The first time I watched a car slide through an intersection with its tires screaming across the pavement I felt my stomach drop. It was one of those moments where everything freezes and you realize how close you were to seeing something terrible. It happened right after school. A classmate took a turn way too fast and for a second the whole car looked out of control. Up until that day I thought impaired driving mostly meant drinking or drugs because that is what every video or lesson talks about. I never thought about how much simple distraction or stupid decisions could mess things up just as fast. That moment stuck with me because it was so normal before it wasn’t. One second we were laughing and heading home like any other day and the next we were watching a near crash that could have changed everything. That was the first time I really understood that impaired driving can mean a lot of things and it can happen even when no one thinks they are doing anything wrong.

As I got older I started noticing how easy it is for people to misunderstand impairment. You can sit through driver’s ed memorize the signs and take the tests and still not actually get it. A lot of people hear the word impaired and think “well I’m not drunk so I’m fine.” But the reality is most people drive impaired way more often than they admit. Checking a text. Being exhausted after practice or a long shift. Arguing with someone in the car. Zoning out because you’re stressed or overwhelmed. I’ve seen all of that happen and I’ve caught myself doing some of it too before I realized how dangerous that mindset really is. Most people don’t take those moments seriously because nothing bad has happened to them yet and that confidence is exactly what makes it dangerous.

For me the biggest turning point was when I started driving my teammates at MSOE. Getting certified to drive the athletic vans felt like a huge responsibility, and honestly it changed the way I think about every small decision I make behind the wheel. It’s not just me in the car anymore. It’s a whole team trusting me to get them to games and tournaments safely. When you’re responsible for a dozen lives you stop brushing off the “small stuff.” If I’m tired I don’t pretend it’s fine. If my phone buzzes I don’t even think about reaching for it. I know what is at stake because I’ve seen how fast things can go wrong.

Those personal moments have shaped how I think about impaired driving way more than anything I learned from a manual or video. I think back to how close my classmate came to hitting another car and I picture what that would look like if I was behind the wheel with my teammates sitting behind me. That thought alone is enough to change the choices I make and the way I talk about safe driving with other people. I’ve found myself speaking up more when someone looks tired or is messing around with their phone while they drive. It’s uncomfortable sometimes but I’d rather say something and deal with the awkwardness than stay quiet and regret it later.

Driver’s ed and traffic school can help change attitudes if they focus less on memorizing rules and more on showing students what real consequences look like. The lessons that stick with people aren’t the ones about fines or textbook definitions. They’re the stories the instructor tells. They’re the videos that make your stomach hurt. They’re the moments where you imagine someone you care about in the car. Programs that make people feel the weight of their decisions tend to be the ones that actually change behavior.

My role in preventing impaired driving starts with the choices I make but it doesn’t end there. The people around me see how seriously I take driving now. My friends and teammates know I don’t mess around behind the wheel and that I won’t hesitate to ask someone to slow down or put their phone away. I try to model the same level of responsibility that I’d want from anyone driving me. Getting certified to drive the athletic vans taught me how much trust is placed in a driver and I don’t take that lightly. If I can get even one person to think twice and avoid a risky decision then that is already making a difference.

Impaired driving hits harder when you’ve seen how close things can get. My experiences made it personal. They taught me that safety is not just about following rules but about remembering that every choice behind the wheel affects real people. These lessons are going to stay with me for the rest of my life whether I’m driving teammates to a game or heading home after a long day. I want to be someone who keeps others safe not by lecturing them but by showing what responsibility looks like in action.