When the topic of dangerous driving is brought up we usually think about speeding or merging without looking but what actually ends up making the road dangerous is when people are under the influence of alcohol, or other drugs. Another major reason accidents happen is because people are texting on their phones while driving. Those are all reasons why it only takes one person doing what they are not supposed to do to injure or possibly kill tons of innocent lives.

The biggest reason that comes to mind for causes of accidents on the road is alcohol impairment and sadly it is the most common and deadly among drivers. When a person drinks alcohol, it slows down your reaction time, blurs your judgement and causes people to be way more confident in their abilities compared to people who haven’t had any alcohol. A driver who has had a few drinks often reacts slower to brake lights or might misjudge their speed. The thing that most people forget is that alcohol affects your brain way before you feel drunk which explains why a person might think they are fine even though they are not. Because of this alcohol related crashes make up a huge portion of serious and fatal accidents.
Another dangerous thing that is dangerous is drug impairment. It isn’t only just illegal drugs, it is also done with over the counter medications and prescription medication. The use of marijuana is becoming more popular as more states legalize it. People who use it assume it’s harmless, but that's where they are wrong. It affects your coordination, slows down reaction time and makes it harder to focus. Another thing that can affect your driving is stimulants. Stimulants can cause overconfidence behind the wheel and restlessness. Painkillers and even allergy medication can also cause drowsiness and slower thinking. The issue that arises from this is that the majority of drivers would never assume that medication can cause problems while driving. The combination of how easy it is to access these drugs and the misunderstanding with the effects that come from them contributes to impaired driving accidents.

While drugs and alcohol have been causing accidents for decades, a new problem has become increasingly more common which is the use of phones while driving. Due to the rise of technology in recent years it has become so common for drivers to be on their phones. This has led to an increase in accidents. Most accidents caused by drivers on their phones are usually texting which is extremely dangerous. When you are texting while driving it leaves you distracted in multiple ways, the first being, your eyes aren't focused on the road, the second being your hands aren’t on the wheel and the final is your mind isn’t focused on the task at hand. Texting isn’t the only thing that distracts the driver, changing music, checking the GPS or taking phone calls completely takes your mind away from driving. The reason so many people think it’s harmless unlike drugs and alcohol is because your body’s ability isn’t altered the same as if you took a pill or drank a beer. This is why so many rear end collisions are caused by distracted driving.
The final major cause of car accidents is fatigue. Fatigue is when your body has such a lack of energy that it affects a person's physical and mental performance. Fatigue is usually caused by a lack of sleep or stress. Most people often forget that fatigue impacts your ability to drive. If you are ever driving at night and you feel sleepy or having difficulties keeping your eyes open you might be experiencing fatigue. If this ever happens to you, find the nearest rest stop or parking lot, pull into an open parking spot and take a quick nap for about 15 to 20 minutes. Never pull over on the shoulder of a highway to take a nap. People don’t realize how easy it is to get into an accident if you are not focused. Driving is all about having good judgement, awareness and making quick decisions which are all affected by fatigue. Fatigue affects the brain almost the same way that alcohol does, it makes it harder to focus and it slows down your reaction time. You might be tempted to drive through it because you just want to get home, but you are better off getting some rest and getting a little later than getting into an accident.

In the end, most impairment among drivers comes from stuff that people don’t think is a big deal. Whether it’s having a drink or two, taking marijuana or prescription medication, taking a call or feeling sleepy they can all have the same outcome. Something they all have in common is slowing down reaction timing and interfering with the ability to make quick decisions. If you don’t do or take anything mentioned in this essay while driving you will have a higher chance of staying safe while on the road.