Impaired driving means to me that driving a vehicle while the driver was distracted due to various factors such as Alcohol, drugs, or distractions of animals, etc.  However, stricter liability laws and integrating a holistic approach are needed for enhancing infrastructure investment and universal access. Mandatory education on traffic is crucial to ensure human safety. 

   In the USA, most states did not create separate laws for impaired driving, and both bicycles and automobiles are classified into the same category, “vehicle”, which can be found in the law “every person operating a vehicle upon a roadway.” People often define impaired driving as not being distracted from the road and not being an alcoholic. However, people often ignore that being unaware of bicycle and motor traffic is also a form of impaired driving. The bicycles have having same lane, right of way rules and stopping rules as cars, but bicycles have much lower speeds and no signal or brake lights and a high possibility for injury compared to cars.    Therefore, cyclists must wear a helmet, use lights for extra protection.  In many states law states: “A person riding a bicycle upon a roadway shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway.”   This is dangerous for cyclists because a lot of them are not aware of the door opening risk of the parked cars or intersections with automobiles or on narrow roads. 

   One of my driving experiences changed my perspective on impaired driving. It was my first time learn how to drive. My driving coach told me that every choice you make on the steering wheel, the choice will be magnified 1000 times on the wheel, which made me realise that I have to be focused all the time. This made me realise that impaired driving is inappropriate.  These further make me want to memorise about traffic driving and exploring awareness with other vehicles because other vehicles have less protection. In my findings,   New legislation has appeared to proactively protect drivers and formalise their safety on the road.    Since 2012, Pennsylvania requires drivers must leave 4 feet of space when passing a cyclist. This is an adjustment for the leading causes of cyclist fatalities, close passing.  In Washington state, the laws have a specific legal category for vulnerable road users. If a driver seriously injures or kills a cyclist. They could potentially face fines, license suspension and jail time in severe cases. Furthermore, in Idaho,  bicycle crash rates are lower when Idaho law allows cyclists to slow down and stop at the red light and proceed when it is safe.   The New York City government has authorised and funded protected bike lanes and traffic signals for bike and bike boulevards, which have made cyclist injuries drop by 40%.  In 2014, New York City also launched a Vision Zero policy that aimed to eliminate all traffic deaths, which reached its lowest number of traffic deaths in 2018. 

        

    The driver’s education and traffic school courses definitely help to change the attitude of driver through the test and elementary school education. For example, League of American Bicyclists courses and driving courses currently teach vehicular cycling, defensive riding, signalling and route planning for cyclists. There are also public campaigns about awareness for bicycles and safe passing distance on the road, to make people notice the importance of safety for cyclists and pedestrians. In addition to formal training, there must be education on changing the long-standing attitude about cyclists on the road.  Lots of drivers view bicycles as obstacles rather than road users, which is a risky behaviour for both drivers and cyclists.  A public educational campaign can change these harmful attitudes through social media and community activities. For example, campaign posters can convey the idea that cyclists are often students, the elderly and workers, which generates empathy and caution among the drivers. Elementary schools should also introduce road safety education because children are one of the main users of cycling. When education began in childhood, safety became a shared value rather than a legal requirement.

   Nowadays, people can participate in an integrated strategy to achieve a fundamental shift in road safety.  There should be stricter liability laws, where in a collision between a cyclist and a motorist, the driver is presumed to be partially liable unless proven otherwise.   School Education should propose that driver safety and awareness to impaired driving modules be a mandatory part of driver tests and that basic cycling proficiency be taught in schools. The government should invest in building a safe, prioritising physically separated bike lanes over shared roads. 

   Furthermore, data collection and transparent reports should be emphasised as well. Communities only make a better understanding of the risk pattern, and policymakers adjust the law purposefully if governments report accurate data.  

Evidence-based choices reinforce not only symbolically impactful but also action-wise effective. 

 

  There will be a future where cycling is a normal, safe and respected part of daily transportation. In the future, everyone can ride a bike to school or work places without fear of cars, cities will move at a human pace and attitude instead of a cold one. When cycling becomes truly safe, it not only transforms road safety but also reshapes how we live and connects us and nature.