Hello. My name is Wyatt Klaczko and I am a senior at Aynor High School in Aynor, SC.  I have been driving for two years now. My parents instilled in me, at a young age, the importance of unimpaired and safe driving. Not just in the sense of being impaired from alcohol, but in all senses.  One of the biggest “impaired” issues today, especially in my age group, is cell phones.  People drive everyday and oftentimes get complacent. Driving is not something that anyone can get complacent with because it could be a matter of life or death!
     My dad is a Horry County Police Officer.  On average, he performs approximately 10-20 traffic stops a day. Many of these stops are on a very busy Highway leading into Myrtle Beach (US-501).  Can you imagine, my dad on the side of the road trying to do his job, and someone that had been drinking, just “smoking a little weed”, or checking a SnapChat notification, hits my dad.  Something that seems so small to that person could destroy my dad’s life, my families life, and my life in the blink of an eye!  Is my dad’s life worth a SnapChat or a TikTok that you could just watch when you get home? My dad has many other things in his job that he has to worry about, so he shouldn’t have to worry about someone hitting him because they chose to text and drive, drink and drive, drive when they are high, or drive when they are tired.  There are too many Police Officers and Highway workers that do not get to go home to their families each day due to impaired driving.  For that matter, there are way too many people in general that do not get to go home to their families because someone made the decision to drive impaired.  These include families, kids, teens, adults, and the elderly alike. No one gets behind the wheel and thinks “I am going to get into an accident today” or “I am going to die driving today”. I am however, thankful that South Carolina has recently passed the “Hands Free” Driving Law. 
      While they are horrifying, my dad has told me many stories of things that he has seen, due to impaired drivers.  I don’t feel he tells me these things to scare me, rather to educate me, so that I do not make the same mistakes others have.  I feel there should also be harsher penalties for those who choose to drive impaired. 
    Before I was ever allowed to drive anywhere, my parents made me take a Driver Education Course at BeeSafe Driving School in Conway, SC. The instructor was amazing and gave me all of the tools that I needed to be a confident and safe driver. The lessons that she, and my parents, have taught me about driving are invaluable to keeping myself and others, on the roads, safe when I am behind the wheel.   Driving school taught me that driving has many, constant, moving parts so being impaired makes that almost impossible to do.   Even a split second, can change your life!  These are things that I may not have learned until it was too late, if I hadn’t attended a driving school.  They are things that I will remember and use for the rest of my life, on a daily basis. 
    While I haven’t been driving for very long, I try to make sure my friends and people that I know, do not drive impaired. Sometimes, people may not notice but, what you do can rub off on others. While I am driving with my friends, they will often times, tell me that I have a notification, or a text, or that somebody is calling.  I always tell them that it can wait until I’m parked somewhere. Hopefully this helps them to see that there is no call or text too important to risk their, or somebody else’s, life.  I tell them to not be on their cell phones. To not drink and drive. To pull over if they get tired.  I pray that God keeps everyone on the road safe and to help them realize the risks they present when they choose to drive impaired.   I tell them this, not only because I care about them, but because they may just be driving by my dad and I love my dad and want him to come home safe every day and night.