Impaired driving to me doesn’t just mean driving drunk or driving while smoking. It can mean anything like drinking with really loud music, looking around the car and not focusing on the road or driving when you're tired. Basically, any kind of driving that can get the people around you hurt is impaired driving to me. Alcohol is a major factor in traffic fatalities. In 2023, over 12,400 people died due to alcohol impaired driving crashes. Alcohol impairs judgment, coordination, reaction time and also decision making, all the important things to have when driving. Another impairment being drugs. According to NHTSA data 56% of drivers involved in serious car crashes tested for at least one drug in their system. But distracted driving is very common. 3,275 people died in crashes involving being distracted. Texting is especially dangerous because it takes your eyes off the road and anything can happen when you aren't paying attention to the road. I’ve experienced impaired driving before and seen its effect. It was my uncle. Has has always been a drinker and smoker. It doesn’t matter the time of day or where he is he has always done it. One day he was driving down the road kind of close to my house. And he had been drinking. It’s like the middle of the day when this is happening. He ends up running a red light and hitting this mom and her little kid. The mom didn’t make it but the kid ended up surviving the crash. My uncle of course did some jail time, but nothing was going to bring back that kid's mom. When I drive, I think about that all the time. Just trying to be aware of my surroundings and drive as safely as possible with limited distractions. I sometimes wonder where that kid is or how he’s doing. Even though I didn't do it, I still feel sad and sort of guilty. Like how that mom probably did nothing wrong and her life was taken from her all because my uncle wanted to drive on the road impaired. And to think he was probably on the road to get more alcohol just disgust me. This situation didn’t just affect that family but also mine. Of course, theirs was worse and should never happen but it affected us too. My dad was heartbroken that his brother could do something like that. It kind of broke up my family where my aunt moved away and my other uncle went with her. Since my uncle didn’t have anyone to help him out with bail, my dad got dragged into it. My grandma (my dad's mom) begged my dad to pay for it. And of course, my dad being the person he is he ended up paying for it all. But I think a driving education and traffic school can definitely benefit and help change the attitudes of being around impaired drivers. Just having knowledge about the road and learning more can help people. It’s like that one saying that knowledge is power. I think only experience around the subject can truly help with being around that kind of driving. The role I can personally take in preventing impaired driving is one way with correcting with a car horn. A loud car horn can put anyone in check. Also, if I would see someone driving like that, I would call 911. To possibly get them off the road to prevent any tragedies from happening. I just hope to do my part in helping the road be a safer place to be. Because no one wants to lose their life or loved one to someone being stupid and dumb on the road. There is a time and place to be drinking, smoking or texting. If you have to text or call someone just wait till, you're parked in a safe place. Because I can promise no one is too important, they need a text back immediately. Especially if it’s over your life, it means nothing compared. I think it should be a law where if you drive drunk and get into a crash you should have your license revoked. With the great possibility of never getting, it back. It just proves that that person shouldn’t be allowed on the road endangering the lives of people that want to live. Be better. Be the change you want to see in the world. If you preach about safety on the road, you better be a safe driver. Don’t add to the problem. Be one of the problem solvers.