To me, impaired driving is anything that affects your ability to drive properly and safely. I believe that impaired driving is commonly misunderstood because many people first think of impaired driving as simply the act of driving under the influence of alcohol. While yes, being intoxicated is one form of impaired driving, it is only one of many forms. This simple yet dangerous misconception leads drivers to think that because they aren’t drinking, they are not impaired while driving. However, this is far from the truth. Many drivers are impaired and they don’t even realize it. Impairment can be anything that is distracting you from driving. This can be the passengers that you are having a conversation with, the food you are eating while driving, or even the music that is playing that you are equally or more focused on. I believe that this is misunderstood even by those who take a drivers education program because many of these programs, especially those in Wisconsin (where I am from), focus primarily on alcohol causing impairment. Programs choose to highlight this because it is a large issue that can become the most dangerous the fastest. However, by not highlighting other forms of impairment, this causes those who might be exposed to them, to not see the potential dangers in their situations.

As someone from Wisconsin, which is known for having a relatively large, yet dangerous, drinking culture, I would be able to without a doubt say that impaired driving from alcohol is a huge problem affecting drivers today. In a state where it is legal for those under 18 to consume alcohol in many settings so long as they are with their parents, guardians or spouse who are of legal drinking age, it is not hard to find many teens drinking. This decision, especially at a young age, leads many people to believe that they won't be the statistic. They think that they won’t be the one who gets in a drunk driving accident. They think they are superhuman and invincible. Alcohol drastically impairs driving ability because it is a depressant. It slows down brain activity, thus leading to impaired coordination and poor judgement. Coordination and judgement are crucial for driving. If you are operating a vehicle, or as my mom likes to call it, “a 4,000 pound weapon”, you must be fully there mentally.

My school went to our local Performing Arts Center to watch a presentation on distracted and drunk driving. One story that really resonated with me was one of a woman who was driving just down the end of the road to her friend’s house one winter. Her windshield was covered in ice and snow. She tried to get it off but wasn’t able to fully remove everything on her windshield. Thinking of how short the drive to her friend’s house was, she decided to just start the drive. She decided to operate her “4,000 pound weapon” even though she couldn’t fully see in front of her. The part of the story that stopped us all in our tracks, was when she told us that while on her way, she hit a garbage truck, pinning a garbage worker in between her car and the back of the garbage truck. The man, who eventually came onto the stage to also share the story with us, was forever paralyzed from this event. He was severely injured and required many units of blood. His life was forever altered, as was this woman’s, simply because she was distracted and not able to operate her vehicle safely. This story influences me to make sure that I am always making sure that safety comes first. Whether it is just down the road, or late at night when no one is usually on that road, safety must also be the absolute priority. If I can’t operate a vehicle safely, then I mustn’t operate the vehicle at all.

Driver’s education courses can show new drivers the horrific but necessary stories of real people who were impaired while driving. These stories are meant to show people the necessity that is making sure you are safely operating your vehicle. These programs are effective, especially when local, because they can resonate with specific communities based on the experiences and cultures of those communities.

The biggest role that I can play is making sure that I am not a hypocrite. I can not preach safe driving while also being distracted. I think that story is one of the greatest I can share. Some people may not have a story like that that is able to resonate with them as much as it did with me. I believe that sharing authentic stories like that, that not only teach an important lesson, but also hit you where it hurts, is one of the strongest ways that people can help encourage safe decisions.