To me, impaired driving means not driving at your full normal ability. It is sometimes misunderstood that impaired driving is just drunk driving, but that is incorrect. Many people immediately think of alcohol when they hear the term because that is what we most often see portrayed in the news, in public service announcements, or in driver’s education videos. While alcohol is extremely dangerous behind the wheel, it is not the only issue drivers face. Impairment can come from distraction, exhaustion, stress, or even something simple like changing the radio. Understanding the full definition of impaired driving matters because it affects every single person who gets into a car, driver or passenger.

One of the reasons impaired driving is misunderstood is because of how it is taught. These videos are important and necessary, but they don’t usually show the bigger picture. The job of all drivers is to drive defensively, always aware of the conditions and abilities of others. Good drivers take into account and plan for the mistakes that other drivers might make, including new, overly confident, or overly nervous ones. That means knowing that impairment comes in more than one form.

The most common types of impairments today are alcohol and texting. Alcohol is a part of culture, especially for adults. It’s considered casual, a way to unwind or celebrate, and it has become almost synonymous with having fun. Many hangouts include alcohol as a way to relax and chill with friends, usually without thinking about how people will get home after. Teenagers, who are new drivers and still inexperienced, may also drink alcohol, despite its illegality. This makes the situation even riskier, because mixing inexperience with impairment is very dangerous.

Texting while driving is another type of impairment across all age groups. Phones have become addictions worldwide. They are incredible tools for communicating across the globe, taking photos, navigation, and entertainment, but they are also strong distractions. Even a short, simple text is enough to derail a person’s focus. Looking down for just two seconds is long enough for a driver to miss a stop sign, drift into another lane, or fail to notice a stopped car ahead of them. So many people text while driving and “get away with it,” that it has become normalized. People who have done it once without consequence assume it is harmless, which leads to increasingly careless driving and unsafe behavior.

I have stories of how dangerous distracted driving can be. One time, my brother was driving us home and we got into an argument with him driving and me in the passenger seat. He was so focused in our discussion that we didn't see the other car going until it t-boned us in the intersection. In this case, we were lucky that it wasn't a big intersection and the car hadn't been going too fast. The car drove away quickly, preventing us from seeing who it was. That moment has stuck with me because, if we had waited a little longer to have our argument, the situation probably could’ve been avoided.

When people hear “impaired driving,” they imagine someone doing drugs, drunk driving, or texting. But impairment is being distracted to the point that you’re not driving at your full ability. Someone could be impaired while changing a song, putting on makeup, arguing with someone in the car, or even changing their shoes. Anything that takes your eyes, hands, or focus away from driving can count as impairment, and that’s what makes it so common; everyone faces these distractions.

This is why driver’s education is more effective when it gives real-world examples. Including more scenarios, videos, or demonstrations of different kinds of impairments could change people’s perspectives. Instead of only teaching teenagers to avoid alcohol, schools could include lessons on driving while emotional, multitasking, tired, and how dangerous it is to be overconfident. When people see how many small, everyday actions count as distractions, it becomes easier to see why driving demands full attention. Showing more variety of situations could lead to safer habits with all distractions, not just regarding one or two well-known dangers.

Knowing the definition of impaired driving can help me recognize it in all forms and educate others when needed. If more people understood the different types of impairment, the roads would be safer. To prevent impaired and distracted driving in my own life, I can refuse to argue in the car, especially with the driver.. I can take over texting or directions from the passenger seat so the driver stays focused. I can also choose to drive carefully, eliminating distractions before they even become a problem, like: setting my playlist and putting my phone away before I leave.

In the end, to be educated is to be safe. Impaired driving isn’t something that only “other people” do, it is something anyone can do when they lose focus. Being aware of the many forms of distraction and impairment allows us to take responsibility and protect ourselves, and others.