Impaired driving remains one of the most common ways that people can die in a car accident, despite awareness campaigns and stricter laws; people still get behind the wheel and drive when they are impaired. I think that people today who get behind the wheel and drive sometimes know they shouldn't drive but do it anyway because they think that it shows how “cool” they are and how they are tough enough to drive under the influence. I also think that they feel like they have to drive because of the embarrassment that sometimes comes with having to call a cab or an Uber, admitting that you are too drunk to drive.  
The most common types of impairment in today's society is drunk driving. I think that this is because it is easily accessible. After all, fake ID’s are easy to find and purchase if you want to. Alcohol not just slows the brain down so that it can't make those split-second decisions that you sometimes need to, but it also can cause mood swings that could make someone angrier, making them drive more recklessly or aggressively. Although we hear about drunk driving the most, I think that all forms of impaired driving; marijuana, drugs, texting, and lack of sleep can all be deadly.
My view on drunk driving has changed ever since hearing two stories. In 6th grade, my teacher talked to us about drunk driving and how bad it is for you. She told us a story about a kid when she was young and in high school. She told us that she knew the kids in the car, and they had gone to a party, and the driver had gotten drunk but insisted that he was fine to drive, so the other people in the car let him. He ended up not stopping at a stop sign and running into a car, killing everyone in the car. The other story was from my youth group leader, and when he was just five years old, his dad had gotten too drunk to drive and drove off the side of the road. Although the crash did not kill him, it left him in a state where his kids had to take care of him. He was not able to be the normal dad that everyone else, my youth group leaders' age, had. Overall, all these stories moved me and showed me that while drunk driving could affect your life, it is more likely to affect other people's lives even worse.
Driver’s education and traffic school courses help change attitudes and behaviours around impaired driving by helping people open their minds up to the real dangers of impaired driving. I found the drivers ed program effective in many ways. One powerful memory was using the drunk goggles and trying to walk straight. It gave me a real good idea of how hard it was just to walk straight let alone drive. The drunk drivers would also have slowed brain function as well as mood swings. Another really effective thing that I found in drivers ed was the statistics behind drunk driving like the number of deaths of the drivers as well as passengers or innocent people. This puts into perspective how much it can really change some families lives even if you don't die. One of the last ways that helped steer me in the right direction was learning that points can be taken off my license if I was caught under the influence. Being one of the first people in my grade to drive I really saw it as a privilege and did not want to risk losing my license because of a bad choice. It would have  ruined the way people looked at me and I would not have been able to drive my siblings around and help my parents run groceries. In conclusion, driver’s education and traffic school courses help change attitudes and behaviours around impaired driving by giving people hands-on experiences of what drunk driving feels like. Drivers ed also shares valuable statistics and legal points to help young people really think before driving while impaired.
I believe that every one has a role to play to help stop impaired driving but for me the biggest thing that I can do is just be there for any of my friends that find themselves too impaired to drive. I always tell my friends that if they are ever too drunk to drive just give me a call any time and I will come pick them up with no questions asked. And  maybe if they see me and my actions they will feel comfortable giving up the “tough guy” image and not drink at all or at least be willing to call because I am a friend not a parent.
Impaired driving isn't just a bad choice it is a choice that could ultimately end lives. By teaching people how it could affect them and other people we are not only making our roads a safer place but just maybe also saving a life or two in the process.