Impaired driving is best known as when the driver is under the influence; alcohol, medications, illegal drugs, etc. More than that though impaired driving can be driving without enough sleep, or even just driving without your glasses. This concept can be misunderstood, especially by new drivers who don't take the rules of the road seriously. Fatigue is probably the most common effect on drivers today, especially teenagers. Many teens have fallen asleep behind the wheel, or are simply just staying out too late resulting in a higher number of crashes. An article I found titled sleep education, states, “As the amount of alcohol consumption increases, the risk of crashes becomes higher. Sleep deprivation has similar effects on the brain. Teens are taught to avoid driving after drinking; why not teach them to avoid driving while sleepy?”(Dunietz). A student wrote this article explaining how the effects of alcohol on the mind are similar to the effects that sleep deprivation has on the mind. Recognizing that driving with the consumption of alcohol is just as dangerous as driving with little to no sleep is what all new drivers should be taught. I watched a video in drivers Ed that showed someone falling asleep behind the wheel and getting into an accident, which has made me think about how much sleep I am getting especially when I know I have to drive a lot on a certain day. Driver's education is an amazing tool that can help young drivers not only know the rules of the road but know the consequences that can arise when not taking them seriously. As someone who went to driver's ed I have been able to explain to friends who didn't go just how important it is to focus when driving, and to really take the road seriously. Another example is eating while driving; my sister blew a tire out from eating behind the wheel simply because she was multitasking. While these things don’t seem to be dangerous the outcome can be bad. Hearing this story of my sister made me stop eating when driving because I was opened up to what can happen with just one distraction. impaired driving is also taking medication that you've never taken before. For example, the well known medicine Benadryl is taken to help allergies, harmless right? Well if you’ve never taken benadryl before then you probably shouldn’t drive on the road after taking it. Benadryl can cause drowsiness, dizziness, and even blurred vision. This doesn’t mean that those will always be the side effects after taking it, but it's better to be safe than sorry especially when talking about driving. My mom worked in the ICU and cared for children that had been in vehicular accidents as a result of impaired driving. That's another thing to take into account, who are you affecting when driving impaired? An article written about impaired driving explains these effects saying, “229 children ages 0–14 years were killed in crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver in 2020. This was 21% of traffic-related deaths among children ages 0–14 years”(cdc.gov). When seeing these numbers it really puts it into perspective how important it is to keep yourself and those in the car with you safe when driving. In a recent study about drunk driving, Amanda Demanda says, “Every day, 37 people die from drunk driving crashes, according to statistics published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In total, impaired driving kills thousands of people annually throughout the U.S., and not just the intoxicated drivers who got behind the wheel or their passengers”(Demanda). This statistic is shocking, and concerning, and should drive us to care more about the rules of the road. With the rise of alcohol consumption in people driving, stricter laws and consequences need to take place. What's taught in Drivers Ed needs to be taught to people at every age. Warning signs on roads, mandatory classes through college, and job meetings that drive the importance of safety behind the wheel. By enforcing the law in these different ways, the more likely someone is to think about their decisions before driving. While it can be easy to blame the legal system for the ongoing problem in impaired driving, it has become more of a societal issue these days. We are told to abide by the law, but more than that we are told to teach those around us just how dangerous driving can be. This starts with Gen Z, as we grow up and have kids we must enforce the importance of being a safe driver making sure that the rules of the road are followed to avoid any mishaps and bring down the statistics surrounding impaired driving.