To me, “impaired driving” means to be unable to fully focus while driving a car. This could be due to drugs, alcohol, anxiety, texting, depression, or fatigue. It is sometimes misunderstood because most drivers’ prototype of an “impaired” driver is a person who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol and they do not consider other states of mind such as anxiety or fatigue. If a person is feeling particularly anxious, they are not thinking clearly and it can affect their decision making. They could be primarily focused on whichever thought, situation, or person that they are anxious about. They might not focus on where they are turning or if the light is red or if there is a pedestrian. This is especially true if they are driving somewhere where they are very familiar with their surroundings such as driving home from work. They are conditioned to take the correct turns and such, but they might not be paying enough attention to the stop signs or crosswalks. Additionally, fatigue is also a major type of impaired driving. It can come from various places such as illness or even depression. When you are very tired, it is hard keeping your eyes open and your reaction time is slowed down by a lot. When sick, it’s important to notice how tired you are and whether or not you are able to drive safely. Also, people who have clinical depression can be fatigued or even suicidal. They might not care as much about the outcome of their dangerous choices and it is threatening to the lives of others. These types of impaired driving are often forgotten about, and it is important to stay mindful of them.

Among most drivers today, texting or being under the influence are the most common types of influence. When texting, your eyes are literally not on the road which is very dangerous and can lead to various issues. Just looking down for 2 seconds and reading a text can change your life. In just that short amount of time, your life or someone else’s life will be over. We might think: it’s just a text? It’s not that big of a deal. Also, being on a phone call is also impairing. For example, if you get bad or exciting news while driving, it could distract you from what’s happening on the road. What if you find out that your best friend is having a baby and you get all excited, so excited that you don’t notice what color the light is. When you are under the influence, your judgement, eyesight, and reaction time are all hindered which is also very threatening to your life and the lives of other road users. If you are drunk, your brain cannot make proper judgements about decisions which is why it is important to always have a sober buddy with you to help you make good choices. 

Before my junior year of high school, I completed my drivers education program. During one of the classes, we watched a video which detailed the events of the death of two women struck by a car driven by a drunk driver. One of them was a 13-year-old girl. They were on their way to the mall. This video hit me with reality and will always remind me to make safe decisions and heavily enforce safety among my friends and family. 

Drivers education and traffic school courses can help change attitudes and behaviors around impaired driving because real-life stories can trigger emotional responses in people. These stories can dwell in a person’s mind and they can be reminded of them while driving and help convince them to make safe choices. Also, staggering statistics of deaths and injuries caused by impaired driving can also trigger an emotional response, and help persuade people to make smart decisions. For example, if I was going out to dinner with my friends and one of my friends decided to drink alcohol with her meal, I would remember the story of that 13-year-old girl who tragically died from a collision with a drunk driver who was not paying attention because he was compromised from the alcohol he drank. I would ensure that my friend gets a ride home from somebody that is sober and is capable of driving safely. 

I would hope that my knowledge of impaired driving will influence others to make safer decisions. By reminding others of the dangers surrounding drunk driving, I can ensure that they are thinking clearly about the outcomes of their actions.