Name: Deanna Y Hatchett
From: MATTESON, IL
Votes: 0
The tire screech. The glass breaking. the quiet after the collision. When I think of driving while intoxicated, these are the noises that come to mind. We often see it as a devastating headline, a stranger’s error, or something that occurs “out there.” However, drunk driving is personal; one poor decision might permanently alter not just one life but whole families and communities.
In my opinion, “impaired driving” refers to any situation in which a person operates a motor vehicle while having impaired judgment, reflexes, or concentration. Impairment may occur while someone is texting at a red light, answering a phone call on the highway, or driving when fatigued after a night shift, but most people identify it with alcohol or drugs. In addition to the behavior itself, impaired driving is particularly dangerous because it is frequently misinterpreted. Many drivers believe that impairment simply refers to being legally “over the limit” with alcohol, even those who have finished driver’s education. Some people think they are somehow immune since they have driven while fatigued or preoccupied in the past without suffering any repercussions. This delusion of safety encourages risk-taking, and risk-taking breeds catastrophe.
These days, the four most prevalent impairments are exhaustion, drugs, alcohol, and distraction. Alcohol impairs judgment and lowers response time, which may be the difference between crashing into another automobile or stopping in time. Both prescribed and illicit drugs have the potential to impair concentration, warp perception, and even induce hallucinations. Distraction is just as deadly, usually from cellphones. Even though it only takes five seconds to read a text message, driving at highway speeds is like driving a football field while blindfolded. Another quiet threat is fatigue. Research indicates that sleepy driving may replicate the effects of alcohol, rendering a fatigued motorist just as impaired as one who is intoxicated. Every kind of impairment deprives a driver of the acute focus required to drive a car safely, transforming automobiles into random weapons.
The night a close family member was hit by a motorist who had been up for about twenty hours made me more mindful of impaired driving. Don’t drink. No drugs. Just plain tiredness. She was permanently injured in the incident, and I was left with a warning that disability is always devastating even when it is not readily apparent. I no longer drive the same route after hearing the tale. I wait now before pressing the key. Have I slept? Am I paying attention? My phone is on mute, right? I am held responsible by those little checkpoints because I am aware that one thoughtless choice may have disastrous consequences.
By changing attitudes before dangerous behaviors become ingrained, driver education programs and road safety courses may help avert such deaths. Too often, classes are seen as obstacles to obtaining a license, but with the right instruction, they may be lifesavers. Law memorization is just one aspect of the most successful systems. They make data more relatable by using personal stories, simulating real-world threats, and encouraging students to take responsibility for everyone’s safety, not just their own. A lesson becomes memorable when a young driver hears directly from accident survivors or engages in impairment simulators, such as attempting to text while driving on a virtual road. Knowledge by itself cannot alter behavior, but experience and emotional learning may.
The fact that drunk driving is not only a problem among minors makes these initiatives even more crucial. Refreshers that challenge complacency are also necessary for adults. Lives may be saved by traffic schools that include recent findings on distracted driving or emphasize the dangers of combining prescription drugs and driving. We convey the idea that safe driving is a lifetime duty rather than a one-time instruction by normalizing continuing education.
Regarding my position, I think that personal responsibility and cascading repercussions are the first steps toward change. By refusing to drive while intoxicated and by pointing out risky conduct in others, even when it is difficult, I may stop impaired driving. I can be the one to grab a friend’s keys if they insist that driving after drinking is “fine.” I have the right to speak out if I’m a passenger and my driver is looking at their phone. I can utilize my knowledge to influence peers in addition to making personal decisions. People in my group have already begun to reconsider driving while fatigued after I told them about my wounded family member. People reevaluate their own behavior when they see the personal cost of the data.
Because impaired driving is ultimately avoidable, every fatality caused by it is all the more tragic. While we cannot prevent every bad decision, we can foster a culture that makes them less probable. Traffic schools and driver’s education are important instruments in that objective because they educate us to respect lives, both our own and those of others, in addition to how to drive. My objective is straightforward: fewer families will have to endure the hush after collision or the scream of tires. We can make that vision a reality by raising awareness, educating people, and holding people accountable.
