In one city in Virginia, teenagers have 46 crashes for every 1,000 drivers. In another city in the same state, the crash rate is 65 per 1000 drivers -- more than 40 percent higher.
Dr. Robert Vonora, a professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School, thinks the difference may be due to the time of day high schools begin classes in each city.
"We think the Virginia Beach students may be sleep-deprived," Dr. Vorona said, "and that is perhaps the reason for the increased crashes."
Virginia Beach high schools start at 7:20 AM; Chesapeake's start at 8:40 AM.
"Teenagers tend to go to bed later no matter what time they get up," Dr. Vorona, an expert on sleep, explained.
Other studies indicate that teenagers are "biologically programmed" to stay up late and to sleep late. If allowed to do this, they can concentrate better in school, perform better academically, and are less likely to be irritable or depressed.
"Teenagers need over nine hours of sleep a night, and it looks like a large number of teenagers don't get sufficient sleep," Dr. Vorona said. "Part of that relates to the time that high school begins."
The study was presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Sleep Societies.
Posted By: Aspen Education Group