Teens have a much higher incidence of auto accidents in Mississippi and throughout the U.S. when they start school early in the morning according to a study that was conducted in 2008 and just published in the April issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.  There was a comparison study conducted between two towns in Virginia.  In Virginia Beach, VA teenagers started school between 7:20 am and 7:25 am while in the other town, Chesapeake, VA, the kids started school between 8:40 am and 8:45 am.

The data showed that the 16-18 year old drivers in the town of Virginia Beach had a 41 percent higher crash rate than those teenagers from the town of Chesapeake.  There were 65.8 motor vehicle accidents for every 1000 drivers in that age group in Virginia Beach and only 46.6 per 1000 in Chesapeake.  The same study replicated an earlier study conducted in 2007 that found a crash rate of 71.2 per 1000 drivers for Virginia Beach teen drivers and only 55.6 per 1000 drivers for Chesapeake teen drivers.

The researchers theorize that teenagers are experiencing biological changes as they age so sleep deprivation can actually be more of a problem in this age group than in adults.  The average teenager actually requires a little over nine hours of sleep a night according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.  A lot of teens have busy school and sport schedules as well as active social calendars.  These activities can prevent them from going to bed early enough every night so that when then get up in the morning they do not feel rested.  There does not have to be a study done to conclude that a more rested driver is going to be more alert and safe or that fatigued drivers have much higher car accident rates in Mississippi.

Starting Later

It makes sense that maybe it would be better to work along more with these kids’ natural circadian rhythms. In other words, Mississippi school districts might be well advised to adapt to the natural sleep and activity patterns of teenagers by implementing later start times for classes.  A separate study coming out in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine indicates that if the start of school was delayed by just one hour, then students’ attention levels and cognitive performance would increase. There is no specific focus on driving in this study, but it stands to reason that a more alert driver would make for a safer driver.  Given the high prevalence or teen auto accidents in Mississippi, this would seem like a prudent change to consider.

This recent study only confirms the results of earlier studies that indicate a link between the amount of sleep that teens get each night and their likelihood of being involved in an Atlanta auto accident.  A study in Lexington, KY in 1998 analyzed the relationship between auto crash rates and increased sleep in teen drivers.  The school changed the school start time to later in the day.  Researchers then studied data from two years prior to the change and from two years after the change.  The crash rates declined 16.5 percent in this study group compared to the crash rates of teens in the rest of the state, which experienced a 7.8 percent increase in car accident rates.

The study from Virginia does not prove a cause and effect relationship between early school start times and increased car crashes rates.  What it does show is that there is a relationship between increased auto crashes and tired teen drivers.  Later starts for Mississippi schools just seem like a logical place to start so teens get more quality sleep time making it more likely that they will remain alert and safe while driving.  There also may be additional benefits to kids such as increased learning and productivity, which has nothing to do with driving at all.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an accident involving a fatigued driver, then call our office today to consult with our team of personal injury attorneys.  The roots of the Barrett Law Office extend back over 75 years.  We have developed a reputation for providing zealous advocacy and compassionate legal representation to auto accident victims throughout Mississippi.  If you or a loved one have been injured in a Mississippi motor vehicle accident, we invite you to call us today at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help