Ten year old me used to stand next to my dad as he prepared spaghetti and meatballs for our weekly Wednesday night special. At first, I could only watch, barely able to reach the counter, but over time, as I began learning, he let me stir the sauce, mix the meat, and sprinkle in the seasonings, always guiding my hands. When I got a little silly and started squishing the meat in all sorts of ways, he would gently hold my wrist and remind me, “Gabby, remember, you aren’t just cooking for yourself, but you’re also cooking for other people.” Cooking showed me that a moment of carelessness could ruin the meal or, worse, affect someone else who would eat it and it is also unsafe to play in the kitchen. In many ways, driving is the same. Each turn, stop, and decision requires the same focus and care because a single mistake can impact not just you, but everyone around you. Just like in the kitchen, responsibility and mindfulness are what keep the “meal” (or journey) safe for everyone.

Like in the kitchen, it’s easy to underestimate how much focus and care are needed to cook a meal properly. Even someone who has read all the recipes or has been cooking for years might get comfortable and forget that a single slip can ruin everything. Similarly, impaired driving is often misunderstood, even by experienced drivers. To me, being impaired means your body is present, but your mind isn’t fully there; it’s when your focus slips just enough that you’re no longer in complete control of yourself (being distracted). The most common forms of impaired driving today include using cell phones, as many drivers are texting, scrolling through TikTok, or reading messages while behind the wheel. Alcohol and drug use are also common in most drivers today, however, people stereotype them as only forms of impairment. They fail to realize that many other distractions can interrupt focus. Fatigue can make attention drift, strong emotional states such as extreme anger can lead to rash decisions, and medications can cloud judgment and slow reactions. Even if unintentional, your brain is pulled in different directions, leaving less attention for driving. Just as a distracted cook might burn the sauce, spill ingredients, or miss a step in a recipe, a driver who is impaired in any of these ways is more likely to make mistakes that put themselves and others at risk. Each type of impairment affects focus differently, but the outcome is always the same: slower reactions, poor decisions, and potentially serious consequences.

I remember taking an Uber to a job interview on a Thursday morning. The streets were busy, and I couldn’t help but notice the driver constantly picking up his phone, opening iMessage, and tapping the screen while driving. I wasn’t thinking much of it, I was on my own phone, listening to music, trying to calm my nerves before the interview. Suddenly, I felt a loud thump on the right side of the car, and the brakes slammed so hard that I was thrown forward against my seatbelt. My heart was racing, and fear immediately set in. The Uber and the other car pulled over to a nearby Regions bank, and we both stepped out. I called my mom the second it happened, my hands shaking. I could hear my Uber driver apologizing over and over, while the woman he hit shouted, “The light was red!” The side of the car now had a huge dent: my first experience with an accident. Just feeling the impact against my side was terrifying, and the shock left my stomach in knots. I couldn’t believe how quickly something so sudden could happen, and the thought that even a small distraction could put everyone at risk stayed with me long after. Experiencing that Uber accident shaped my awareness in a way nothing else could. It made me more conscious of how easily accidents happen and how fragile control behind the wheel truly is. Having just turned 18, I’m learning to drive on my own and I’m very aware that every action behind the wheel carries weight. I've made an effort to drive with complete focus, minimizing distractions, anticipating what could go wrong, and taking responsibility for everyone on the road. Just like in the kitchen, you aren’t just cooking for yourself, when you’re driving, you’re responsible for everyone around you, too.

Driver’s education and traffic school courses are very effective in teaching and changing behaviors around impaired driving because they treat safe driving like a precise, necessary recipe. They emphasize personal responsibility through emotional and hands-on learning, showing drivers what the "burnt meal" of a crash truly looks like. Preparing meatballs and spaghetti safely requires knowing when to stir the sauce and how long to boil the pasta, recipes, help, and experiences all help make you a better cook. These courses teach drivers to anticipate and avoid mistakes by knowing when to pull over due to fatigue or how to intervene when a friend is impaired. By expanding the definition of impairment to include all mental and physical distractions, these programs equip drivers with the mindset and skills needed to maintain a safe, mindful approach, ensuring the car ride  remains a safe experience for everyone, not a regrettable mistake.

Ultimately, the core lesson from my father, that I am "cooking for other people", is the foundational principle of my entire approach to driving. My role in preventing impaired driving is to go beyond just watching and actually take action to keep myself and others safe. Like a careful cook making sure ingredients are measured and tools are used properly, I make a point to follow the strategies I learned in traffic school, being the designated driver and making sure my friends have safe rides before heading out. Experiencing an accident firsthand, along with what I’ve learned about things like fatigue and distractions, gives me a way to help others understand the risks. I can share my story and show that even a quick glance at your phone can be just as dangerous as drunk driving, using what I’ve learned to transform common myths and encourage safer choices among my friends. By encouraging focused, responsible driving and treating the car keys as a symbol of accountability, I can ensure that every time I am behind the wheel, the "journey" is prepared with the absolute care and mindfulness required to keep the "meal" safe for everyone on the road.