What does the term "impaired driving" mean to
you? If you're like many, drinking and driving comes to mind quickest.
But impairment is a term that characterizes any similar insufficiency.
Webster's 2nd New Riverside Dictionary, Revised, defines "impair"
as "harm, diminish in strength, value quality, quantity." So,
anything that does these things to your driving capabilities "impairs"
your ability to drive. At the top of my list are the physical things that
prevent you from being at your best while exercising your privilege to
drive. There are times when you shouldn't drive. Recognizing WHEN this
applies to you is perhaps the toughest part. Our nature is to say, "Sure,
I'm OK to drive," but the fact is there are times when we're NOT
up to the job -- and shouldn't. Know when to say no.
A few years ago, a local man suffered a broken leg.
His leg was placed in a large cast and he probably was told not to drive.
But there were places to go, and he figured that with the help of a stick
(to operate the accelerator pedal), he could manage. What happened next
was predictable - he lost control of his vehicle, it jumped a curb, ran
over a nearby phone booth, and killed a man who was in the phone booth,
because the driver didn't recognize when he was not capable of operating
a vehicle safely.
Even minor illnesses can prevent our ability to think
clearly, and affect the motor skills we need to keep control of a
vehicle. A severe headache can affect your vision, for example. The temporary
loss of the use of a limb should cause us to make sure we leave the driving
to someone else - at least one person would be alive today had it not
been for someone who wasn't aware it was important to think about that.
Pain caused by the flu or other illnesses, even minor ones, can impair
our ability to function effectively as drivers.
Some of our physical disabilities are preventable
-- poor vision for example. Some of us shouldn't drive without the use
of glasses or contacts. In some states this is taken seriously enough
that it is a criminal offense to drive without them if your license is
noted with a requirement for vision correction. While adequate hearing
is not a requirement for a driver license, if you have hearing problems
that can be corrected with hearing aids, make sure to wear them. While
non-hearing people learn to compensate for their inability to hear and
can drive safely, the same may not be true for a person who has not learned
to compensate -- and hearing is an important sense for most of us when
it comes to driving. Finally, think about those medications you are taking
-- some of them will affect your ability to operate motor vehicles. Especially
if a medication is new to you, be very careful until you know exactly
how it will affect you.
Be skeptical of your own complacency -- if you are
thinking "no problem," then give it a second, more critical
thought and make sure you know for sure. It's never worth making a mistake
when lives are at stake -- whether yours or someone else's.
Keep the shiny side up!
<Rule
43: Recognize the Futility of Rushing
Rule 45: Start Rested. Keep Fresh!>
