Impaired driving is not just a a simple term. It is something that can forever change lives and effects everyone it touches. It is not just a horror story that paranets tell their teens. It is a real-life horror story. It is a killer, and it needs to be stopped. Before we can work to stop it, society needs to understand what it means.  
The word “impaired driving” can have many different meanings but to me there is one clear meaning. “Impaired driving” means getting behind the wheel under when not under the right mindset for a variety of reasons and it also means a death sentence. What it means to drive impaired is commonly misunderstood due to how normal society has made it. Most people willingly get behind the wheel under some sort of influence and do not think twice about it. Using the words “impaired driving” gives a negative feeling and because of this many people tend to avoid it or completely misunderstand it. 
 In my mind, the most common type of impairment when driving is texting or being on the phone. My generation is addicted to our phones, and we do not like to put them down. We need to have it in our hands all the time and we need to stay connected. This causes many people to grab their phone if they see a notification flash on the screen even if they are behind the wheel. Being on a phone can cause drivers to lose focus on the road, let go of the wheel, type on their phone, and even zone out behind the wheel. This is very dangerous because when driving you need to have all your focus on the road. You never know what could happen while driving. A deer could run out on the road, or a car could suddenly stop. If the driver is unfocused, this could mean any event on the road could be a death sentence. 
 I have heard many stories about how driving impaired has forever changed someone’s life. There have been many accidents in my hometown due to distracted driving but the stories my father has told me will always stick out the most. My father is a truck driver and spends many days on the road. He has seen many accidents and many people get hurt due to distracted driving. The single most impactful story was the one where he almost died due to a distracted driver. He was driving on the highway when a car suddenly floated over into his lane. The driver was texting and let go of the wheel. If my father had not seen this car float over into his lane and reacted, the car would have gotten trapped in his wheel. This could easily lead to his truck flipping over and lead to him most likely dying. I think about this story every time I get behind the wheel and it prevents me from being impaired. It shapes my choice every day that I decide to drive. I purposely avoid anything that could cause me to become impaired if I know I will be driving. I do not want to be the reason someone cannot go home to their family or the reason I do not see my family anymore. 
To make the effects of impaired driving more real in driving education, I feel there needs to be a section where students hear from a victim or their families about the effects that distracted driving has on their lives. Students need to see the real-life consequences of impaired driving and how it affects not only one person’s life but also everyone around them. This could be very effective because humans tend to understand emotions and remember how these emotions made them feel. Like my story with my father, a real-life story could have a profound impact on them. They could remember this story every time they got behind the wheel. This could help to prevent impaired driving and save lives.  
I am a firm believer that I can do many things to help prevent impaired driving. I can share stories from my father and spread awareness in schools. I am majoring in criminal justice and plan on using my education to help spread awareness on the dangers of getting behind the wheel impaired. I can use my future platform in criminal justice to spread awareness and save lives. I can model safe choices for the next generation and show them what life can look like when you drive safely. I can work to forever change the world and improve the lives of many people!