Driving is a responsibility that I’m sad to realize,  many do not view it as such.  I have known so many people in my life that have been affected by someone who was driving impaired, unfocused, or distracted. The accidents caused by impaired driving are totally preventable and yet…. it continues to happen.  

          My mom and my grandfather were hit by a drunk driver when she was little. My grandpa broke his neck and had to have tons of reconstruction and therapy….they are both lucky to have survived.  The driver however? Perfectly fine.  A girl in my moms class as a teen, got drunk, was allowed to drive and wrecked her car…. it was bad, yet she wasn’t held responsible.  A friend of the family was killed in a one car accident because she had been distracted by her cell phone.  DWI’s are basically treated with a slap on the wrist, and if you have people to help you out, or money to throw at the problem you can walk away with pretty much no consequences.  

          Impaired driving is not just being drunk, to me it is driving under the influence of anything, or even just distracted.   I think it is often misunderstood because everyone always believes they have everything under control.  Someone who’s drinking always believes they are fine.  Someone who’s high always thinks it’s no big deal.  Someone on their phone doesn’t realize how distracted they really are.  Someone who is looking for something in the car thinks,  it’s only for a second.  The thing is….. it only takes a second.  It’s often misunderstood even by those who have had a drivers education course because society’s idea of what is impaired often only lies with the extreme.  

          Today, driving is probably most affected by drunk drivers, drug users, texting and driving, and driving without enough sleep.  Someone who is tired hits the road, that sun starts boiling in on them, before they know it they are dozing off and drifting into the next lane.  I think drinking while driving is still one of the worst. So many times someone is “allowed to drive” when inebriated.  Yes it’s their responsibility, however, so much would change in a night if someone would just take their keys or call them a ride.  We should all take ownership.  My parents always told me that if I’m ever drinking (I actually don’t drink though) or with someone who is drinking I can call them and they will be there.  No judgement.  They want me to know that if I ever decide to drink…. Driving is not an option.  I plan to share the same responsibility ethic with my friends and family as I grow to adulthood.  

          I have a personal experience with a family member drinking and driving as well, and without giving away a story of theirs that is not really mine to tell, I can say that it has greatly affected my awareness. I realize any sort of impaired state, or even the slightest distraction can be life altering. And I’m not going to lie, it makes me more than nervous to get behind the wheel.   I’m aware now that it doesn’t matter how focused I may be, the people around me may not be, and I have no control over that.  So now it feels as if I have to be overly cautious, which might not be safe either. 

          I think that we probably need more driver’s education, however, if we do not change the attitudes and behaviors of those around us then nothing changes.  I think for one thing we should bring driver’s education back into the public school system, making it mandatory for graduation.  Then ALL of these issues can be addressed before bad behaviors have started.  Teach them before they become complacent thus making them more effective in real world situations that will occur later in life.  It won’t illuminate the problems I’m sure, but it might help improve it.  Some studies have shown that teens who take driver’s education are less likely to crash than those that don’t and shown a 4.3% reduction in crashes for those who have completed a drivers education course.  

          We all have a role to play in taking responsibility in preventing impaired driving.  Above all else, I need to make sure that I am focused, clean, and not distracted when I am driving.  From there I also must make sure I have situational awareness.  I also think I have a responsibility to share my knowledge and insight to inform those around me.  I need to volunteer to drive if I see someone is tired, drinking, or otherwise impaired.  I can also offer to find something they are looking for, or make the phone call or text they feel won’t wait.  If they are upset or distraught, I can offer to take them someplace.  We all have this responsibility to help one another out.  If we would all do our part, I believe the impact would be significant.  We all have a role to play, we can teach each other to make safer decisions by holding each other accountable.