Distracted driving is a significant problem in today's society. Things like eating, listening to music, texting, talking on the phone, and driving under the influence are substantial causes of distracted driving. Let's focus on driving under the influence. Driving under the influence doesn't only mean drinking alcohol; it can be caused due to drug use. Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol can cause car wrecks and deaths. 

     There should be more educational resources talking about the dangers of this: "Thirty-two people in the United States each day are killed in crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver, that is one death every forty-five minutes.” (CDC. “Impaired Driving: Get the Facts.”) This includes adults, teens, and even children. Two hundred twenty-nine children ages zero to fourteen were killed in 2020 due to impaired drivers. Impaired driving impacts the driver's life and every other driver on the road. This is a significant problem, and it is turning into an epidemic. There needs to be a solution to this problem.  If there were more educational resources about the dangers of driving under the influence, there would be fewer car wrecks and fatalities. 

     Schools teach about saying no to drugs and alcohol and sometimes talk about the consequences; however, they usually only talk about the health issues that come with it. Schools do not discuss the dangers of driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. There are resources like drunk driving simulators, Turn N’ Learn Classroom Challenge, and Fatal Vision goggles that simulate drunken blurry vision. Schools should prioritize using these resources along with trained professionals to educate teens about the consequences of their actions:

In the Turn ‘N Learn Classroom Challenge, participants will form into multiple teams and take turns spinning the wheel to select a question category. Teams work together to answer questions and perform tasks to earn points. All questions and activities are designed to help participants identify strategies for making safe decisions, as well as learn important facts related to alcohol use and impaired driving. (Fatal Vision. “Resources and Tools for Your Drunk Driving Prevention Program.”) 

     Some school administrators say that there are more significant problems that schools need to focus on, and that is true, but this is one of those problems (Locust Grove High School, Administrative office). People need to learn about the consequences of driving under the influence, and it is best they learn while still in school, while it can be prevented. Schools should have police officers, ambulance drivers, doctors, and people who have witnessed or been through a car wreck due to driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, share their stories with teens and young adults in high school. 

     Driving under the influence does not only mean alcohol. It could be drug use, extreme fatigue, or even some over-the-counter medications. Drugs like marijuana can cause the driver's reaction time to be slower, make it difficult for them to multitask, and impair their coordination. Driving under the influence of alcohol can cause difficulty steering, reduced ability to process what is happening on the road, and reduced ability to maintain lane position.  (CDC. “What You Need to Know about Substance Use and Driving – Including Marijuana.”) 

     The best option to prevent driving while impaired is not to drink or take drugs; however, planning ahead and having a designated driver is a good option. If people do not know the consequences of driving under the influence, they most likely will not plan ahead and have a designated driver at the time. Planning ahead is a great solution because it shows responsibility and helps there to be fewer fatal car wrecks. 

     Fatal Vision gave three tips for how to create a successful drunk-driving presentation. They said, “ Know your audience, Interact with your audience and engage your audience.” (Fatal Vision. “Tips for Implementing a Successful Drunk Driving Prevention Program.”). Getting to know your audience can help you understand how they learn and what the best teaching strategy for them is. High school students don’t want to sit through a long presentation. Figuring out how they learn and keeping them engaged is critical. Adding fun interactive games to these presentations will keep students engaged and help them remember the presentation.

Another way to prevent people from driving under the influence is having that talk with your children at home: “Don’t Wait for the “Right” Time—It’s always a good time to talk to your kids about the dangers of impaired driving. (“Impaired Driving: Talk with Your Kids.”)” When your kids ask to borrow the car or go out with a friend, this is an excellent time to talk with them about the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

     In an interview with Jennifer Bailey, she said that the high school she attended would have a “mock wreck,” a demonstration of a wreck that happened due to an impaired driver. (Bailey, Jennifer. Personal Interview)  She said that fewer drunk driving wrecks occurred because of this;“The school no longer does this presentation, and there seem to be many more wrecks due to drugs or alcohol.” (Bailey, Jennifer. Personal Interview)

     If schools still did things like this today, there would be fewer car accidents revolving around impaired driving. The presentation of the mock wreck was practical, yet the school stopped doing it because they could not find the time to, according to high school counselor Natasha Coffelt. (Coffelt, Natasha. Personal Interview) Education is essential, but so is the education that keeps people safe. 

     All in all, driving under the influence is a significant problem in today's society. There need to be more educational resources for teens and young adults about the consequences of driving while impaired. If more people were educated about the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, there would be fewer car wrecks due to impaired driving.