Education News – Kristin Decarr
“A recent report from the US Department of Transportation suggests that starting high school at a later time of day could reduce the number of motor vehicle crashes experienced by teenage drivers due to the sleep needs of adolescents…recent research found that those under the age of 21, who make up around 6% of the entire licensed driving population, accounted for 20% of drowsy driving crashes. The authors suggest that this could be due in part to a connection between driving experience and hazard perception, pointing to evidence from a separate study which found experienced drivers are less likely to observe hazards if they are tired or less experienced behind the wheel. They also discussed the changes to the circadian rhythm that occur during adolescence, which researchers say cause teenagers to fall asleep at a later time than they did when they were younger. Due to this “sleep phase shift,” the National Sleep Foundation suggests teenagers need to sleep in the early morning hours when high schools typically begin for the day.”(more)