My realization about impaired driving begins with shattered glass outside my high school. Day after day, I’d walk past the same empty parking lot on my way home from school. Up until my sophomore year, nothing about the parking lot, from the markings, to the cracks on the pavement, would change. Suddenly, on one particular day, I was heading to my dad’s car as usual. I then took a look on my left, and froze to a horrendous sight: Two cars flipped upside down with shards of glass sprinkled all around the ground, looking like crushed soda cans. Dents and scratches were all over the cars, with traffic cones and caution tape surrounding the whole scene. I was surprised no one took longer than a quick glance at the crash, and that no one was in sight. A few days later, at my driver’s education class, the teacher told us to head outside. I knew exactly where we were going. 

There, I realized that the scene outside wasn’t an actual crash, but rather a display. That day, we had a whole lesson on impaired driving, where we walked all around the parking lot to do a multitude of activities. All those activities helped me define what impaired driving means to me. That is, when you are behind the wheel with any internal or external factors negatively affecting your ability to drive with full focus. This can lead to the inability to make quick decisions on the road, and create an unsafe environment for all drivers. The largest reason why impaired driving is commonly misunderstood is because drivers don’t feel its true impact when they are sitting slumped on a chair in front of a slideshow presentation. With the way driver’s education is commonly structured, many people tend to underestimate how much impaired driving can affect you as well as those around you.

When it comes to the types of impairments influencing drivers, what first comes to mind for most people are alcohol and drugs. While driving under the influence can greatly affect your decisions and has caused many car accidents across the globe, I believe there are many other common factors that are more overlooked by drivers. For instance, due to how often we utilize our phones, most don’t realize that our phones are a distraction when in the driver's seat. You could be looking down on your phone (texting, calling, or putting on music), and then the very next moment look up to a 4,000 pound vehicle rushing towards you. Additionally, being fatigued when holding the wheel can turn what seems like an everyday ride into a fatal accident in a blink of an eye. However, I believe one of the hardest impairments to notice is the person sitting right next to you: the passenger. No matter what conversation you have with passengers, having your eyes off the road for even a second can increase the risk for you and everyone else you are driving with. Through impairments, both physical and mental, impaired driving leads to unsafe driving. Whether it's by forgetting to use your blinker, or driving past a red light, distracted driving can cause you to make mistakes that have life-threatening consequences. For me, no impairment is “more important” than the other, and driving with caution is the number one priority for me as soon as I put on my seatbelt. The text message on my phone can wait until after I park. 

I was taught all these impairments at driver’s education through that immersive lesson. When our class arrived at the parking lot, there were five different stations. Station one involved alcohol impairment glasses so I could experience what it was like to be driving under the influence. Something as simple as walking in a straight line was a challenge. Station two consisted of a golf cart along with a lot of cones to drive around. Many of my friends who went said that it was surprisingly difficult to turn around the cones while the teacher was talking to you on the passenger side. Station three showed the blind spots of both cars’ and trucks' side view mirrors. At station four, I was with a police officer holding a radar to measure car speed and spot drivers who are texting while driving. Lastly, the fifth station was the car crash display, representing the outcome of a car accident. Inside the upside down car was a dummy which had glass shards in its body. Never would I want to be that dummy.

With this hands-on approach, driver’s education will let new and experienced drivers become aware of the dangers of impaired driving. Having traffic safety courses structured in this way would allow all drivers to realize the significance of not only impaired driving, but also how they should behave when on the road. That means no drunk driving, no getting too chatty with passengers, no missing blind spots, and no driving while on the phone, all to avoid being that dummy. Ultimately, we can prevent drivers from acting recklessly, prevent more vehicles from colliding, and prevent lives being lost because of careless mistakes. That is why, in the car, I always ensure my hands aren’t off the wheel and my eyes aren’t off the road at any time.

Later when I got my learner’s permit during junior year, I would ride everyday after school with my dad alongside me. He would mentor me about how large of a responsibility driving a car is. Vehicles are a gift, allowing us to travel and explore any place we choose. However, it can also be something dangerous when used irresponsibly. It’s your choice whether you want your car to be a tool or a weapon. When I got my driver’s license my senior year, revisiting the parking lot would often bring a smile to my face. I am glad to still see those crushed soda cans and shattered glass again outside my high school, with many young students circling and inspecting the display.

I am fortunate enough to not have a tragic story from impaired driving, but I want to prevent other people from experiencing such a misfortune. My role in preventing impaired driving is simple yet essential: driving responsibly. This should be everyone's first step. Turn off the phone. Put the bottle down. Sleep for more hours. With everyone doing their part, we can make the road a safer place.

Like my dad, I want to inspire those around me so they too can become safe drivers. Telling others my experience will allow more people to recognize the risk when behind the wheel. driver’s education can also inspire others to make safe decisions, but in order to do so, they need to go beyond a Powerpoint presentation. In the same way I did, I hope everyone else becomes inspired by shattered glass in a parking lot.