On April 14, 2022, an impaired driver changed my life forever.  It was three days before Easter, and my grandmother was coming home from the grocery store to prepare the food for our family Easter dinner.  My grandmother was the backbone of our family, and my first teacher.  I spent every day of my childhood at her home, learning to read, write, garden, cook, and any number of other skills. She was my best friend and the greatest cheerleader in my life.  And on that Thursday, she pulled into her driveway, walked across the street to her mailbox, and was struck and killed by someone who should not have been behind the wheel of a car.  Her death instantly altered my life in a way that I will never be able to put into words.

When I read the statistic that 34,000 people are killed each year in automobile-related deaths, I know that 119,000 more families have been forever impacted in the same way as ours since my grandmother died.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately 30% of traffic fatalities are related to alcohol use, leaving 70% of fatalities related to unpreventable accidents and other factors that impair driving.  Impaired driving to me means anything that reduces your ability to make quick, appropriate reactions while driving a vehicle, including drugs, texting, talking on the phone, eating, multitasking, or being tired.  Something as simple as changing your music or looking at your passenger while driving can impair your ability to drive safely. Before I was born, my cousin lost her father when he fell asleep while driving to work one morning.  There are more ways to drive impaired than just alcohol and drugs that lead to tragic endings with lifetime consequences.

Every day, we hop in our cars without thinking of the risks we pose to ourselves and other drivers.  Driving has become so routine that we take our safety for granted. I choose to believe that most people want to do good and not hurt those around them.  Most people who choose to drive impaired in any way likely don’t realize the full risk that they are taking when they get behind the wheel of the car.  This is why I believe traffic safety courses and driver's education classes are so important.  In my state, driver’s education courses and training are not required to get or maintain a license to drive.  I believe this is a mistake.  I would like for our state to require a safety course and driver’s testing every five years to maintain your driver's license.  I think it would be helpful to have first responders and victims' families come to these courses to make the information more personal.  I also believe that if someone tests positive for or is prescribed a medication that will alter their mental status, they should not be allowed to drive while on that medication.  

I believe I have a personal responsibility to help prevent impaired driving by starting with myself.  Every time I start to drive, I need to evaluate how I am feeling.  Although I am only 18 and don’t drink alcohol or use drugs, I have made a promise to myself and my family not to drive and call a friend or Uber if I ever do.  I also take 10 seconds to turn my phone to “Do Not Disturb” mode and select my playlist before ever putting the car in drive.  In addition to taking these precautions for my safety, I am very open with my friends about my story and why they should do the same.  They know that they can call me anytime to help with a ride if they feel impaired.  I hope that seeing someone make responsible decisions will encourage them to do the same. 

Although there is never a good time for a horrible tragedy, my grandmother’s death happened five months before I got my driver's permit and has instilled in me a caution and respect for driving that I may not have realized without that experience.  I will speak up to protect my friends and family on the road, and continue to practice safe driving myself.  I will teach my future children the importance of safe driving and respecting the lives of others, as a way to honor my grandmother’s legacy.  It must be a daily, intentional commitment to stay alert and safe when we drive.  As the football player Jerry Smith said, “Safety doesn’t happen by accident”.