Impaired driving is not being aware of surroundings. Whether it is intentional or not, being unaware of where you are is a dangerous form of incompetent driving. There is a misconception that just because you have control of your vehicle, you're in the clear to be distracted. Driving is not an isolating task; it is a form of communication. We coexist with others on the street and let them know when we are going to turn, slow down, etc. When we stop communicating, we not only fail to tell others what we are doing, we also aren’t receiving any immediate forms of communication. Even if you are a ‘good’ driver, a distracted driver has been stripped of their ability to communicate with others on the street. So if something goes wrong, the message is received far too late. 

     In my community, the most common forms of impairment are texting and fatigue. When a person reaches for their phone while driving, their focus is no longer on the street. Their head can be facing the road with their phone propped up, but their eyes, the receivers of what is going on, are on the phone. Being on a cellular device while driving is numbing and often leaves no room for redemption when consequences of distraction occur. Fatigue can have varying effects on individuals. Severe fatigue impairs the brain’s thought process, and the decisions that people make when they are tired and on the road are usually risky. Whether it is running a light because they zoned out or turning when they weren’t supposed to, driving when tired creates a dangerous environment for the driver and the other cars around. Not paying attention, voluntarily or involuntarily, has the same consequences. Cars are weapons, and being distracted while driving is like using a weapon with your eyes closed. 

     When I first got my license, I began driving to swim practice every day after school. One afternoon, I was driving through the usual light right by my house. All of a sudden, the car that was stopped at the left turn lane across from me decided to make a U-turn, almost slamming into me. I immediately slammed on my brakes and barely made it out. I was a few inches away from the car and was very close to the sidewalk due to making a slight swerve out of the car’s way. My heart was racing, and I didn’t know that I would ever come close to being in a car accident while driving through a green light. I had been where that car was before; this was the light right by my house. I knew that he had made a U-turn on a red left turn lane light. From that point on, I knew that I had to be extremely aware of what the cars around me were doing, for my own protection. If I hadn’t been paying attention that afternoon, I know the damage of that event would be permanent. A few months after this encounter, I had started my junior year in high school, where I had the privilege of driving myself to school. I was at the light right by my house, waiting for the light to turn green so I could turn left. Once the light turned green, the car in front of me started to drive, when all of a sudden, they swerved a little and slammed on their brakes. A giant white truck with a buggy of equipment on the back fully ran a red light. My mind was overwhelmed because I was usually always the first in this lane in the mornings. I was overwhelmed with gratitude that the car in front of me was untouched, but I was never the same after witnessing this incident. Now, whenever I am driving, and the light turns green, I check my surroundings before I fully commit to crossing the light. I am aware of my surroundings when behind the wheel so that I can be a defensive driver to the best of my ability. 

     Before I got my license, I was enrolled in a driver’s education course for about four months. Before this course, I was a driver with no confidence and a lot of fear. The driver’s education course fully aided in my mental state when driving and prepared me for all types of roads in my area. I am also thankful that they taught me how to handle distractions and busy roads mindfully. However, impaired driving was never touched on in the course. I have seen a lot of people in my community get comfortable after getting their license and turn to impaired driving habits. Driver’s education and traffic school courses can aid in changing these impaired driving habits by providing reward systems or continuing education for drivers. A driver can download an app on their phone to see how much they use their phone while driving, and if they are clean for certain checkpoints, they can get a prize from the driver’s education program. Having a consistent reward system is effective because these impaired driving habits are consistent. Fighting consistency with consistency gives people the opportunity to balance out dangerous habits and replace them with safer ones. 

     By being focused myself, I play a role in preventing impaired driving. While driving with fear is not comfortable, it is still important to drive with concern and awareness. The consequences of dangerous driving are life-altering, and no one deserves to have their life changed because they were impaired, or someone around them was. I also share any teachings from my driving instructor with any friends whose parents are teaching them how to drive. This allows them to combine their driving experience with tips from a driving instructor. By doing my part and leading by example, I hope my community continues to be aware of the road. We all deserve to get from point A to point B safely.