When most people think of “impaired driving,” they think about the most extreme situations, such as being under the influence or intoxicated. However, to me, “impaired driving” is inclusive of anything that distracts a driver at all from the road ahead, such as a phone, eating, kids fighting in the backseat, or being under the influence of some substance. The concept of “impaired driving” is often misunderstood because people think that it could never be them. Especially young drivers, people get too confident in their driving abilities and take on additional tasks that do not involve focusing on the road. Something as simple as admiring a view or animal on the side of the road could be included in the category of impaired driving, since it takes the driver’s attention off the road. 

There are a multitude of types of impairment for drivers, some which are rising rapidly by the day. One of the more subtle types of impairment is illness or fatigue. Research says that driving while fatigued can be just as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol. With the rising culture urging people to earn and do more, they simply do not account for the fact that their body needs rest. There is a great possibility that they begin to drift around the road more than usual because their mind is not alert. Driving calls for extreme attention, even for the most seasoned drivers. A tired brain lacks the ability to do so. Another major type of impairment is driving while drunk or intoxicated. Having drugs or alcohol in the body alters the brain’s function, which can lead to poor decisions and an inability to judge situations properly. This could lead to additional risk for drivers, since the willingness of the affected driver to take risks increases. Other side effects such as vision loss and delayed reaction times are also results of these toxic substances. The very large category of “distractions” plays a huge role and is one of the main impairments that drivers face. A distraction can be anything from a cell phone, a horse in the field that is passed, eating, or kids fighting in the backseat. Any of these things or the like can pull a driver’s attention off the road for just enough time to cause an accident or cause a temporary danger to others. Distractions take the eyes off of the road, the mind off of driving, and sometimes even the hands off the wheel. Letting one of these happen is dangerous enough, let alone all three combined. 

I have experienced the effects of impaired driving personally. On this particular day, I was tired and not really thinking about driving. I was close to home at the time, so driving had become almost like muscle memory at this point in my route. My brain did not register the car in front of me, and I ended up hitting them. Their car did not take too much damage. Mine, however, was in the shop for a bit because I needed a few things under the hood replaced. I had never thought it would happen, especially it being my fault. I was “too good of a driver" and felt that I did not need to be too careful because it would never happen to me. I was very wrong, obviously. This experience, and paying the bills that came with it, has greatly influenced how I drive and how attentive I am. I leave extra space between cars now, more than is probably necessary, and I am always extra careful. Without this experience, I would likely still be a somewhat careless young driver. However, now that I have gone through this, I recognize the importance of being aware and alert while driving. 

As a result of my incident, I took a defensive driving course. Even though I thought I knew all the ropes through driver’s education, I learned some things that I had never thought about before. It taught me personally to drive as though everybody is impaired and to be ready for anything to happen at any time. Even though I am an average driver, not everybody else may be. These types of programs are effective because they show drivers how to be aware of others on the road. Driving students are always told to “be aware of other drivers,” but it is hard to know how to actually do that. These courses increase specific types of awareness in drivers, and they also teach students what to do in a variety of emergency situations. After my crash, I did not really want to drive. However, after doing the defensive driving course, I gained some of my confidence back and felt ready to get back on the road. 

I can personally tell others my story in hopes to prevent impaired driving. One of the easiest and most important things that a person can do is be educated and educate others. The impaired driving of a person does not only affect them, but it also affects everybody on the road around them. There are extremely harsh consequences of impaired driving, which can be avoided simply through knowing what those consequences are and how to avoid them. Through hearing the relatable story of a young driver who thought it would never happen, drivers may be encouraged to stay aware and avoid putting themselves in situations that may impair them.