The first time I truly understood what “impaired driving” meant was not in a classroom– it was when I watched the helplessness of my friend after her brother died in an accident.. Until then, distracted driving felt like a thing that happened to other people, not me. That night, however, I saw how alcohol, distraction, and dumb choices can turn a routine drive into a life-changing moment. That experience changed how I approach driving, and it’s why I believe education and harsher punishments for impaired driving are essential in solving this crisis.

To me impaired driving means driving with any type of distraction, whether that is stress, drugs, alcohol, phone use, or fatigue. I think distracted driving is misunderstood because people think, “I am not on drugs so I am totally fine to drive.” In reality, however, tiredness is as bad or worse than driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol because a person could fall asleep behind the wheel killing or injuring an innocent person. I think that today the most common form of distracted driving is either texting or fatigue. These distractions negatively affect one’s driving ability and they contribute to unsafe behavior because if a person is texting, he/she is not looking at the road. If the car in front stops suddenly or someone runs out into the road, the distracted driver could hit the innocent person, possibly injuring the person and causing damage to both cars. This all could have been avoided if they were paying attention and were able to stop in time. Likewise, fatigue negatively impacts one’s ability to drive because when a person is  tired, he/she tends to zone out more, which leads to unsafe driving behavior because he/she is unpredictable and may miss a stop sign or rear end the car in front of them.. 

Impaired driving will affect everyone at some point in their life. Another experience I’ve had in my life is when my mom told me that her friend's kid was killed in an accident. The friend's kid and I were the same age which made it real. It made me very aware of drunk driving and I vowed to never drive drunk, so this has influenced my choices by making the smart decision and choosing to drink soda or water. Behind the wheel, I am always very focused. I turn off my phone and ignore it. I also make sure I get enough sleep at night and am only driving before midnight to limit the fatigued driving.I think driving courses and traffic school can influence distracted driving by going more in depth in the statistics, and maybe making harsh points such as it is highly likely that a person will either be affected by distracted driving or will be the one affecting other people. I also think adding a mandatory traffic accident course that teaches first aid and talks about accidents may be useful because if the accidents happen, the effects of the damage may be minimized if everyone knows what to do immediately to help the injured people. The immediate actions of all involved will save lives instead of just standing and watching and waiting for the paramedics to show up. I think what makes these programs effective is because fear drives decisions and if people remember those stats, they may be like I am actually going to make smarter decisions because they don’t want to become a statistic. I personally can prevent impaired driving by not letting impaired drivers leave the places I am and instead either driving them myself, ordering them an Uber, or helping them call a dependable ride, so that people don't drive impaired. My knowledge and influence can help others make smarter decisions when choosing to drive or find a ride.

Impaired driving isn’t only a legal issue, it's also a life-or-death issue that affects every person who steps into a vehicle. Understanding how alcohol, drugs, distractions, along with fatigue can interfere with judgment and reaction time has made me more conscious of real consequences behind the wheel. Driver’s education and traffic-safety programs can help change attitudes. However, lasting change comes from the decisions we make everyday and the way we influence those around us. By committing to stay focused, sober, and alert in addition to encouraging others to do the same, I can help create safer roads for my community by preventing impaired driving. Preventing impaired driving starts with one driver at a time, and I am determined to be part of that change.