Study Suggests Later School Start Time Leads to Fewer Crashes

Male high school student sitting at a desk in a Wisconsin classroom
Study Suggests Later School Start Time Leads to Fewer Crashes
Male high school student sitting at a desk in a Wisconsin classroom

With schools throughout the nation starting for the year after a summer with a more relaxed schedule, many high school students have to change their sleep schedule to wake up early enough to make it to school on time. In recent years there has been much discussion revolving around just how early that should be. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently weighed in on the topic. It does not think that any high school should start before 8:30 a.m.

It published a policy statement that indicates that in addition to leading to poor academic performance, school start times that are to early could also harm the greater society. Among other things, the lack of sleep that some teens experience could lead to more car accidents occurring. A study conducted in another state determined that by delaying the start times of high schools by an hour, the average crash rate decreased and average of 16.5 percent. The results of that study are available in study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

Regardless of why a car accident involving a teen driver occurs, once it has, it cannot be undone. A collision can result in serious injuries that take a long period of time to recover from. It can also result in exorbitant medical bills. To help cover these, a personal injury lawsuit may be filed against the negligent party. In addition to providing often much needed compensation, a legal action such as this may provide much needed closure regarding the matter.

Source: CNN, “Doctors: Early school start times unhealthy for students,” Sara Cheshire, Aug. 28, 2014