everyone should use their personal discretion and wisdom to influence others by offering rides, speaking up, or actively taking someone’s keys. When you think you are not equipped enough to drive on your own, there are many ways to get to and from places. Uber, lift, etc. are great, safe options to get places safely. These services have reduced drunk driving incidents, offering a convenient, immediate alternative. Driver’s education or courses on safety can help reduce impaired driving and protect lives through being knowledgeable and informed of the consequences of driving impaired for either yourself or others who are either in the car or on the road. Understanding what impaired driving is and feels like for yourself is important also to know when you are impaired or not. It is better to be proactive with driver safety courses than not, so there is no hesitation when getting in the car to drive somewhere if you are okay or not. 

Overall, impairment is the state or quality of having a physical or medical condition that limits a function. It goes beyond being under the influence of alcohol or drugs. There are non-alcohol risks like tiredness, stress, medical conditions, and more. There is a personal cost to impaired driving as well as a risk for anyone else in the car or on the roads. Like I stated above, the brain cannot truly multitask, but it switches. You cannot do two things at once and expect to be mentally “on” in both tasks. This is why fatigue and distraction are just as dangerous as alcohol. There is a zero-tolerance approach to impaired driving when it comes to accidents or the lives of others lost. This is why classes and courses will be best for everyone to participate in. Because there is a zero-tolerance policy, it is important to know what impairment is and how to know if you are impaired or not. It is also good to know the consequences that can happen in the snap of a finger when driving impaired. Impaired driving is not just a matter of law, but a choice of personal responsibility.