My name is Ian Mills, and I am a senior at Plainfield South High School in Plainfield, Illinois. I am here today to talk about how impaired driving is more than drinking and driving.

It is a common misconception that impairment while driving occurs solely because of alcohol consumption; however, this is not accurate. There are several factors that can impair an individual's ability to drive safely. You might be under the influence of taking medication or distracted while driving by checking your phone or having a conversation. These are all serious ways to get impaired while driving, and these can all kill or hurt people. Any one of these things can cause you to lose focus on the road and not notice new hazards, drivers, or any new threats that you might have otherwise noticed in time and safely avoided. 

A few years ago, my grandfather passed away after a truck driver, who was distracted and impaired by using his phone during a call, caused an accident. He did not see my grandfather’s car until it was too late, and he hit it and killing him in the ensuing crash. My family was devastated by the loss of my grandfather and how unexpected it was, and how easily it could have been prevented. Sadly, we also discovered that accidents frequently happen when drivers become distracted, lose focus on the road, and collide with other vehicles or pedestrians. The driver also completely lost any semblance of the life he knew as he was arrested and lost his trucking license, and was fired from his company for the accident. 

 Many people do not understand that being impaired just means your attention is not fully on driving, and how easily it can happen and ruin your life. They think Oh, but I am a good driver, and I will not hit anyone, so I can take this call or talk to my friends while I am on the road. The driver who killed my grandfather did not have any prior arrests or any other accidents before the one that took my grandfather from me, and yet all it took was one accident, and he lost everything, and I lost my grandfather. So, it can only take one bad turn or accident to completely ruin not just your own life but someone else’s, too. And everyone thinks, “It won’t happen to me,” which is sad to hear, as it's probably what everyone who has been in an accident thought right before it happened. 

Although drinking and driving is the most well-known form of driving impaired, it is certainly not the only one. Driving while distracted, on medication, upset, tired or talking to the passengers in your car are all types of impaired driving. Driving instructors can help prevent this by teaching students to stay focused on the road, even when friends or family in the car try to engage them in conversation. Driving courses emphasize the need to stay attentive when driving, but after the initial lessons, this topic is rarely revisited, leading many drivers to overlook it once they have passed their exams.

One of the only ways that I can think of that will help stop people from driving impaired is for driving instructors to repeat to their students should only focus on the road while they drive. It will get annoying, and the students might complain about it, but they will remember it as it was told to them so many times that subconsciously they’ll focus more on the road while driving, even after they pass the exams and get their driving licenses. It could also become part of the test by the examiners while they grade the drivers. They could see how focused they are on the road and how distracted they get by what other people in the car are doing or what is going on with their phones. That way, the students will be more focused on the road while driving, as it will be part of the test, and people focus more on things if they know someone will judge them based on how well they did. 

You can play an important role in preventing impaired driving. It can be something as simple as not talking to your friends while they're driving or while you are driving. Having someone give you a ride home when you're tired or on something. Alternatively, you might encourage people to pay attention to the road by sharing reminders online or speaking to them directly, especially if you know individuals who are often distracted while driving.  In all, you can stop and help prevent impaired driving by taking small steps that help everyone involved.