We have all heard the slogans, "Drive sober or get pulled over," " You drink, you drive you loose," and "Friends don't let friends drive drunk." But the slogan that sticks with me most is "It's choice, not chance, that determines your destiny."  We are all given a choice and we need to make sure we choose correctly.  
     In my county alone, in the year of 2024, there were 67 traffic fatalities.  That was a 34 percent increase from 2023.  That is just one county out of the 3,143 counties in the United States.  I think when people hear the word "impaired driving" they assume the driver was intoxicated with alcohol.  That is, in fact, not always the case.  The word impaired is defined as having a specified faculty or function limited by physical or mental condition.  It can refer to a loss of function, such as vision or memory, or a reduced capacity to perform tasks, which can be caused by physical disabilities, medical conditions, or substances such as alcohol or drugs.  
The word impairment is misunderstood because I think most Americans have a "it won't happen to me" mentality.  This personal bias leads them to rationalize their own risky behavior.  I also feel that many Americans have a narrow view of what constitutes as impaired.  We have downplayed the behavior of driving after a few beers as normal.  This misunderstanding contributes to the ongoing problem.  Whenever a driver is not fully equipped to drive safely that is a form of impairment. The most common impairments are texting, alcohol or drugs, but impairment while driving can be a visual or hearing impairment, eating while driving or adjusting the radio or talking on the phone take our eyes and mind off the road as well.
     When your father and aunt are both police officers in the city you live in, like mine are, you hear a lot of  horrific stories about people who have lost their lives to driving while intoxicated.  Two stories that have shaped me into the driver I am today were from 2016 and 2024.  In 2016 my dad was the first one to respond to a hit and run accident that caused a young college student lose her life.  She was just hours from from her college graduation.  She was hit by an illegal immigrant who was arrested with a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit.  He then posted bail and disappeared.
The second story just happened in Omaha Nebraska on September 27th, 2024 and this story is one I will never forget.  A mother of three young children, ages 5, 18 months and 11 days old lost their lives.  Along with an innocent man who was driving home from a long night of work.  The female driver was drunk with a BAC of .216 and driving at speeds up to 142 mph.  My aunt was one of the first officers on scene.  As I listened to her share her story about that horrific night I could hear the quiver in her voice and her eyes fill with tears.  She saw the worst of the worst that night.  She just kept talking about the children.  About how innocent they were.  The sad part about it is these types of accidents happen every day all around the U.S.  EVERYDAY!!  Hearing stories like this have definitely shaped me into the driver I am today. I am more attentive behind the wheel, I keep a safe distance between me and the car in front of me, and always keep my phone in the console. 
     When I turned 16 I was ready to drive.  My parents signed me up for drivers education and I am so glad they did.  Drivers education helped me face my personal and emotional fears.  The program made me more confident as I was a new driver getting behind the wheel for the first time alone without my parents in the car with me.  My driving instructor shared his own personal experiences with us and it made me feel like as a new driver everyone goes through the same emotions and fears.  It made me feel like I was not alone.  Those 3 days taught more than just driving skills.  I taught me real life situations like responsibility and accountability, encouraged discipline and time management along with emotional regulation and decision-making.  
     In conclusion, I don't want to be part of the problem I want to be part of the solution.  I want to be a leader when it comes to this topic not a follower.  We citizens must be responsible and obey traffic rules at all times.  Distracted driving is extremely dangerous to everyone on the road.  It puts my life and other innocent lives in danger.  We are given one life, lets not take a chance on our own destiny let's make a choice.

Thank you,
Kylie Mraz