Driving is something people do every day, and amazingly, don't think about that much. However, in 2023 alone, there were 40,901 deaths caused by car accidents. Driving is absolutely something to take seriously and think about, and it doesn't have to be complicated to make a change, either.

It can be easy to see that statistic and not be able to put it into perspective. But impaired driving has real consequences. That's not to try to scare everyone away from driving an the roads, but it's to make them aware. To me, impaired driving looks like distracted driving. It looks like using your phone and not fully paying attention to the road. It looks like talking to someone and also not paying attention. It looks like being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, causing one to not drive at their usual level. And it is often misunderstood, because most people do not think of impaired driving using all of these examples--or they do not think of it as distracted driving, more so just not driving at one's best. But it is so much more.

The use of alcohol and driving has been a huge issue for a long time now. Some people just do not think they are drunk enough to be impaired (any level of drunk is too much to operate a vehicle). Or they just do not care and do not want to wait around for a ride. And it has caused far too many accidents. And being distracted by phones has become a big issue as well. People think certain messages cannot wait, and do not pull over (or think they do not have time to pull over). But by far, the biggest cause of accidents has to be fatigue. People often do not realize how tired they really are until it is too late. It can be difficult to realize how tired you are if you've been tired for some time. And it is not seen as being as big of a deal as driving while texting or driving under the influence (though both are large issues, too). This has caused fatigue to become a huge problem.

My father has only been in one accident in his life, and it opened my eyes to how an accident can happen to anyone. He's a very careful driver, even to this day, and the accident wasn't his fault. It was someone else, an old lady under the influence. He survived with only some temporary back pain and a temporary neck brace--plus, he even got compensated for the accident. But it could have been so much worse. My family could have lost him that day. And that caused me to realize how dangerous impaired driving can be, and how it affects everyone.

I believe driving schools should educate students effectively about impaired driving without just scaring people off from driving completely. And also, just saying someone is going to die driving over and over again is not an effective teaching tool. They should make people alert, not anxious. But definitely alert, so people can be as safe as possible on the roads. And of course, there should be a lot of practice so the lessons stick.

I personally do not have my license yet. I am simply one person, one woman. I know I cannot completely change how driving is in society. And eliminating cars completely would not be practical, as we have so many roads already, and vehicles are an important part of daily life. However, I know that once I get my license, I can make changes by simply being the best driver I can be. I will be able to make at least some roads safer by being aware and cautious. I will never be 100% safe on the road, no one ever can be, but by being a safe driver, I can still help in that regard. And by sharing tips with other people, I can help others be safer as well. And make people more aware of the effects of impaired driving. Some people just need a little more education to make changes. And even if the roads will never be 100% safe, they will still be safer, and that is incredibly valuable. Even one life saved is extremely significant. It is easy to take driving for granted, but anything can happen, and it is always important to be aware and to help others be aware as well, because driving affects everyone. Many accidents are avoidable if the proper guidance is given.