Evidence presented in a study at SLEEP 2010 shows that teens who begin school earlier are more likely to be involved in car accidents, according to Sleep Review Magazine.
The study showed that, in 2008, the teen crash rate in Virginia Beach, Va was about 41 percent higher than in Chesapeake, Va. Students began classes at 7:20 a.m. in Virginia Beach and at 8:40 a.m. in Chesapeake. Researchers indicate that the two cities have similar demographics, including racial composition and income levels.
Information was obtained by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. In Virginia Beach, there were 12,916 drives between 16 and 18 years of age in 2008. These drivers were involved in 850 crashes. In Chesapeake, there were 8,459 teen drivers and 394 car accidents in this age group.
Research shows that teenagers typically require at least nine hours of sleep in order to perform effectively during the day. Many teens experience a biological shift in the sleep schedule, known as delayed sleep phase which results in going to sleep later at night and sleeping in later during the day if left unregulated. Unfortunately, because of early school start times, this shifted sleep schedule results in chronic sleep deprivation for teens.
According to MedPage Today, An estimated 100,000 car crashes every year in the U.S. are associated with driver drowsiness and falling asleep, and more than half of those are in drivers 25 and younger.
Authors of the study believe that a delayed high school start time may increase driver alertness by reducing chronic sleep restriction, which is a common problem in adolescents.
