Impaired driving, to me, means operating a vehicle when your ability to make safe and responsible decisions is compromised. It is one of the most dangerous acts someone can commit, not only are you breaking the law, but you run the chance of destroying someones life. Many people think that being “a little tired” or having “just one drink” won’t make a difference, but the truth is, any form of impairment can change everything in an instant.

 In my senior year of high school back in 2019, my life changed forever. Like any other day in the month of October my mother and I went for our daily walk like always, at the time we were unaware our lives were about to change for the worst. Hard to believe, but as my mom and I were crossing the street halfway down on the crosswalk, six houses down from our own home, we were struck by a car, driven not by a stranger, but by one of our very own neighbors! Later, we learned that he was under the influence. This one singular incident, changed my family forever. My mom suffered serious injuries, breaking two upper and two lower bones in her back. I'll never foget the moment seeing her being surrounded and prodded by wires looking frail and weak in that hospital bed. Waiting, full of uncertainty, overcome by a sense of numbnessdoctors, as the doctors walked over letting us know it was a miracle she wasn’t paralyzed. We spent my entire senior year in physical therapy, I facing the looming uncertanty of surgery, and my mom facing a long and difficult recovery, re-learning to walk.

I do admit, before that day in October chnaged our lives, I never truly understood what it meant to be a  an impaired driver. I had heard all the warnings about drinking and driving, but they felt distant, something that happened to other people, not something I had ever experienced. Yet, when it happened to me, I realized the difference between hearing about impaired driving and living through its consequences. It became clear to me that impaired driving is not an abstract danger it is a real and devastating choice that can destroy lives in seconds and it can happento someone you know, or even you!

This experience changed my outlook on life and on driving completely. I developed a deep fear of being behind the wheel, with it taking me nearly two years to overcome the trauma. Even now, I am a very cautious driver, others having labeled my driving style as driving like a grandma. I always follow the speed limit, never taking that unnecessary risks. What me and my mom's experienced taught me, is that being unimpaired is more than just following rules, it’s about protecting lives. Impaired driving doesn’t just come from strangers or reckless people, it can come from anyone, even someone you know and trust. In my case, it was my very own neighbor a person whose family we had interacted with on a daily basis and thought we knew well. That single realization was one of the hardest to accept.

I wholeheartedly believe driver’s ed and traffic school programs can play an important role in changing attitudes toward impaired driving. However, to be effective, they must go beyond lectures and statistics. They need to make the consequences real, through personal stories, survivor testimonials, or simulated experiences that help students feel the real danger of impairment. When drivers can emotionally connect with what’s at stake.

As the aniversery of my accident approaches I reflect back to that faithful day in October 2019. Today, I see it as my personal responsibility to prevent impaired driving. I openly talk about my experience whenever I can. I remind others that impaired driving isn’t just about alcohol or drugs, but taking a moment to text, closing your eyes out of exhaustien, skipping that one song, anything that takes your eyes away from the road for a second. My, and my moms story has become part of my mission to influence others to drive responsibly. If sharing what happened to me can stop even one person from getting behind the wheel while impaired, then something good can come out of that terrible day. Impaired driving is preventable, it takes awareness, education, and personal responsibility. My experience taught me that one person’s careless choice can change lives forever, but it also taught me that one person’s awareness can save them.