When most people hear the phrase “impaired driving,” they immediately think of alcohol or drugs. But as someone who has spent the last few years balancing school, work, and trying to change my entire life, I’ve learned that some of the most dangerous forms of impairment are the ones people rarely talk about, such as fatigue, distraction, and stress. I learned this lesson firsthand during the six months I worked overnight shifts at Planet Fitness, all while taking college classes during the day and working on my commercial real estate career. During that time, I discovered how easily exhaustion can turn an ordinary drive into something unsafe.

When I first started working the overnight shift, I thought I could handle everything. I told myself I was young, motivated, and hungry to build a better future. My days were nonstop: finishing my shift at 6 a.m., heading straight into schoolwork or real estate calls, squeezing in workouts, and trying to maintain a life outside of work and classes. At first, it felt doable. But within the first few weeks, the exhaustion started to catch up with me in ways I didn’t expect.

There were mornings when I would get in my car after work, turn on the engine, and instantly feel the weight of fatigue crash down on me. I remember one specific morning driving through Chicago and stopping at a red light. I blinked and when I opened my eyes again, the light was green and cars were honking behind me. I had fallen asleep for just a moment, but it could have changed everything. That wasn’t the only time, either. In those early months, I had several moments where fatigue shut my body down before I had time to react. The scariest part was that it never felt like it was happening on purpose. It was like my brain had no energy left to give.

As the months went on, I realized I had to make changes. There were days after my shift when I literally pulled over in a parking lot and took a 15–20 minute nap because I knew I wasn’t alert enough to drive safely. I didn’t want to admit how tired I was, but ignoring it would have been far worse. Fatigue is one of the most dangerous forms of impairment because it sneaks up on you. When you’re drunk, you know you’re impaired. When you’re high, you know your judgment is off. But when you're tired, especially from working hard and pushing yourself, you convince yourself you’re fine even when every signal in your body is telling you otherwise.

Fatigue affects driving in many of the same ways alcohol does. It slows your reaction time, weakens your attention, and causes micro-sleep episodes, such as brief moments where your brain shuts down without warning. I’ve experienced all of that. Looking back, I wish someone had told me earlier that exhaustion is just as dangerous as texting or drinking while driving.

And speaking of texting, that’s another major form of impairment I see all the time on the road. Drivers who think they’re in control as they glance down at their phones are often the ones drifting into another lane or stopping late at a light. I’ve seen it happen right in front of me; people scrolling through social media or responding to messages without realizing they’re driving a two-ton vehicle at 50+ miles per hour. Texting mixes distraction with delayed reaction, making it one of the quickest paths to a collision.

Alcohol and drugs still cause countless accidents, especially late at night or on weekends. In real estate, I’ve seen nightlife areas where people feel confident enough to drive after drinking, thinking they “only had a few.” Impaired confidence leads to impaired judgment, and impaired judgment leads to unsafe decisions. But at the same time, I believe fatigue and distraction are becoming just as common on today’s roads, especially among students, workers juggling multiple jobs, and adults overwhelmed by everyday stress.

Another form of impairment that people rarely acknowledge is emotional stress. I’ve had days when I got into the car thinking about deadlines, school assignments, money, or my goals. When your mind is racing, your focus isn’t on the road. Stress can make you speed, brake hard, or overlook important details. It affects driving just as much as anything else.

My experiences taught me that impairment isn’t a single thing, it’s a combination of anything that steals focus away from the road. Whether it’s a phone, a drink, drugs, stress, or extreme fatigue, the outcome can be the same: unsafe behavior that puts lives at risk.

The months I spent working overnight shifts showed me the reality of fatigue in a way I never expected. Falling asleep at red lights, pulling over because I was too tired to drive, and realizing how vulnerable I was taught me to respect the road in a new way. It made me aware not just of my own habits, but of what everyone else around me might be going through when they get behind the wheel.

Today, I drive differently. I pay attention to my energy, my focus, and my emotional state. If I’m too exhausted, I pull over. If I’m stressed, I breathe and take a moment. If my phone goes off, it stays out of reach. And when I see another driver swerving or reacting late, I no longer assume they’re careless, I understand they might be impaired in ways that aren’t visible from the outside.

Impaired driving is not always reckless or intentional. Sometimes it’s the result of life demanding more than a person has left to give. But understanding it, and choosing to act differently, can save lives.