Impaired​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​​‍‌ driving to me is a situation when a person who is not fully there physically, mentally, or emotionally, without considering the consequences, takes the wheel and drives. When I was taking my driver's education, the very first time I was introduced to the idea of impaired driving, I thought that it was only related to the use of alcohol or drugs. These were the examples that everyone talked about and that we would obviously see in the videos and hear in the warnings. But as I grow and have my own experiences, I realize that impairment doesn't have to be something big and obvious. Most of the time it is something small; it deceives you into thinking that it is not giving you any distinct warning. Sometimes it is caused by daily things: how much one has slept, what one has eaten, or what one is thinking of. And sometimes you don't even realize that you are impaired until some incident forces you to acknowledge it.

Impairment of drivers can be achieved in various ways, which have caused the number of cases to increase, and it seems that not all these methods are taken seriously enough by people. Despite alcohol and drugs being the leading causes that result in accidents as they slow the reaction times, blur the judgment, and lower the coordination, the like of texting has become equally dangerous. When a phone buzzes, a person looks down "for a second," and during that moment, his eyes are away from the road long enough to hit a pedestrian or to miss the lane he or she should have driven to. Weariness is another big problem, though most people take it lightly. Driving when tired can have a similar effect on one's brain as driving when drunk, and the scary thing is how easily your body can come into a shutdown mode when you are extremely fatigued. What I was not so clear about until quite recently is that your bodily condition - even something like being low in iron or not having eaten enough- can also affect your safety on the road.

I was only one incident away from rethinking my idea. I am low in iron, which is a condition that I live with and usually manage well. Nevertheless, there was a day when I didn't eat enough to keep my levels stable. At first, I didn't think of it much. I was a little bit tired, but I still drove my younger sister to her dance practice, thus putting the feeling aside. It was a very simple trip, something that we had already done a hundred times. I thought I was fine, so I got the car, not knowing how fast things would get worse.

Almost mid-way, I was driving with my eyes closing by force. It seemed to me that my eyelids were getting some weights attached to them, and my peripheral vision was also starting to blur. I tried everything: rolled down my window for cold air, then turned up the radio volume, sat up straighter, nothing helped. My body was going through shutdown waves, each one being a little stronger. I vaguely recall that I held the steering wheel very tightly and looked at my sister. At that time, she had no idea that something was wrong, but then again, she has always trusted me like that. What bothered me later more than anything was the fact that she was depending on me, and I was not the one to drive her anywhere.

The fact that almost led me to a crash only came to me after we had safely arrived at the studio, just like a punch in the chest. It scared me. It brought me down to earth. And it made me feel impaired driving in a very personal way, which it had never done before. It was not a case caused by a substance or a text message, rather it was because I didn't take care of my health. Before that day, I thought that low iron could never be a source of danger to the driver, but in fact, it can, and it did. Since then, my driving has been very different. I now really watch out for myself even before I put the key into the ignition: Have I had my meal? Am I feeling lightheaded? Am I really awake enough to drive safely? I have learned that being responsible is not only about obeying the road rules, rather it is also about being honest with oneself, even when it is not convenient. If I am not feeling well, I do not pretend that I am. I take some time off the road, rest, or ask for help. That change in thinking was a direct result of that incident, and it is something that I always bring along with me whenever I am driving.

Driver's education and traffic safety courses are quite effective in arousing people's consciousness of the dangers that may come in different forms. What makes them effective is that they not only teach rules, but also teach alertness and moral responsibility. They open people's eyes to the truth of the situations, reveal the real outcomes, and encourage the students to think beyond just the concepts of "right and wrong." They help people to see that impairment is not always obvious and that it can result from everyday choices. When these programs emphasize the real-world consequences of impaired driving, they equip drivers to make safer, more considerate choices.

As for my role in the fight against impaired driving, I try to be the leader in small but impactful ways. If I am tired, I will not drive. If I am feeling dizzy, I will not drive. If I am out of focus, I will not drive. If something feels off, I am ready to say so even if it might be uncomfortable. I do not tell my story to my friends to scare them, but rather for them to know how quickly a normal day can turn out to be ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌different.