By definition, impaired driving is operating a vehicle while affected by substances equivalent but not limited to: Alcohol, drugs, sleepiness, or distractions such as phones or television screens. To me however, impaired driving simply means reckless driving. While it could be misunderstood by many, as they would only think it to be meaning under the influence or simply texting, that is not what it is limited to. Impaired driving is dangerous driving. Every little distraction on the road can be the cause of a car accident. Today, I see more drivers on their cell phones than anything else, and living in Southern California, where there is much traffic and little room to go, this is an issue. Constantly while in the car with my mom, we are either cut off or stopped in front of by someone who is looking down at their phone and texting. Texting is a distraction that has caused many accidents on the road, which leads me to my next point. 

I have both heard and experienced instances where my way of thinking about impaired driving was changed. First, I have been in a car accident due to another driver being reckless. It was my fourth grade year, and we were stopped at the light leading away from our neighborhood. While, as a kid, I had never driven before, I still knew the laws of the road and why driving while distracted is so dangerous. As we were stopped at the light, time seemed to slow down…We were slammed into once…then again. Two cars had rear-ended us with no signs of stopping, as there were no tire marks to be seen. It is important to note that we were stopped for more than a minute before we were crashed into. I looked at my mom, terrified, because as a fourth grader, the smell of burning rubber and engine fumes, as well as the lingering pain from the rear-ending left me frightened. The man that crashed into the woman behind us had obviously been texting, as there was no sign of an attempt to stop before he slammed into us. While he did deny it, I saw firsthand how distracted driving could be potentially fatal. This had a lasting impact on our family as well. My mothers back was hurt horribly before in another accident similar to this one, and now it has occurred again not three years later. This pain has lasted until now, my senior year, and I worry that it will last for the rest of her life. Meanwhile, I, having been in the very back of the car, was miraculously unharmed, however I carried a deep fear of motor vehicles and stoplights for a long time afterward. Another instance that I heard about that changed my views on impaired driving was the death of my Fathers best friend. While riding his motorcycle, he was struck by a Semi-Truck driver, who was most likely driving under the influence, and fled the scene afterwards. I had known my fathers best friend decently well before he passed away, and it made me angry that the entirety of the death was avoidable if the driver of the truck did not decide to drive under the influence. This was one of the only times that I had seen my father cry, and it was then that I realized how dangerous people can be on the road. Whether someone thinks or feels as if they are okay, no matter what it is dangerous to drive drunk, distracted, or under the influence on the road. This was the most lingering aspect for my knowledge on the safety requirements of driving. It is not necessary to put the lives of people at risk by being reckless and immature. Driving can be the most dangerous task on the planet if done improperly, which is why I strive to drive well, smart, and not under the influence of anything. 

A good solution to end this is the drivers education and traffic school courses. These courses can help change the attitudes of behaviors appropriate while driving as they show firsthand the impacts of driving unsafely. While they cannot directly cause a person to make the decision that they are making, they can help influence them not to. By demonstrating how dangerous driving under the influence can be, it helps shape the foundation for safe driving. In real world situations, these schools can not only teach people to be better drivers, but to reflect on the choices that they are making even before they get behind the wheel. Personally, to prevent impaired driving, I can really only not drive impaired, as well as not allowing my friends to be distracted while driving. Firsthand, I know the impacts of driving impaired, as the result has happened to me, and I feel that by telling my story to people, they would be more inclined not to cause this type of damage. Driving is necessary, but it is also dangerous if not done properly. By mitigating the amount of distractions on the road, we lower the risks of crashes and unnecessary deaths.