For me, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is irresponsible, showing a lack of awareness of one's actions and their potential consequences. Driving isn't just about getting behind the wheel; it also means being responsible, driving cautiously, and ensuring the safety of oneself and others. Many drivers are careless and forget the rules or the correct way to drive. These days, there are many distractions and substances that can lead drivers to risk losing their lives, ending their dreams and goals, and leaving their families with immense grief and unable to understand how it could have happened. I painfully remember that night when irresponsible driving knocked on my family's door. It wasn't a stranger; it was my own relatives. A night of celebration turned into one of panic when I found out that, under the influence of alcohol, they had made a catastrophic decision. Overconfidence played a cruel trick on them, making them believe they could drive their vehicles despite having been drinking. A wrecked car, three injured people, and a profound reminder of the danger that lurks behind recklessness. That episode made me understand, in the harshest way possible, that the effects of substances are non-negotiable and that anyone's life can change in an instant due to the poor decision-making of others.

Since then, I have reflected a lot on the reasons for this blindness to danger. I have seen many people, even those with driver's education, believe that they can compensate for their lack of judgment. It is one of the most dangerous fallacies that exist. The reality is that judgment and coordination begin to deteriorate long before we are aware of our own intoxication. Alcohol alters our perception of speed and distance, slows our reaction time, and makes us take risks that we wouldn't take under normal circumstances. It's not just a danger to the driver, but to everyone who shares the road: pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers who are not to blame for the irresponsibility of others. Underestimating these effects, that "I'm fine" or "it's worn off," is the prelude to a tragedy. There is no room for arrogance when driving a vehicle that can become a lethal weapon.

However, the problem is much broader than just alcohol. Nowadays, distractions while driving are an equally devastating risk factor. I remember driving behind a car that was swerving erratically. I thought the driver was intoxicated, but when I caught up with him at a traffic light, I saw him with his phone in his hand, browsing social media. The mobile phone, that omnipresent device in our lives, has become a source of visual, manual, and cognitive distraction that completely blinds us. How many seconds do we look at the screen to answer a message? In those seconds, a car can travel the length of a football field, and in that distance, a thousand things can happen. In my opinion, using a phone while driving is a form of impaired driving, as both reduce the reaction time and concentration needed to drive safely. Similarly, chronic fatigue, stress, or the use of medications with sedative effects can be just as dangerous. I have experienced driver fatigue firsthand and I know how easy it is to underestimate the need to stop and rest. In all these cases, the driver's mind is elsewhere, and the road demands our full attention.

Mi experiencia con mis familiares me dejó una herida difícil de sanar, pero también me dio una perspectiva clara. Para combatir este problema, la educación vial no es suficiente si no va acompañada de una buena dosis de responsabilidad personal. No se trata de memorizar normas, sino de interiorizar la empatía y ser consciente del peligro que representamos para los demás. Cada vez que me pongo al volante, pienso en las vidas que me rodean. Elijo conscientemente apagar el teléfono, asegurarme de descansar bien y, sobre todo, no beber ni una gota de alcohol si sé que voy a conducir. Además, me comprometo a influir positivamente en los demás. Me ofrezco a llevar a un amigo que ha bebido o, si veo a alguien a punto de actuar de forma imprudente, intervengo. Es una pequeña acción que puede tener un efecto dominó y salvar vidas. En definitiva, la seguridad vial es una responsabilidad colectiva que empieza por cada uno de nosotros. A través de la educación, el ejemplo y un profundo respeto por la vida humana, podemos reducir los accidentes y garantizar que la irresponsabilidad de algunos no se convierta en la tragedia de otros.