Nyah Alves
19 November 2025
DMV Application 

How driver’s education or traffic safety courses can help reduce impaired driving and protect lives

Impaired driving is one of the leading causes of preventable road deaths. It can result from alcohol, drugs, fatigue, or distraction. It affects drivers of all ages and experience levels.

The term “impaired driving” constantly gets misconstrued, but to me, it refers to the inability to operate a vehicle safely due influence of alcohol, drugs, and other substances. This can be misunderstood because sometimes people may not recognize these subtle effects, and in times like this, many believe they are the exception and are capable of driving safely. Even some who have completed courses like Driver's Ed commonly believe information like this is just spread to scare you, but it is not, and is factually proven through the number of car accidents caused by impaired driving. Common impairments include alcohol, drugs, and texting; these impairments directly contribute to reduced reaction time, impaired judgment, distraction, and decreased coordination. 
 While taking Driver's Ed, my teacher commonly used stories to connect what we were learning to outside instances. This helped our class directly understand the importance of what we were learning and how it could apply to us. One story that I specifically resonated the most with was a story about a young boy, around our age (16-17 years old), who decided to drive impaired. He was coming home from a party, he had only had a few drinks, his friend was relying on him for a ride home, and he believed he was capable enough to drive home. He thought he was an exception and that he would be fine to drive, as he trusted himself and only had to drive a few minutes down the road. In those few minutes, he was unaware of the impaired driving signs he was showing, including examples like reduced reaction time and impaired judgment. In his few short minutes driving, he began to lose control of his car, he steered off the road and hit a tree. Killing the other passenger in the car. Not only did he have to live with the guilt and legal problems after, but the other passenger's family also sued him. So in that simple situation where he contemplated driving or not, his answer completely changed his life. This changed the way I view impaired driving fully. It introduced me to a new perspective on how one simple action can change the trajectory of your entire life. It could also be on either side of the story, whether it's accepting a ride from someone under the influence, which can lead to injury or worse, or getting behind the wheel of a car under the influence, which can shape your future negatively. Without my Driver's Ed teacher opening my eyes to all the real-life effects of impaired driving, I would not have put it together that this could happen to anyone, including me. Programs like these are important to spread awareness in more ways than one, not just through PowerPoint presentations or articles, but real-life experiences and stories that people can relate to. 
 Through my awareness of the effects of impaired driving, I continue to spread awareness of the negative effects. I try to influence others to never put themselves or others in situations like this because the negatives will always outweigh the positives. Many times, I hear others talking about driving under the influence or driving while texting and I make sure to use my knowledge to introduce all the negative effects impaired driving causes, like the “Zero Tolerence policy,” wich is a law that if anyone under the age of 21 has any Blood Alcohol Concentration higher than .02 while behind the wheel, they can have the license suspended or revoked. Not only legally, but I remind them of the guilt they would endure if they endangered the life of a friend or a random civilian also driving on the road. Another negative to this is that even after facing the internal and legal struggles, those you have caused harm to could sue you for as much money as you have. This is called a personal injury lawsuit related to drunk driving, and they have the right to sue for damages. The perpetrator does not need to be convicted of a DUI before a civil lawsuit can be filed. With my knowledge I learned from Drivers Ed, I continue to share my knowledge and training to influence others to make safer decisions, which I hope could save someone's life in the future.