Whenever I get behind the wheel, I remember that the most dangerous thing that most of us do in an ordinary day is driving. It is a dramatic thing to say, but it is true. Over 34,000 Americans are killed in car accidents annually, which is more than have been killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. It surprised me when I was first told that. It opened my eyes to the fact that impaired driving does not occur out there in the world, and happen to careless individuals. It is the thing that may touch all those who lose concentration, feel that they can do something wrong or believe that nothing can go wrong to them.

On my part, impaired driving refers to any condition in which the capacity, judgment, and response time of the driver is impaired. Impairment can take numerous forms, and most people consider only alcohol or drugs. It may be texting, fatigue after a long working day, emotional distraction, and even the tranquility that comes with believing that you are a good driver. This is one of the things that I have realized many drivers, including those who have attended driver schools, fail to understand. They only assume impairment in the case of you being drunk in the eye. They forget that your tiredness, stress or phone addiction can as much things decelerate your response time.

I have not been in a significant collision, but there was an incident that definitely altered my perception of impaired driving. I had been at work late one night driving home. It was a winter in Utah, and the roads were wet. I recall that I felt tired more than I thought, and I simply wanted to get home. I began to lose focus halfway through my drive, to the extent that I got to experience that  shock of fear. It was just that single second to know how simple it is to be so fatigued that it is just as perilous as when one is not at their right frame of mind. I was not drunk, not texting and not being reckless. I was simply tired. And it still put me at risk. That moment changed me. I have since made it a near rule with myself never to drive fatigued, never to drive on when I feel like I might just make it home and to stop when I feel the slightest bit of fatigue.

To my best ability as a driver, I strive to be responsible. I do my best to avoid exceeding the speed limit, observe my surroundings, and use defensive and offensive driving skills. However, despite such abilities, one can be distracted within a flash. I have had instances when I heard a notification on my phone and wanted to look down. I have turned my phone off nowadays when I get into a car because I now realize that even a second glance can prove to be a life changing error.

These attitudes are greatly influenced by driver education and traffic safety courses. Taking driver ed meant that I understood the fundamentals, the road laws, the safe distance between cars, and the manner in which I dealt with various situations on the road. However, the technical information was not the most valuable. It was gaining a mental attitude of care, accountability and self-awareness. Driving schools do not only impart regulations but judgment as well. They make students know the reason behind the existence of a rule, but not the rule itself. When individuals are made to realize the reason why, chances are high that they make good judgments in real life situations.

Misconceptions can also be corrected through drivers training particularly on impairment. Not all young drivers are aware of the fact that texting, stress, emotional distraction and fatigue are considered impairment. They are not aware that staying up all day is just the same as driving under the influence of a small dose of alcohol. Driver ed can shatter the false sense of security that causes most risk takers to take the risk by educating them in the science of reaction time, vision, perception and decision making.

I feel like I can contribute personally to the prevention of impaired driving not only to myself but to those around me. I belong to a young family and I would like to save them. I desire to be a kind of individual that can give the example to my siblings, friends, and even future children. When I am driving, I make it clear that my phone will be kept away, that I can not drive when I am tired, and that I will not risk a few minutes to save my life. Small things such as this count. Human beings can learn through observation. It is already worth it to me should I be able to persuade even one person to think before he or she gets behind the wheel when under the influence of alcohol.

The privilege to drive is one thing, and the responsibility of life or death is another. The fact of the matter is that the most tragedies on the road could be avoided. Had more drivers realized how unsafe impairment can be, be it alcohol, drugs, texting, fatigue, etc. we could save thousands of lives annually. I hope that I can keep learning, continuing to become better and continuing to motivate others to take the road with the kind of seriousness and respect that is required. The decisions we make in the driver seat are important than we are aware. I choose to make mine count.