I did a little research before starting this essay, and just about 40,000 people died in 2024 due to traffic crashes. I live in Texas, and in 2024, there were over 4000 deaths. It’s unbelievable and most are truly preventable. Driving while you are impaired can mean a lot of things, whether you’ve taken a foreign substance into your body or even if you are texting. The most important and obvious one is so you can avoid getting hurt or killed in a car accident. Property damage to your vehicle or someone else's property can be devastating. Reckless driving can change so many people's lives, in a split second. It’s to everyone’s benefit to drive safely.

Accidents are caused by many dumb decisions from reckless drivers by not paying attention or just ignoring traffic laws. These include speeding, drunk driving, texting while driving, not looking both ways, not stopping at a stop sign, and so much more, the first 2 being the most common. Driving while impaired, like drunk driving, slows your reaction time down. Sometimes driving drunk makes the driver sleepy, which can obviously be dangerous when operating a heavy vehicle. Even with things like impaired driving, it is usually misunderstood because it is often limited to just alcohol, ignoring just as dangerous factors like fatigue and distracted driving. This is why driving schools exist, to not only show people how to drive, but to also show us how to prevent these decisions. Even though some people take driver’s ed., not everyone can afford it, that being said, safety and the rules of the road do not change. That is why people that are in charge of teaching their pupils to drive, have to take that responsibility very seriously. I took driver's ed and recently received my license. I have had it for several months now and it became so much more apparent to me that people do not take the responsibility as carefully as they should. It makes me nervous when I am driving and I see someone on their phone talking, even worse, texting. I’m not sure if outlawing texting made things safer on the road, people are still going to text and they tend to hide their phones, and thus have to look down, off the road, to reply. Another experience that I've seen is people driving with their pets on their laps! If phones are distracting, how is a live animal not going to get in your way? Do you become an impaired driver if you need to keep your pet from licking your face or having their tail wagging in your face?

Naturally, I have experienced the results of someone not driving responsibly, possibly from being an impaired driver. I have seen people fail to use their turn signals correctly, run red lights, and even had to sit in a large traffic jam because of careless behavior.  Having to take detours, waiting for the damaged cars to be moved or just having to slow down is an inconvenience that could be avoided by driving safely. Seeing these situations reminded me of how important it is to always stay alert and cautious behind the wheel. There are also instances where you need to be paying attention, even when there isn’t an accident or someone driving recklessly. Construction zones are also an area where you need to listen to the signs that are posted. The roads may be uneven, unfinished or there might be workers present. Imagine being so impaired that you miss the road closure signs. The signs that are posted should tell you to slow down, I’ve seen plenty of vehicles continue on, as if the signs didn't exist. I take school zones very seriously as well, and I often wonder why there aren’t police cruisers sitting in school zones. You never know if a kid is going to run across the street without looking both ways. If you’re impaired, your reaction time can literally mean life or death. Driving is a privilege and a great responsibility. 

Overall, driving responsibly keeps you and everyone else around you safe. It protects lives, prevents unnecessary damage, and promotes a sense of respect and awareness on the road. Every driver needs to have their car insured, and each time there’s an accident or a ticket is issued, that cost goes up. If every driver made safety a priority, we would experience fewer accidents and safer drives for everyone. I am proud to say that I stay away from things that could make me impaired in any way.  Drinking beer or energy drinks, smoking marijuana or taking other drugs, even legal drugs that have the warnings to not operate heavy machinery, I stay away from them or I get someone to drive me where I need to go. Even if I’m the passenger, I try to keep the driver focused, I avoid distracting them and I can do my part in keeping them driving safely.