According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2023, 12% of fatalities in the U.S. were due to impaired driving. People normally relate impaired driving to alcohol, but they can commonly be distracted, fatigued, or even under the influence of drugs. My brother recently got a DUI showing me personally how dangerous impaired driving can be, not only for the driver, but also everyone else on the road. 

Driving impaired is a serious risk that no one should take. Whether a person or someone is under the influence or just too tired, if they cannot react quickly, stay focused, or decide between safe and unsafe decisions, they should not be getting behind the wheel. I’ve witnessed people misinterpret their driving skills and “how impaired they are able to be while driving.” Someone close to me even thinks he is only putting others at risk when he is “drunk,” but I have seen how that is far from the truth. He thinks that even if he’s “buzzed” or has a lack of focus, that it can be ok that one time as long as there are no distractions. However, what if someone walks out in front of him? Or what if it’s surprisingly slippery outside? The lack of reaction time can make all the difference in that split second. 

Sadly, most people go through Driver’s Ed and still ignore its principles, but I wouldn't blame that completely on the students. Ever since COVID, most Driver’s Ed classes have been online or through Zoom. In this format, the students don’t fully pay attention. Yes, that was the only option during COVID, but driving schools continue to offer a large amount of their classes online. Driver’s Ed needs to be in-person giving students the full knowledge without cheating their way out of a need-to-know education. These habits are creating overconfident drivers who seem to be ignoring the risks and causing more danger on our roads today. 

Impaired driving has many causes. The most common of them are alcohol and drugs. Alcohol causes a lack of judgement, which can bring false confidence. It can also make the lines of decision blur between safe and unsafe. Drugs, even if they are prescribed, may affect perception without the feeling of being impaired. Just as dangerous as substance alterations, texting and exhaustion have risen to be some of the highest causes of accidents caused by distracted driving. Texting while driving causes visual distractions even while just looking away for a second, and sleepiness can alter the state of mind just enough to cause an accident. The risk of these issues are not worth it and people should not drive with these symptoms. 

Sadly, I have personal experience with this topic. My brother got arrested for a DUI and it caused a lot of stress and fear throughout my family. It is a shocking story that started on Thanksgiving. I woke up early that morning to get ready for my family's annual Thanksgiving party. I was going to ride with my mom and my two brothers were going to meet us there. My mom informed me that my brothers were no longer going. One of them had gone out the night before, drank under the influence and tried to drive home. He got arrested and was now in jail. My privileged older brother was in jail for a dumb decision. The first thing I thought of was how thankful I was that he was ok. What if he didn’t get pulled over and had gotten in an accident? What if he got hurt or hurt someone else? Once I realized he was ok, it hit me how dumb he was to drive. There are so many ways to get home safely. He could have called an Uber or asked someone else for a ride. What was supposed to be a joyous holiday turned upside down. Since it was a holiday no judge was working, so he had to stay there a whole day and two nights. My family was thankful for his safety, but also realizing how real and serious the consequences were. We all were wishing the judge would instill more responsibility into him, so that he would never do something like this again. This was a real life experience that affected my family, not just something I hear about. I pledge to never put my family through something like this again. I make the commitment to keep my loved ones out of risk of driving impaired either. 

Learning all types of impairment has been important to my growth in becoming a safe driver. If drivers had a better understanding and more responsibility there would be less traffic fatalities and safer roads. I already had a strong disbelief in driving impaired, but my experiences with my brother’s DUI affected me deeply. I never want to be the cause of feeling the fear I felt. I commit to being part of the solution. I will promote  safer driving and make sure no one takes that risk under my watch.