When a person hears the phrase "impaired driving" the first thing that usually comes to mind is driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Given the lifetime of public service announcements and laws primarily focused on Driving Under the Influence, that makes sense. However, for me, impaired driving goes way further than intoxication from drugs or alcohol. There is a much broader spectrum of dangerous behaviors and unstable mental states. While driving under the influence is a form of impaired driving, it also means being overwhelmed by intense emotions, driving a vehicle without having a clear and focused mind, fatigue, or engaging in texting and driving. To make the roads safer we must expand our definition of impairment to include anything that would change a driver's ability to make a split-second, or even sometimes life changing decision. 

One of the most significant challenges in road safety is a key understanding of what impairment looks like. This disconnect often times than not persists even within those who have completed formal training. Drivers finish drivers education courses or traffic school with a certificate believing that they are safe because they simply do not drink and drive. They view impaired driving through a small lens, seeing it only as substance abuse. However, the reality is that impaired driving is deeper and more complex. A driver that is crying over a breakup, or who is seeping with rage after an argument, is visually and cognitively impaired. Their reaction times have slowed down and their range of focus has narrowed which can make them more liable to hitting pedestrians or not focused on changing traffic lights. Similarly, fatigue can show the same effects of alcohol. A drowsy driver has the same poor coordination and judgement as a drunk driver. By failing to acknowledge these forms of impairment, drivers that mean well unknowingly put themselves and others at risk.

In today's society the most common type of distracted driving is texting and driving. This is driven by an addiction to smartphones. We live in an era where people feel a need to stay connected every second of the day. This addiction can bring deadly consequences when brought behind the wheel. Texting and driving affects driving ability in lethal ways because it demands a full withdrawal of attention from the road. When a driver looks down to read or send a message they are essentially driving blind for seconds at a time. In those couple of seconds a car can travel the length of a football field. When you take your eyes off of the road you lose full awareness of the moving environment around you. A child could run into the street, the car in front of you could slam on their brakes, or the lane could curve, and the distracted driver would be completely oblivious until it is too late. The distraction is just not visual, it is mental also. The brain is engaged with the conversation on the screen which can lead to unsafe behaviors such as drifting between lanes, erratic speed changes, and running red lights.

My personal understanding of these dangers aren’t just theoretical but instead speaking from family trauma. A specific story that has shaped my awareness involves my father who tends to have bad luck when it comes to other drivers’ negligence. My dad has been hit by drunk drivers multiple times, a terrifying statistic for one person to endure. There is one specific incident that stands out in my memory. After a severe collision caused by an impaired driver, the first responders arrived to cut him out of the car. The firefighters later told him that the only reason that he survived the impact was because of the speakers in his car. The specific build and placement of the speaker system absorbed the impact and shielded him, preventing fatal injury. Without those speakers I wouldn’t be here. Even telling this story still gives me chills. It made me realize that the line between life and death on the road is very thin. Sometimes survival comes down to inches of metal but more so in this case a speaker cabinet. It shows the lack of control victims have when they share the road with impaired drivers.

This is where education and personal responsibility come into play. Drivers education and traffic courses play an important role in changing attitudes and behaviors through the power of storytelling. Statistics can be easily forgotten, but stories stick. When these courses share the heartbreaking stories of what happens to those who drive impaired, or the innocent people that are hit by them, it breaks the feeling of thinking “it can’t happen to me.” It forces new drivers to visualize the consequences of their actions. But, institutional education can only go so far, there is a gap that needs to be filled by personal connection.

I believe that I have a critical role to play in preventing impaired driving within my own circle. The most effective tool that I have is my voice. By talking about these issues as much as I can with friends and family, the conversations around safety while driving can be normalized. It can oftentimes be awkward to tell a friend to put their phone away or refuse to get in a car with someone who is too tired to drive, but it is necessary. My knowledge and my personal connection to this issue could influence others to make safer decisions. When advice comes from a billboard it is easily ignored. When it comes from someone they know and care about, it carries more weight. If I can remind a friend of the dangers of emotional driving or texting, that influence may be the deciding factor that prevents a crash.

In conclusion impaired driving is a complex threat with simple solutions. It is not just about keeping drunk drivers off the road. It is about recognizing that a distracted, emotional, or tired mind is a dangerous weapon. We must move beyond the basic lessons of traffic school and acknowledge that our addiction to phones is creating a crisis. By sharing our stories, holding our loved ones accountable, and broadening our definition of what it means to be “under the influence” we can create a driving culture that values focus and life above everything else.